BlissWood B&B Ranch Weekend Getaway

It was our anniversary so I started looking for a romantic getaway (wow, we're still happily married after 43 years of bliss! I added bliss, just in case she's reading this.) and a unique place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, get out in the country to enjoy nature and some peace and quiet, and forget about the TV, phone, computers, and electronic games. And we ended up staying at and loved it - a great place to unwind, enjoy nature and the serenity of the country, being with my best friend, and getting rid of some stress from running this humongous website! Carol, the owner of BlissWood B&B Ranch since 1999, loves nature, nurturing her guests, and taking care of several rescue dogs.

BlissWood B&B Ranch is located in Cat Spring - where in the heck is that, you're probably asking - well, it's about an hour west of Houston, has a population of 766 and it's in the middle of some beautiful country-side with farms, lots of pastures, and working ranches with grazing cows and white picket fences. On the drive to BlissWood B&B Ranch through this pristine countryside you get the feeling that you're in for a relaxing visit.

BlissWood B&B Ranch is a 650 acre working ranch that sits on a stunning piece of property with huge towering stately trees, pastures loaded with flowers, beautiful small lakes, lots of wildlife, and some unique accommodations.

Lodging Accommodations at BlissWood B&B Ranch

Spread out over the ranch are some quaint guest cabins that sleep 2 to 10 guests and just over a total of 50 guests. Each of the cabins are rich with history and loaded with period antiques, are comfy and cozy, and are perfect for a small reunion, romantic getaway, or just a weekend away from home. Some of the choices for lodging include:

• The Texas Farmhouse that is fully restored and completely furnished in period antiques
• An 1800-style Log Cabin which includes a cozy fireplace and antiques from the 19th century
• The Texas Dog Trot house has a backyard pool and two stone fireplaces
• The Enchanted Cabin is secluded in the woods about 100 yards from the beautiful Enchanted Lake
• The Lehman House is a charming vintage-style farmhouse
• The one-bedroom Writer's Cabin is hidden away behind some towering oaks
• A sister property, The Oasis, is a tropical paradise with flowing water and cascading landscapes and a petite unheated pool nestled�in the greenery

• a large front porch with 4 rocking chairs and a swing - a great place to enjoy the peace and solitude with a cup of coffee or glass of wine
• a small back porch with tables and chairs and a wooden two-person swing hanging from the branch of a sprawling and stately oak tree in the huge back yard surrounded by dense vegetation and trees
• a BBQ grill and a full kitchen loaded with everything you need to cook a good meal
• lots of vintage antiques and beautiful stained 12" wood plank floors that I would love to have in my house
• A main bathroom with wood beadboard ceilings and walls, a pull chain toilet, and a jacuzzi tub

Each of the cabins have their own unique history and in each cabin is a book with information about that cabin. From our book in the Lehman House we learned that Richard Cornelius and his family left Prussia in 1850 and eventually settled in Cat Spring in 1860. Julius Cornelius, one of Richard's seven kids, built the Dog Trot house around 1872 and was the first home on the property. The Lehmann House moved to the present location from nearby Cat Spring and it was built sometime around the turn of the 1900 century. The daughter of the original owners was born in the bedroom that we slept in! Most of the Lehmann House furnishings are from the house that Carol grew up in - for example, the wood dining farm table was built by her grandfather and she remembers many enjoyable family gatherings around that table.

 

As the sun was setting we drove a few miles into nearby Bellville and enjoyed some good Mexican food and excellent margaritas. I arrived back home stuffed and was ready to fall into my city slicker habit of turning on the TV and watching the news, which always seems to be bad news. But there is no TV and no internet, so we sat in the swing under a sky full of radiant stars, talked a bit, and shared a few moments of silence! Haven't done that since before the days of the internet!

The next morning, after devouring just about everything in our breakfast box (my justification was I needed the carbs for exploring the property) we set off on our bikes to check out some of the 650 acres at BlissWood B&B Ranch. The terrain is level and several dirt roads with wooden signs will take you wherever you want to go. Our first objective was to check out the Enchanted Cabin and Enchanted Lake - Wow! The bike ride to the cabin was beautiful and the secluded small Enchanted Cabin is hidden by the trees and vegetation and several yards from the pristine 4 acre Enchanted Lake - a beautiful setting. Birds, geese, ducks, and a lone fisherman were enjoying the lake as we rode by and it was tempting to jump in the small paddleboat and be paddled by my best friend around the lake and under the two white wooden arched bridges that connect the mainland to a small island with a gazebo. Didn't happen but it was a good thought.

From there we rode to the BlissWood gift shop (a small room filled with some BlissWood souvenirs like cups, hats, tee shirts, and more) and the show barn.

At the show barn were a couple female American bison and a huge male bison protecting his young son! Down at the other end were two small minature horses who loved to be petted.

From there we rode bikes to check out the rental horses and the Red Barn which is home to some strutting peacocks and a very friendly Coatimundi - known as a hog nosed coon.

On our ride through the property we saw lots of birds, several of Carol's rescue dogs, birds, squirrels, horses, and Angus cattle and hidden somewhere on the ranch are alpaca, miniature donkeys, peacocks, black buck antelope, fallow deer, and more.

All too soon it was time to put the bikes on the rack, pack up, and head back to civilization and the buzz of electronics, the police sirens, barking dogs, and the stop-and-go traffic.

Things To Do At BlissWood B&B Ranch

BlissWood Ranch is a fantastic place to just chill out in a swing and enjoy nature and whoever came with you. But if you do get bored, some of the thing you can do during your stay include:

• rent a mountain bike or golf cart and explore the ranch's beautiful scenery and wildlife
• grab a fishing pole and get a picture of yourself with a huge fish at one of the six ponds
• put on the cowboy boots and hat and mount a gaited Paso Fino horse from South America and ride across meadows, through the oak forests, across creeks, and around the ponds
• enjoy some white tablecloth fine dining in a lodge setting at Carol's at Cat Spring Restaurant
• sample some wine along the Bluebonnet Wine Trail, which consists of 7 wineries and is easily accessible from BlissWood B&B Ranch
• chase that elusive white golf ball around any of the nearby golf courses
• explore the attractions, shops, and restaurants in nearby Bellville or Sealy

Here's what we think makes BlissWood B&B Ranch unique, special, and worth a visit: