Picture yourself sitting among the bluebonnets at our Texas Vacation Ranch.

Well, the bluebonnets will soon be in bloom at our Central Texas Guest Ranch. By the end of March, we expect our fields to be blue, blue, blue – dotted here and there with red or pink Texas Paintbrush, and yellow Greenthread and Square-Bud Primrose.

Bluebonnets are native to Texas, and are the state flower. They were beloved by Native Americans before Europeans discovered this land; and the first Spanish settlers collected their seeds and cultivated them around their missions. Texas Bluebonnets come in a variety of shades: royal blue, a bolder blue, and white mixed with rosy purple and lavender.

Of course, what we most love about them is their delicate beauty. When we go horseback riding through our Houston area Texas Vacation Ranch in the spring, we are simply awed by the landscape. There is no place we would rather be.

Now is the time to plan a trip to our Texas vacation ranch while the bluebonnets are in bloom. Take advantage of our Midweek Lodging Special; for details and reservations, call 713-301-3235

*Historian Jack Maquire. See Texas Bluebonnets.

Steve Boyd and his 1914 Model T Ford

“These cars were produced from 1909 to 1927, 15.5 million in all. In the early ’20′s, 60% of the cars on the road were Model T’s. They typically get about 15 mpg on regular gas, travel well at 35 mph, and are capable of 50 mph speed. They have no gas pedal, no breaks on the wheels, and wood (hickory) spokes on the wheels. Since wood had been used for centuries to build wagon wheels, they were used with confidence on the Model T until 1925.

The car pictured above has been completely restored. I started with a frame on a pair of sawhorses, and built the complete car from original, or exact replica, parts.  It has toured extensively around the USA, including a drive in 2009 from Manhattan in New York to Seattle, WA – a distance of 4,400 miles. This event was a celebration and duplication of the first cross-country auto race which was held 100 years earlier and was won by a Model T Ford. This car has on the order of 12,000 miles on it since restoration.

You may have heard the phrase about these early Fords  “you can have any color you want, as long as it is black”. That was true with Fords from 1914 until 1925, but when it came time to paint my car, I decided it should be maroon with gold pin striping.

Model T Fords are period correct to the atmosphere of Blisswood Houston area Guest Ranch. Many Model T’s outlived their usefulness on the road and were converted to other uses; some were turned into wagons for use on the farm. These existed by the thousands and, in fact, one such wagon, based on a Model T Ford chassis, sits at Blisswood behind an out-building, near Magnolia.”
Steve Boyd

Thanks to Steve for sharing his passion for Model T Fords with us!

Allison & Sassy Enjoying the Sunshine

This is Real Puppy Love!  A rare family that epitomizes real family values just ended their weekend at our Texas Guest Ranch.   There is real family love that one can feel when around them–both children wonderfully behaved, parents very caring and loving.  Alexis and Allison, you will be remembered! Allison obviously has this special connection with animals, and Sassy our ranch ambassador, quickly knew this and took advantage of it.   Allison is now famous here at BlissWood, and Sassy awaits her next visit.  Alexis and Allison took advantage of our children’s horseback riding and had a great time with our wonderful weather this weekend.  Upon their return home this evening. Mother Lori wrote:  “We are proud of the girls!  We had a great time this weekend; it was the first time for any of us to visit a ranch (except for school field trips).  We really loved riding our bikes and seeing all the animals up close.  Thank you so much for sending the photos as Allison was in tears that she didn’t see Sassy this morning.  We printed the pictures already.  Allison is taking them to school tomorrow – 1st grade.  It’s a great thing that you have done with Blisswood.”   This is what BlissWood is all about–getting unplugged, relaxing in nature, surrounded by our ranch animals.

Both of these are big jobs. Our ranch is spread over 650-acres, and our B&B consists of ten turn-of-the-century homes. In addition, we offer many activities on the ranch for our guests, be it horseback riding, archery, fishing, or romantic picnics at the lake gazebo. Guests may choose to do nothing more than relax on the porch of their vacation cabin, or they may fill their time here with a host of activities. Debby and Ralph will help all happen smoothly.

Debbie and Ralph manage our Texas guest ranch.

Look for Debbie and Ralph the next time you stay at our romantic Texas guest ranch in Cat Spring, Texas.

Philosophooing

Roger says:  “Life is what you make of it.  Grab what you can while you can.  Heck, the chickens come around when I’m trying to eat my banana; if I drop a bite, they are there to peck it up quickly.  One must always be vigilent.  Grab it first with no hesitation.”  Life on a Texas Guest Ranch.

Our Houston area cabins are situated on a 600-acre ranch, meaning there is plenty of room to roam. Guests may watch us at work, participate in a morning feed tour, or simply relax on the porch in the shade.

Purebred Angus cattle roam our working/vacation ranch.

When next you visit our Texas Vacation Ranch near Houston, be sure to ask about our morning feeding tours. How often in your life will you find yourself face to face with a friendly, hungry kangaroo?

Roger Roo loves his morning banana!

One of those surprise Texas thunderstorms appeared, and a helicopter was heard overhead, very close by. After the whirling sound suddenly stopped, a ranch hand ran to the pasture and found the helicopter on the ground; the two men in the helicopter had to quickly find a place to land, as they were in the skies in the rain, with no doors. They put a tarp over the copter and got a tour of the ranch until the thunderstorm passed. Of course, they were invited to ride some horses, eat at Carol’s Cat Spring Restaurant, and spend the night at BlissWood Texas Vacation Ranch; however, they were on their way to Austin for business and needed to get on their way, promising to return soon!

One rainy day, a helicopter and passengers dropped in to say hello.

Need we say any more?

Book your Texas vacation cabins today, and start creating beautiful memories.