How can you beat a weekend adventure that includes camels, caverns, and croquet in the Texas Hill Country? It sounded like fun, so family and I packed our safari hats, added a flashlight, grabbed some sporting gear, and headed to T Bar M Resort in New Braunfels for a fun weekend.
Starting the Weekend With a Round of Golf
T Bar M Resort & Conference Center is just a few miles from downtown New Braunfels and it’s conveniently located to lots of fun things to see and do. For us, it was the perfect place to spend some time enjoying all of the resort amenities, a wildlife safari, a round of golf, some music at Gruene Hall, a dip in the Guadalupe river, and a cave tour. By Monday, I was exhausted, but I sure had a great time.
On our way to T Bar M, we couldn’t resist stopping for a round of golf at Landa Park Golf Course. It’s not a great way to start the weekend. I lost 3 golf balls, about killed a deer with a stray ball, collected a lot of sand in my hair and shoes from the bunkers, knocked a lot of bark and branches off of trees, and lost a margarita. And I really needed that margarita after playing so poorly!
Landa Park Golf Course is a fun 18-hole course that plays along the Comal River and next to Schlitterbahn Waterpark. It was 100 degrees when we played and there were several times when I was tempted to give up golf and tube down the river instead. We were surprised by the good course conditions, several fun holes, and reasonable rates.
Read our review of Landa Park Golf Course to learn more about it.
Taking a Dip At T Bar M
Thank God it was only 10 minutes from Landa Park to T Bar M and their swimming pool. It took all of five minutes after checking in before I jumped in for a soak. I was in heaven with cool water and a cold beer. I forgot about golf and mentally focused on winning back my margarita.
T Bar M is a game and sports enthusiasts heaven. Their motto is “160 acres of fun!” Any direction you look and anywhere you walk, you’ll find another game or activity to enjoy. Next to the pool and the Lone Star Grill is a putting green with nine holes and a huge Sports Complex. The sports complex is home to a gift shop, full basketball court, tennis courts, fitness room, and the game area with a pool, foosball, ping pong, air hockey, and shuffle board. The fitness room had everything I needed to lose some calories from all those margaritas I drank (of course, I never used it).
The T Bar M Olympics Wore Me Out
It was tough making a decision on what to do next until I heard “bet you another margarita that I can beat you in pool and a game of horse (basketball).”
While it was hard to leave the pool and grill patio, it was time for the next game and the start of the T Bar M Olympics. Of course, it didn’t take long for me to head back to the Lone Star Grill to buy another round of drinks as well as some appetizers. Lone Star Grill serves a breakfast buffet, lunch, and dinner. The menu includes appetizers, burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, corn dogs, salads, meatloaf, pot roast, fajita tacos, and more. Plus, cold drinks including margaritas!
By 8:30 p.m., I was ready for bed. All the muscle groups had been used, the Advil didn’t seem to be working, and I could barely walk. But on the way back to our hotel room, we walked past the “movie under the stars”. Mrs Doubtfire was the feature. The popcorn smelled so good I had to pull up a chair and watch the rest of the movie. The night ended with a good night’s sleep.
Meet the Wildlife at T Bar M Resort
Saturday started with the breakfast buffet at Lone Star Grill. We had delicious sausage, scrambled eggs, potatoes, pancakes, cereal, juices, and more. Because of all the exercise the day before, the staff was calling me by my first name after the third trip to the buffet. But I now had enough carbs loaded and ready for another day, so I waddled to the Jeep and put the top down. It was time to go on a Safari! No way I was losing a margarita on this adventure.
It was a scenic 15-minute drive through the rolling Hill Country to Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. That involves a drive through an “African safari, Texas style.”
We took a leisurely 4-mile drive though some scenic ranch land in hopes of spotting, touching, and feeding some of the 500 animals from 40 exotic, native, and threatened species. We saw a wide variety of species, had an ostrich stick it’s head in the Jeep, a zebra licked my hand, a ram looked ready to ram the vehicle, and lots more.
Here is a link to learn more about our Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch Safari. I was sure I’d be the first to spot a camel, but I lost that bet too!
A Fun Evening of More Games
From the safari, it was back to the pool and some more games (a set of tennis, then golf; a putting contest, a short round of frisbee golf, and some ladder golf). Finally, I got to sip a cold one that someone else paid for! And I got brave and challenged my worthy opponent to a game of lawn chess.
My sore body needed a rest and I was out of Advil.
A Trip to Gruene Was All That And a Bag of Chips
After another dip in the pool to cool off, we hit the road for a 15-minute drive to Gruene for a swim in the Guadalupe River. I wished we had scheduled some extra time for tubin’. The ladies checked out the shops, then we had a good dinner at Gruene River Grill and saw Roger Creager perform at the infamous Gruene Hall.
Roger was fantastic and Gruene Hall is a classic. Built in 1878, it is one of the oldest dance halls in Texas. Everybody from Willie Nelson to Pat Green, Bo Diddley to Garth Brooks, and Lyle Lovett to George Strait have played here. Boy, was that a fun-filled day!
Check out this unique walking tour video of Gruene, posted by my friends Allen and Theresa on YouTube.
Natural Bridge Caverns Was a Fitting End to the Weekend
The next morning, the friendly staff at the Lone Star Grill greeted us again.
Good morning, Mike! We have lots of good food to get you ready for your games and adventures today.
The Lone Star Grill hostess
I loaded up on carbs and was ready to go (after some more Advil and lots of stretching to loosen up the sore muscles). Today’s Olympics included washers, croquet, horseshoes, and shuffleboard.
No comment!
However, I did find out that Advil didn’t help my throwing arm.
Next up was a short trip to Natural Bridge Caverns for a cave tour. Natural Bridges is Texas’ largest underground adventure, and it is very impressive with majestic and natural formations ranging from gigantic towering columns to fragile soda straws. You should add Natural Bridge Caverns to your list of “things to do in Texas.”
After a great tour, it was time to head home to rest the tired body!
What a fun-filled weekend. T Bar M was the perfect location and a great place to stay. They had friendly service, reasonable rates, comfortable accommodations, and lots to do.
Author: Mike Sharp
I have a passion for travel and outdoor activities, and now I'm enjoying retired life. I will continue my traveling, golfing, boating, and enjoying life all across the great state of Texas.
