Day Trips: Legendary Alpacas of Texas, Maypearl

photos by Gerald E. McLeod

Legendary Alpacas of Texas outside of Maypearl has a corner on the market of cute farm animals.

There's nothing in the barnyard more charming than an alpaca. Their big eyes peer out of a fuzzball head that bobs around on a long, furry neck. An adult weighs around 150 pounds and stands about 5 feet tall.

A member of the Camelidae family, alpacas are friendly and inquisitive. They crowd around the fence when visitors approach.

"They're a lot like cats," Gina Glasscock says of her herd. "They'll let you pet them if it suits them."

Gina got into alpaca ranching in 2007 after her mother saw an infomercial on TV about the animals. She and her husband were looking for a business opportunity in the country where they could keep their horses.

Gina has 68 of the bouffant-coiffured herbivores. Shearing is done annually in the spring, and an animal produces around 10 pounds of fleece. The fiber is soft, warm, and strong, and it dyes well, doesn't hold odors, and is hypoallergenic.

In South America alpacas are raised for their fiber and meat. Around 127,000 animals were brought to the U.S. between 1984 and 1999 when importation was banned. The national herd now numbers somewhere around 190,000 animals.

Gina enjoys giving tours of her farm, but asks that visitors let her know they're coming. Her farm store of alpaca fleece products ranges from hats and gloves to rugs. The farm has a guest house for rent with a covered porch overlooking the main paddock. There are also two RV slots.

Legendary Alpacas of Texas is outside of Maypearl, a small community 10 miles west of Waxahachie. Learn more about the alpacas at legendaryalpacas.com or give Gina a call at 469/834-5504.

1,627th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.