Guadalupe River Ranch continues to be a working ranch in the Hill Country
north of Boerne despite having a reputation as one of the finest resorts in
Central Texas. Hidden on the banks of the Guadalupe River is a 47-room,
world-class resort with an excellent dining room. During the week, the majority
of guests are business people attending seminars and retreats. During the
summer and on weekends the 360-acre ranch is taken over by visitors looking to
play and relax.
Horseback riding is a favorite pastime at the ranch, but they also have an
exercise room, swimming pool, hot tub, and sauna for guests. Mountain-bike and
hiking trails lace the ranch’s private wilderness areas. Canoe and tube trips
travel scenic stretches of the Guadalupe River that few people get to see.
The ranch offers plenty of opportunities to relax. The rooms are all
elegantly furnished and range from hotel-style rooms to condos with a balcony
on the edge of the bluff. They also have two-bedroom suites for the families.
The heart of the ranch is the stone-and-cedar main lodge with hand-hewn
beams and fireplaces in every room. Built in 1929, the house was an
entertainment center for Walter Napier, president of a bank in San Antonio.
Napier sold his weekend ranch to actress Olivia de Haviland, who used
the ranch as a hideaway after Gone With the Wind. She left soon after
wrecking her Packard on one of the rough country roads.
The ranch went through a succession of owners. The stone cottages were built
for a “chicken ranch” with gambling and girls. The sheriff ended that business.
When Walter Starcke found the property in 1977, it had deteriorated to
near-total disrepair.
Starcke is a fifth-generation Texan who returned to Texas after a
career on Broadway. His list of credits include The King and I, Cabaret, and others. Originally, Starcke intended to turn the property into an artists`
colony, but the ranch proved to be too demanding for the project and it ended
after seven years. Starcke decided to convert the ranch into a retreat where
groups could relax, rewind, and recreate.
Bed and breakfast accommodations at the ranch begin at $150 a night
(double occupancy). Activities are as inexpensive as $4 for a tube trip down
the river and as expensive as a $65 massage.
The dining room is open to non-overnight guests when room is available
in the dining hall overlooking the river valley. The gourmet six-course suppers
are offered Thursday through Saturday evenings. The main house is also
available for private parties, with guests getting discounts on overnight
lodging.
The Guadalupe River Ranch is north of Boerne on RR474 and about 45
minutes from San Antonio and an hour from Austin. For information and
reservations, call 210/537-4837.
Coming up…
First Saturday brings vendors, musicians, and cooks to downtown Smithville,
Jan. 4. 512/237-5549.
Road Condition reports are available from the Texas Department of
Transportation travel information line along with the latest tourist
information. 800/452-9292, http://www.dot.state.tx.us or
http://www.traveltex.com
Artifacts from La Salle’s ship from the archaeological site in Matagorda
Bay will be traveling to: Museum of Science and History, Corpus Christi, Jan.
3-12, Mar. 1-31, June 1-July 31; Capitol Rotunda, Austin, Jan.13-25; Victoria
Mall, Victoria, Feb.1-28. 512/729-1271 or http://www.thc.state.tx.us
This article appears in January 3 • 1997 and January 3 • 1997 (Cover).
