7/11/18

Summer Vacation on Lake LBJ in Texas

This past spring,  we bought a boat. We have been having so much fun with it on our 'home' lake, in  Grapevine. But this summer, we thought it would be great to take it on a road trip. So we searched VRBO and found a great cabin on Lake LBJ in Horseshoe Bay, TX. We had a blast "living the lake life" for a week. Today I am sharing where we stayed, what we did, where we ate, and some other helpful tips for those of you planning a lake trip this summer.




Where we stayed: Lake LBJ is in Texas, somewhat near Austin. We have been here several years in a row, but usually we stay at the Horseshoe Bay Resort. (You can read about our visit to the Horseshoe Bay Resort here.) This year, since we are new boat owners, we looked for a house with a boat slip. After scouring VRBO, we found this cute log cabin (you can see the VRBO listing here). We were drawn to this property because it looked like something from a story-book! I am not a 'camper' so this was a good 'glamping' experience for me :) We felt like we were in the woods. Deer, grass, trees. But with fresh linens, granite counter-tops, and all the comforts of home.





Pros: The cabin was clean, recently updated, and filled with all the amenities needed. It had a huge grassy lawn, big back porch and sat right on the water.

Cons: When we rented it, the owner listed that it had a boat slip. Turned out that the boat slip could only fit something really small- like a canoe. So we had to trailer our boat for 5 days. The boat ramp was easy to use and close-by. But we were expecting a boat slip. (Note:The owner updated his listing about a week before our trip with this info. and offered a refund if we chose not to come. However since it was 4th of July week, we could not find anything else available last minute. He was very nice to work with and it turned out fine in the end. But when you rent a property- you expect the description and specifications to be accurate.)

What we did: We brought along our boat, tube, wake board, paddle boards, and fishing poles. Our kids loved being in the water all day. At night, we played in the yard, grilled out and walked.







We were there for the 4th of July, so we drove over to the Horseshoe Bay Resort for their annual Patriotic Parade. Lots of decorated golf carts, cars and fun throws. This was our second or third time to go and it seems to get better every year!




What we ate: There are not a lot restaurant options in Horseshoe Bay. Which was fine with us! We love to cook our own food and eat out as 'a treat'. So we brought a ton of groceries with us. We cooked every day, including dinner for 3 out of the 5 nights.

Our menu:  Breakfast- coffee, chocolate chip pancakes, cinnamon muffins, breakfast tacos, and cereal.

Lunch was on the boat- we packed turkey sandwiches, pickles, chips, and fruit.

Dinner at home was grilled hamburgers with salad and french fries, greek chicken kabobs with pita bread and hummus, grilled chicken nachos with homemade guacamole.




We ate out at Pizza Hut in Marble Falls, my husband and I have such fond memories of eating inside an actual Pizza Hut as kids (remember those pitchers of Pepsi?!) as opposed to ordering it in. We thought it was fun to take the girls to a 'sit down' Pizza Hut too!


Our other dinner out was at River City Grill in Marble Falls. They have a variety of food on the menu- lots of healthy options and savory, fried ones too. My daughter raves about their rolls. And you can't beat the view from the patio tables.


What my kids loved the best: Well, all of it! The deer in the area were very friendly, so my daughters spent a lot of time feeding and petting them. The deer's favorite treat was watermelon. Getting this close to these animals was a pretty unique experience. They also loved being outside all day. Playing in the grass, going out on the lake... it was a lot of fresh air and sunshine.






What my husband and I loved best: The relaxation! We woke up every morning and either ran, went on a long walk or paddle boarded together. Then we had coffee on the patio, all before our kids were up! Being on the boat was great too- it's so nice to have that one-on-one time with our kids. Seeing them try new things and embrace the athleticism of water sports is a cool thing.






Tips if you go:
-Pack lots of sunscreen and Columbia SPF shirts, I linked my favorites below. I usually buy a woman's medium or a men's small. Afton wears a woman's small or men's extra-small. Maisy is in a kids medium and Jeff is a men's large.  Be sun aware.
-For fun pics, get a GoPro! The waterproof accessories made it so fun for my kids and I to capture pics on the lake. (See my Instagram - @craftytexasgirl for GoPro videos too!)
-Bring your own groceries and bug spray, there isn't a Target near by :)
-Inflatable paddle boards are worth the investment. They are easy to store, transport and use!
-Embrace the outdoors, I was in a hat, wet swimsuit and slathered up in sunblock every day. I lived in Chaccos and Birkenstocks!

It feels good to take a break from 'regular' life and just live for the moment.
Summer only comes once a year- enjoy it!


 

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