Camp Lucy in Austin, Texas, Resort Evaluation

Austin, Texas, will get loads of shine because the “it” place for its vibrant dwell music scene and revelatory barbecue. The magnetic draw of town’s distinctive music and meals is how I moved shut by. However after I want a respite from the bustle, I do know Dripping Springs, a.okay.a. “The Gateway to Hill Nation,” is merely 40 minutes away. My most up-to-date Dripping Springs escape plan concerned a keep on the luxurious resort Camp Lucy.

I may really feel the stress leaving my physique as I exited Austin’s metropolis limits and soaked within the serene environment resulting in Camp Lucy’s sprawling off-the-grid location. As I drove over glittering rivers and streams and onto winding, slender nation roads, my Google Maps determined to go offline. Luckily, the country signal pointing to Camp Lucy’s hilltop entrance appeared within the knick of time.

Nature greeted me with the most effective welcome soundtrack: waves of silence bedecked with smooth trickles from a close-by creek, the cheerful chirps from birds, and leaves rustled by a delicate breeze.

Camp Lucy has created an idyllic, off-the-grid hilltop sanctuary for these searching for an escape drizzled with a splash of journey – but it surely wasn’t at all times this fashion. Camp Lucy was initially established as an out of doors marriage ceremony venue earlier than being transformed into a novel luxurious getaway by homeowners Kim and Whit Hanks in 2010. Camp Lucy now has 27 boutique resort rooms, two standalone household cottages, enjoyable every day visitor actions (resembling archery, winery strolls, mixology courses, olive oil tasting, hatchet throwing, and fishing), a resort-style pool with a swim-up bar and Tillie’s restaurant.

For historical past buffs like me, I particularly appreciated Camp Lucy’s various array of historic structure and artifacts. The unique marriage ceremony venue, generally known as Ian’s Chapel, is a Nineteenth-century French colonial chapel made from hand-carved beams imported from Vietnam and reassembled on-site. Whit, a former antiques seller, and his spouse Kim have embellished the property with classic trinkets from all over the world, resembling cast-iron frogs from Vietnam, textiles from Ecuador, and extra.

In early 2025, Camp Lucy plans to debut the Folklore Spa, a curated wellness house seamlessly capturing the resort’s eclectic allure. Folklore Spa will dwell inside three repurposed Nineteenth-century Vietnamese properties akin to the buildings housing Ian’s Chapel and Tillie’s. The spa will function extra in a single day lodging, a bathhouse, a sauna, an out of doors pool overlooking Hill Nation, and a meditation constructing.

From having fun with a glass of Camp Lucy Vineyards malbec on the balcony of my Treetop Room to channeling my internal Katniss Everdeen by an archery class, I cherished the stress-free, whimsical keep at Camp Lucy.

Learn on for my evaluation of Camp Lucy, a sequestered gem within the coronary heart of the Texas Hill Nation.

The Rooms

I stayed in one among Camp Lucy’s deluxe Treetop Rooms, nestled in an oak tree with a non-public balcony overlooking the rolling hills. Within the mornings, I might catch stares from the lovable and curious neighbors, a household of deer. Asian-inspired décor, like classic tapestries and stylish, retro wallpaper, greeted me, together with patterned pendant lamps dangling from the excessive ceilings. The Property Rooms have beautiful, handcrafted imported stone soaking tubs. The 2 standalone household cottages (Creekside Cottage and Lucy’s Cottage) can home as much as 10 friends and are geared up with full-size kitchens, fireplaces, and a number of bedrooms. The English Suite has an out of doors rain bathe, whereas the Terrace Suite presents two non-public patios outfitted with outside seating and an opulent, pillow-top hammock.

Meals and Drink

Camp Lucy’s on-site restaurant Tillie’s is inside a repurposed 18th-century city corridor from Ninh Binh, Vietnam. The seasonal menu showcases elements sourced from native farms and ranches, leading to international-inspired plates and cocktails with a Texas contact.

My favourite chunk from the weekend was their tender beef brief rib drizzled with a smoky-sweet glaze, complemented with smoked marble potatoes. The daring cocktail menu includes a lineup of Texas-based spirits, together with Treaty Oak Day Drinker Texas Bourbon and 9 Banded Straight Bourbon Whiskey. My favourite drink on the menu was the Smoked Previous Customary, made with 9 Banded Bourbon, Angostura bitters, sugar, and orange, accompanied by a smoke-filled bottle to cloak the cocktail when it was unveiled tableside.

Actions and Experiences

Upon check-in, I used to be greeted with a complimentary glass of wine from their winery – which was recent information to me. I used to be distracted from listening to the every day exercise choices defined as I went between making eye contact with the receptionist and the towering, glass-shielded wine cellar behind her. Though I knew Dripping Springs is a part of the Texas Wine Nation, I didn’t understand Camp Lucy had their very own award-winning wine line-up in partnership with Consolation, Texas-based Bending Department Vineyard. Since its 2017 classic, Bending Department has crafted wines utilizing grapes sourced from the five-acre Camp Lucy Vineyards (which you’ll be able to tour whereas visiting the resort). So, after I wasn’t feeding the resident alpacas (entrance desk employees gives the suitable meals) or hatchet-throwing, I loved sitting on my room’s balcony with a glass of Camp Lucy Winery wine, particularly their juicy, darkish cherry-meets-rich cocoa 2019 malbec.

One pre-dinner exercise I particularly loved was a non-public mixology class. The bar workforce caught wind that I used to be a 9 Banded Whiskey fan and was certain to incorporate that model among the many base spirits in my one-hour cocktail-making session. Different actions out there to friends embody hanging with Camp Lucy’s chickens (they at present have 20 pasture-raised chickens that present eggs used at Tillie’s), mountaineering, yoga, strolling historical past excursions, archery, and fishing.

Accessibility

Most of the rooms at Camp Lucy are ADA compliant, together with The English Suite, second-floor Treetop Rooms, which friends can entry by way of elevators, choose Property Rooms (the ADA-compliant suites function a walk-in bathe quite than a stone tub), and the Junior Property Suite.

Location

Although Camp Lucy is off-the-beaten-path throughout the hills, the resort is simply minutes away from famend Dripping Springs-based breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Scenic pure locations, such because the emerald swimming gap Hamilton Pool Protect and the picturesque Pedernales Falls State Park, are close by.