The Luckenbach Inn Bed and Breakfast sits on a wooded hill overlooking Grape Creek, half a mile from the old dance hall where Willie, Waylon, and the boys sang the opening strains of redneck rock. The white limestone house surrounded by a cedar post fence covered with Morning glory vines looks like an old German homestead, but behind the rustic rock walls a luxury awaits the guests.
“Most of our clientele is repeat visitors,” says the inn’s owner Matthew Carinbas. “They come from the big cities all over Texas to unwind and get pampered.” It says a lot about the service that Matthew and his wife Eva offer for guests time after time. The inn is often booked solid months in advance.
The inn’s six rooms are tastefully appointed with antiques and comfortable furnishings. Fresh-cut flowers are put in the rooms daily, and guests receive a chilled bottle of champagne to enjoy during their stay. “We like guests to feel at home when they visit,” Carinbas says, “but we also want them to feel like this is someplace special.”
The log cabin next to the main house is one of the special features of the inn. The two-story building was built around 1860 and maintains the pioneer spirit without compromising comfort. Indoor and outdoor stairs connect the upstairs room with a view of the creek where guests can swim or fish.
In 1997, Carinbas added another two-story building with three spacious rooms. From the road, the lodge looks like it could have been an old stagecoach stop, with its double porches and tall, square columns. On the inside the rooms are elegant without being pretentious. The Coral and Cypress rooms upstairs each have huge beds, fireplaces, and Jacuzzi whirlpool bathtubs. Downstairs, the Grape Suite includes a living space, a large bedroom and a small kitchen. It is used mainly by guests who are visiting the area for a week or longer.
The sixth room is The Old Smokehouse decorated in a bluebonnet theme. Carinbas calls it “small and cozy.” Rather long and narrow, the building was actually the original smokehouse for the ranch. Smoked meats were cured in the attic, the ranch’s saddles and tack were stored on the ground floor, and the root cellar below, which is now a wine cellar, was used to store foods before refrigeration came to the Hill Country.
Breakfast is served in the main house’s new dining room, which has a fireplace and lace curtains covering the walls of windows. The standard breakfast consists of banana walnut pancakes, pecan-coated bacon, farm fresh eggs, fresh fruit, and Eggs Luckenbach — Carinbas’ own scrambled egg casserole creation.
The fresh farm eggs come from a small flock of chickens that Carinbas keeps on the property. The hens and a group of guineas keep the bug population down. “The guineas are my watch dogs,” Carinbas says. The colorful fowl alert the other animals of hawks and other predators and keep the snakes away. Rooter, the inn’s potbellied pig, is as friendly as a family dog, but prefers to spend most of his time eating or sleeping.
A short walk from downtown Luckenbach and about 10 minutes from Fredericksburg, Carinbas opened the inn in 1994. “I bought the place in February, started building the house in April, and had my first guest by Thanksgiving,” he says.
Raised in Brownsville, Texas, by profession Carinbas is a chief maritime officer of drill ships. He came to the Hill Country to visit an aunt and uncle in 1970 and fell in love with the area. After he bought the property he had to remove the rundown old ranch house, but saved the original log cabin. Much of the wood in his two-story main house was salvaged from the old building.
While he was on a three-year sabbatical from working at sea, he cleared the 12 acres and built the inn. He also met his wife Eva during this time. She was vacationing from Pennsylvania when they met in Fredericksburg.
The inn still takes up most of their time. “We’re constantly redecorating to keep it fresh for the guests,” Carinbas says. The furnishings, carpet, linens, just about everything has a life expectancy of about two years. “We’re also clean freaks,” he says with a laugh. “You have to keep up with it or the dust will take over.”
About an hour west of Austin, the Luckenbach Inn is on Old Luckenbach Road. The highway sign for Luckenbach keeps getting stolen, so the turnoff is easy to miss. From U.S. 290 turn onto Old Luckenbach Road at Pehl’s Peaches fruit stand west of Stonewall, or if you miss that turn take FM 1376 at the KOA Camp on U.S. 290 and follow five miles to a left on Old Luckenbach Road.
Rates for the rooms run between $95 and $135. For more information, give the Carinbases a call at 800/997-1124 or visit their Web site at http://www.luckenbachtx.com. Their Web site is very useful, with links to Enchanted Rock Magazine, Texas Wine Trails, Fredericksburg, astronomy information, and lots of other cool things. It also gives information on availability of rooms.
Coming up this weekend …
First Friday Artwalk in the Southtown section of the King William District in San Antonio presents the monthly reception and show of local artists, Feb. 4. 210/222-1152 or http://www.southtown.net.
Birdhouse Day at LBJ State Historical Park in Stonewall treats the whole family to hands-on activities to prepare for spring nesting season, Feb. 5, 10am-1pm. 830/644-2252.
Wimberley Jazz Festival presents swinging sounds of local musicians at Cypress Creek Cafe while visitors sample gourmet food from area restaurants, Feb. 6-11, 11-13. 512/847-9884.
Bald Eagle Tours continue every Saturday at Fairfield Lake State Park with boat ride search parties at 10am-noon and 1-3pm, reservations required. 903/389-4514.
Livestock Show & Rodeo in San Antonio at Freeman Coliseum welcomes country music stars, livestock exhibits, and a carnival to Freeman Coliseum, Feb. 5-20. 210/225-5851 or http://www.sarodeo.com.
This article appears in February 4 • 2000.
