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Charming Riverfront Cottage on 25 Acres W/ Deep Swimming Hole
| Sleeps | 5 |
| Bedrooms | 1 |
| Bathrooms | 1 |
| Space | 1,000 sq. ft. |
| Property type | house |
| Minimum Stay | 2 - 4 nights |
Overview
House, 1 Bedroom + Extra Sleeping Area, 1 Bath, (Sleeps 2-5)
Little House on the Blanco @ Shade Ranch (http://www.shaderanch.com) is nestled along the Blanco River among the mighty oaks of the Hill Country. Drive down a tree-lined one-lane road and begin enjoying the beautiful, tree covered 25 acres offering tranquility and seclusion. Walk 100 yards from the house to take the stone steps to the river below. 513 feet of private river access awaits you with a deep swimming hole in both normal and drought years.
Gaze at a gorgeous sunset or sunrise on the river or from the picnic table on the bluff above. Grab your rod and discover what Flyfishing magazine called 'one of the best fly fishing spots in Texas, on the Blanco River.'
Take a swim in the clear blue waters of the Blanco River. Enjoy a picnic or a nap or a book along its banks. Dine in the covered porch watching the deer graze and maybe see the rare violet-ear hummingbirds that have been known to visit. Get cozy on those cold nights in front of a warm fire from the beautiful rock fireplace in the living room. You will find a wonderful, large outdoor hot tub right off the covered porch. It is a private place to unwind while admiring the brilliant stars above and the quiet solitude of Shade Ranch.
Little House on the Blanco @ Shade Ranch has so much to offer with its 25 peaceful acres, private river access, a fully equipped kitchen, open dining areas inside or on the covered porch (with Weber propane grill), and a large bedroom with a queen size comfortable bed. There is also a great stone fire pit with stone benches, perfect for roasting marshmallows or warming up on a cool Hill Country evening. Located only 5 minutes from Wimberley Square, this home completes the perfect hill-country getaway without sacrificing any of the charm (or shopping opportunities) that Wimberley has to offer. And with high-speed/wireless Internet and satellite TV, you won't sacrifice the conveniences of modern technology, either.
There is also a larger 3 bedroom house on the same property. The houses are completely separate and don't share anything other than the acreage. The houses sit approximately 100 yards apart and have a bank of cedar trees and a large cedar privacy fence that sit between the houses and create separate areas for privacy.
Keywords: Vacation House
About Roby Norvell
The Norvell family hails from Houston, TX where we, like most Americans, lead over-booked lives full of schoolwork, school activities, sports, civic, and work responsibilities. We enjoyed a most relaxing vacation at Shade Ranch in 2008. In fact, we loved it so much that we purchased it three months later. Our kids are young and our parents and family do not live nearby. We wanted a place for our extended family to get together to run, swim, climb, spend time as a family, and just enjoy the beauty of nature. We hope your family enjoys Shade Ranch as much as we do.
Roby Norvell purchased this house in 2008
Why Roby Norvell chose Hill Country
Shade Ranch in Wimberley Texas is a perfect location for us because it is 3 hours from Houston door to door and only 1 hour from the Austin or San Antonio airport. Our parents and extended family and friends often join us for vacations at Shade Ranch. We love the Little House and speak regularly of leaving the kids in Houston and enjoying a weekend there ourselves. With sleeping room for five we have plenty of room for our 3 kids or it's perfectly intimate for just a couple. We appreciate the seclusion of the 25 acres while making full use of the conveniences of the Village of Wimberley. We regularly utilize the nearby groceries, pharmacies, restaurants, wineries, hardware and other stores. We appreciate the many nearby state parks and towns that make up the Texas Hill Country!
What makes this house unique
The most obvious benefit of Shade Ranch is the beautiful, cold and clear Blanco River. One swim and you too will be sold as it is cool even in the dog days of August, and never crowded. The shallow area suits those wanting to wade or to sit and enjoy the flow of the river and also serves as entry to the adjacent deep swimming area. We think it is perfect and the kids do too. They and their cousins and friends can't get enough of the river when we are there. The river bank area is so spacious, and the sound of the river is so peaceful, it is our favorite place to picnic or enjoy a glass of wine. The kids also like to play games and sports in the grass along the river. They also enjoy fishing, climbing to the 'cave' by the river under the ledge, looking for arrowheads after a rain, having a family 'sleepover', and just exploring the 25 acres of 'forest'. We know you will find these wonders and more at Shade Ranch.
Guestbook comments from the owner
We absolutely loved your place. It was the perfect get away. Thank you for letting us stay even though we had 6 people. I also wanted to thank you for giving it to us at the 2 person rate because of the last minute reservation time. With 4 children things really start to add up. We were so thankful.
The river was awesome. Our 12 year old son had the best time skipping rocks. I think he could go pro! Our girls had fun, too. We could not even get them to leave for lunch. The river was just perfect for our 2 year old. That rock ledge was just right for him. The river was beautiful, and so peaceful.
As for your little house, we loved everything about it- the decorations, the furniture, the porch.....my daughter loved the alcove room for reading and relaxing. The coffee table was great for playing games with our kids.
We were able to see the big house when the cleaning lady came. It looks great. We would love to rent both houses for a big family reunion.
Thank you for a peaceful, relaxing, reconnecting family time. You really have a great place.
Amenities
Wimberley House Accommodation and Amenities
- house
- Guests provide their own meals
- 1000 sq. ft.
- Check-in: 4:00 PM /
- Check-out: 11:00 AM
- Max. occupancy: 5
- Max. adults: 4
- Min. age of primary renter: 25
- Parties/events not allowed
- Pets considered ...
- Non smoking only
- River
- Town
- Waterfront ...
- Away From It All
- Family
- Romantic
- Air Conditioning
- Alarm Clock
- Basic Soaps
- Broadband Access
- Ceiling Fans
- Fireplace ...
- Firewood
- Hair Dryer
- Heating
- Internet ...
- Iron & Board
- Linens Provided ...
- Living Room ...
- Local Activities Guide
- Local Maps
- Local Restaurant Guide
- Paper Towels
- Parking
- Parking Off Street
- Shampoo
- Telephone ...
- Toilet Paper
- Towels Provided ...
- Wireless Internet
- Wood Fireplace
- 4 Ring Stove
- Blender
- Coffee Maker ...
- Cooking Utensils ...
- Dishes & Utensils
- Freezer
- Ice Maker
- Kitchen ...
- Microwave
- Oven
- Pantry Items ...
- Refrigerator
- Stove
- Stove
- Toaster
- Child's Highchair
- Dining Area
- seating for 5 people
- 1 Bathroom
-
Bathroom 1 -
- 1
- 1 Bedroom, Sleeps 5
- Queen size Bed in Master Bedroom, Twin bed in Alcove area/small room off of Den, Queen sized air mattress and full length leather couch for extra sleeping area.
- Books ...
- Books for Adults
- CD Player
- DVD Player
- Games ...
- Radio
- Satellite / Cable ...
- Stereo ...
- Television ...
- Toys ...
- VCR
- Video Library ...
- Deck / Patio ...
- Kayak / Canoe ...
- Lanai / Gazebo ...
- Outdoor Grill ...
- Outdoor Grill Gas
- Patio
- Screen Porch / Veranda
- Unscreened Porch / Veranda
- Walkway to Water
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- Hot Tub ...
- Outdoor Hot Tub
- autumn foliage
- churches
- cinemas
- library
- playground
- restaurants
- water parks
- winery tours
- zoo
- antiquing
- bird watching
- outlet shopping
- scenic drives
- shopping
- sight seeing
- walking
- ATM/bank
- groceries
- laundromat
- massage therapist
- medical services
- cycling
- fishing
- fly fishing
- freshwater fishing
- golf
- hiking
- kayaking
- mountain biking
- rafting
- swimming
- water tubing
Reviews
Wonderful!
4.9/5 -
(160 traveler reviews)
A great late summer getaway for our family
Shade Ranch was well furnished with everything from kitchen necessities to toys to water floats to books and movies. It provided great access to the Blanco River for the 4 young children in our group and the adults. I would recommend for families with good mobility. The stairs down to the river could be a challenge for some, but our group handled it with ease. The owners are great to work with, answering email questions very quickly.
We had both houses on this property, and that worked well with our family. It gave some separation for naps and sleeping but just a short walk to join the group for meals and playtime.
Thanks for a great vacation place!
Perfect, quiet get away - took my 2 Labs and they enjoyed the freedom to smell around and swim!
Awesome for a couple might be a tad small for more than a 3 person family
Great property and location
My wife and I loved staying at the Little House. The house was very comfortable and charming. The river below was awesome and perfect after a hot July day in town. The owners made booking a breeze and you could tell they put a lot of effort in making the property special with high end amenities. I highly recommend this property and will definitely be coming back..
Clean, comfortable, and relaxing!
We had a great time! It had been about 6 years since we have been to the Little House! The updates are great. Still as peaceful and relaxing as I remembered! Great for family time away from the hustle and bustle!
Wonderful Vacation Rental
We love staying at this charming cottage! The owners have thought of all the details to make our vacation wonderful! The river below is beautiful! We will come again.
Great getaway to the river!
Cute and cozy cottage, perfect for a couple or a small family with 1 or 2 kids. The big house looked awesome and we would definitely utilize it for a group of friends or extended family. The location can't be beat, very close to town but situated in a cedar forest up on the bluff side of the river. It's very quiet and a nice retreat back to nature- we saw deer and even a gray fox both days! Wimberley is a cute town with shopping and restaurants but we came for the river solely. This was our last stop on our hill country road trip from east Texas and it was a relaxing way to end the trip. The house was very well stocked with kitchen and bath supplies, a cozy queen bed and twin bed off the living room with additional pack n play or air mattresses if needed. We didn't even use the hot tub because it was still in the high nineties at sunset, but definitely would in cooler weather. It's a short walk to the river but down a steep rocky path past the big house (the big house overlooks the water), so just use caution with young kids and elderly, might be difficult for mobility challenged. The spot on the river is the winning point- several chairs for lounging, shallow shelf of non-slippery rock (not pebble-y) with a gentle current perfect for playing in and a large natural shelf perfect for taking a dip in the clear clean water (approx 4-5 ft deep). My 4-yr-old had so much fun looking for fish and "hidden treasure". Tips: the morning is shady early but gets bright around 10 am. Around 1-2 pm there is a lovely shady spot in the shallow part across the river provided by the cypress trees. The shade gets better as the afternoon progresses. We so enjoyed our stay and can't wait to come back! I don't want everyone knowing this place exists;)
Map
Shade Ranch is located just south of the Wimberley, TX town center on 513 feet of Blanco River Frontage. Wimberley sits 45 minutes southwest of Austin, TX and 45 minutes northwest of San Antonio.
Photos
Rates & Availability
- Available
- Unavailable
Additional information about rental rates
| Cleaning Fee | $65 |
| Pet Fee | $100 |
| Damage Deposit | $200 |
All rates include maximum of 5 guests.
Pets allowed upon permission from owner. $25/night pet fee.
Cancellation Policy: Please note that VRBO/HomeAway system uses a boiler plate refund policy. Our policy is that you receive a full refund, less a $75 re-booking fee, if you cancel more than 30 days in advance. If you cancel less than 30 days before your arrival date, you will be refunded (less the $100 re-booking fee) if we are able to re-book the same dates as your stay. This policy overrides the HomeAway stated policy.
Damage Deposit: Your damage deposit will be refunded one week after your departure if the following conditions are met: 1) no damages are made to the property, house or furniture; 2) the house is left in an orderly fashion and not in need of additional cleaning due to excessive trash or messes; and 3) neighbors or guests at the other house were not disturbed during your stay where complaints were made. We will not hold your deposit hostage, we just want people to be considerate guests.
Owner's Cancellation Policy
- 100% refund if canceled at least 60 days before arrival date.
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