Many people may not realize that Texas is home to over 800 wineries, many of which are located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Just under an hour west of Austin in the town of Dripping Springs, known as the “Gateway to the Hill Country,” lies a beautiful resort with its own vineyard and winery. Set against the rolling hills and forests of Central Texas, Camp Lucy offers sophisticated accommodations with a rustic Texas charm. The resort has become a favorite destination for those looking to escape into the beauty of the Hill Country and sample the wines produced from the resort’s own vineyard. It’s also become a popular spot for weddings, with its multiple venue options and scenic vistas that provide the perfect backdrop for photographs.
The history of the resort can be traced back to the story of its owners, Whit and Kim Hanks. Whit’s talents as a real estate developer and antiques dealer led him to make the impulsive decision to purchase a church in Vietnam that was scheduled for demolition. The building was painstakingly disassembled and rebuilt on his family’s 200-acre property in Texas. Kim, a talented event planner, saw the potential to turn the beautiful structure into a wedding locale. Inspired by this first step, Whit and Kim began to create a vision for the property, which they named after Whit’s mother. Camp Lucy has become a special place to create memories, where it provides a refreshing change of pace in a picturesque setting.
Luxurious accommodations with Texas charm
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Camp Lucy offers a range of accommodations that include individual rooms, spacious suites, and charming cottages. Each choice is tastefully decorated and filled with modern amenities, such as luxurious linens, pillowtop mattresses, DirectTV satellite access, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Many rooms also feature wood-beamed ceilings as well as handsome antiques chosen personally by Whit and Kim. The individual Vista and Treetop Rooms include a mini-fridge and microwave, and they offer a patio or balcony with sweeping views of the beautiful hills and lush canopy of trees. The Estate Rooms create the feeling of a cabin getaway, with vaulted ceilings and warm decor. A sliding barn door offers privacy for the stand-alone stone bathtub, a signature piece in many rooms at Camp Lucy. All Estate Rooms include a small kitchenette and also share a fire pit.
Each of the three types of suites offers a unique layout, with details that may include vaulted ceilings, stone fireplaces, a hammock on a private patio, or an outdoor rain shower. The guest cottages are the most spacious and luxurious accommodations at Camp Lucy. The Creekside Cottage includes three bedrooms and a full-sized kitchen, along with a sitting area, stone fireplace, and private patio. Lucy’s Cottage also has three bedrooms, as well as a sunroom and a game room. The full-sized kitchen is beautifully decorated with a backsplash that is reminiscent of a colorful Moroccan print, and an outdoor living area includes a built-in grill within the stone surround.
Fine dining and enjoyable activities
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Camp Lucy offers a variety of activities for guests to enjoy, a delightfully eclectic list that reflects the whimsy and charm of the resort. Guests who enjoy the art of fine dining will appreciate the olive oil tasting or the mixology class. There are also opportunities to interact with the animals on the resort by feeding the resident alpacas or participating in the Chicken Chat, where they might be rewarded with some fresh eggs. Guests can test their skills with a morning of archery and hatchet-throwing, or they may go hiking, attend a yoga session, or enjoy an afternoon of wine-tasting during the Vineyard Experience.
Camp Lucy’s gourmet restaurant, Tillie’s, provides guests an opportunity to enjoy fine dining during their stay. Following the tradition of incorporating family history into the personality of the resort, the restaurant is named after Whit’s great-grandmother, Attilia. She loved to travel and learn about different cultures around the world, and this passion for new experiences is reflected in the international flavors of the cuisine at Tillie’s.
The thoughtful hospitality offered with each experience at Camp Lucy extends to its wedding patrons as well. There are five settings on the property that are available as venues, which include the exquisite Ian’s Chapel, a lovely repurposed barn named Whit’s Inn, or even the vineyard itself. The charm of this family-owned resort, set within the beauty of the Texas wine country, is sure to bring people together and create memories they’ll never forget.
