Looking out over the vast Chihuahuan Desert, it is easy to forget you are still in Texas. The landscape is a scene from an old Western, with rolling hills and dusty mesas more reminiscent of New Mexico.
Cibolo Creek Ranch lies 33 miles south of Marfa, in the Big Bend of West Texas, and was founded in 1857 by cattle baron Milton Faver both to safeguard his trade between Mexico and Fort Stockton and to protect his 20,000-plus longhorn cattle from raids by Comanche and Apache Indians. Three main springs, Cíbolo, Ciénega and Morita, provide the ranch with a constant supply of good water, and Faver constructed an adobe fort at each. Today, the 30,000 acres are home to wildlife such as elk, buffalo, javelinas, aoudad (Barbarysheep) and white-tailed deer.
Arriving at a gated entrance, we pushed the doorbell and, once admitted, drove slowly along a mile and a half of winding road, admiring the empty landscape. There was not a building or a person to be seen, just a meandering herd of American bison, which, despite our urging, declined to be hurried.
The main “El Cibolo” compound has 21 tile-floored accommodations, each individually decorated with authentic Spanish and Mexican antiques and bright handwoven Southwestern quilts. We stayed in “Pajaro,” which came with a bird-patterned quilt and carved wooden ducks beside an adobe corner fireplace. Overall, the room was spacious and inviting, with a king bed and a desk that supported a small coffeemaker, a radio clock and a vintage set of Dickens’ novels. The bath was adorned with colorful Southwestern tiles and provided double vanities and a combined tub/shower. Outside, a porch was appointed with daybeds and reading chairs, from which we gazed across a lake to the outdoor pool and fitness center.
On our first evening, we joined our fellow guests for cocktail hour. Having requested Sauvignon Blanc, however, we were taken aback to be handed two glasses of buttery Chardonnay. We then sat down for dinner family-style at a long wooden table, where the atmosphere was convivial and the house Cabernet flowed freely. In general, the menu at Cibolo Creek has a Mexican flavor, and game makes a frequent appearance. Our first meal began with a salad of butter lettuce, tomatoes and pistachios in a light vinaigrette. This was followed by beef tenderloin in a red-wine reduction. The meat was served well done, and we were slightly surprised not to have been asked how we prefer it. A dessert of “famous” Tres Leches Cake was unremarkable. At dinner on our second night, the same salad made an unexpected encore, followed by grilled split quail in a sweet chili-lime glaze accompanied by a rice pilaf and a bland side of steamed carrots. After dinner, we adjourned to the fire pit, where we found all the fixings for s’mores. A staff member had gathered guests around a Meade telescope set up beside the lake, and thanks to the clear desert sky, we were able to look at the moon in extraordinary detail, as well as at the rings of Saturn.
During the day, guests at Cibolo Creek pass the time by relaxing on the sunporch, swimming, horseback riding, skeet shooting, touring the property by ATV or Humvee and hiking to view Native American petroglyphs. We opted for a two-hour self-guided hike and, equipped with a map and a walkie-talkie for emergencies, we climbed up to a nearby waterfall, from where there were astonishing views across the Chinati Mountains into Mexico. The elevation at the top was around 6,000 feet. (The property’s private airstrip is at 4,400 feet, and the ranch enjoys a moderate year-round climate with little humidity.)
In many ways, Cibolo Creek is the quintessential Texas guest ranch — there was even the requisite Lucchese bootjack by our bedroom door — and it is an excellent place to unwind and to experience the great outdoors. However, the staff seemed strangely passive, almost sleepy. No one was actively rude, but no one was conspicuously helpful, either. On the basis of our stay, some retraining is in order. And the chef needs to invent another salad.
Cibolo Creek Ranch 90 King Room, from $325 (meal plan available). HCR 67, Marfa. Tel. (432) 229-3737.
Nearly 500 miles east of Cibolo Creek, Travaasa Austin — sister resort of the Harper-recommended Travaasa Hana on Maui — provides a very different kind of escape. Twenty miles north of downtown Austin, this destination resort and spa opened in May 2011 and is perched on a scenic hill overlooking the edge of Lake Travis and the Texas Hill Country. Here, women form a majority of the guests.
Seven “dwellings” linked by meandering walkways contain the 70 accommodations, an arrangement that promotes a feeling of tranquility. Guest rooms fall into two categories: “Trail” and the preferred “Canyon.” Our bright upper-floor room came with large windows, a heavy wooden headboard, a ceiling fan, organic cotton sheets and a palette of natural colors. Overall, the décor was pleasing and comfortable, though not especially sophisticated. The functional bath was equipped with a stall shower but no tub, and a single vanity. A wall-mounted unit provided air-conditioning, but for most of the time, the door to our balcony was open. And there we would begin the day by gazing out over the live oaks and undulating hills of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (originally established to protect two endangered songbirds, the Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Black-capped Vireo).
Daily scheduled activities include yoga, meditation, watsu (an aquatic form of massage), hiking and wine tasting. The spa offers a wide range of traditional and contemporary treatments, including a massage inspired by Willie Nelson! An outdoor infinity pool is well-located on a hill at the back of the property, and we passed an agreeable afternoon there, sipping a jalapeño margarita while savoring the view across Lake Travis to distant rolling hills.
The resort’s restaurant, Jean’s Kitchen, is a bright and inviting open space with a high wood-beamed ceiling and windows on all sides. A seating area with deep leather couches provides a comfortable spot for a pre- dinner drink. Chef Benjamin Baker describes his food as “contemporary Austin” cuisine, with Asian influences and Latin American ingredients reinvigorating more traditional Texas fare. His specialties include onion soup with Manchego cheese melted on sourdough bread, pan-seared hamachi served with grapes in a white wine sauce, and grain-fed pork chops with polenta, squash ribbons and an orange chipotle glaze.
Although comfortable rather than opulent, Travaasa Austin is a fine place in which to relax and recharge. And throughout our stay, the staff was warm, helpful and anticipatory of our every need.
Travaasa Austin 91 All-inclusive one-night package, from $340 a person (longer packages and lower midweek rates available). 13500 Farm to Market Road 2769, Austin. Tel. (512) 258-7243.
Andrew Harper members have access to full travel-planning services through Andrew Harper Travel.
1 (800) 375-4685
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