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Lajitas Resort & Spa - The Ultimate Cowboy Getaway

 

It’s a place where the Comanche Indians once roamed, where Pancho Villa led raids from Mexico.  Cowboys sat around open campfires, and miners drank whisky at the Trading Post.

 

It’s called Lajitas, Texas’ first destination resort.  The 25,000 acre private estate is tucked away in West Texas between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park, in the shadows of the Chisos Mountains and on the banks of the Rio Grande.

 

Lajitas has Cowboy written all over it–and horses are part of the experience.

 

Pancho Villa Slept Here

The Spanish explorers were the first Europeans in the area.  They named the place after the flat, limestone rocks that formed the Rio Grande River bed, offering access between what is now Mexico and Texas.

 

In the 19th century, the local inhabitants called it the San Carlos Crossing and Comanche Crossing. At the turn of the 20th century, an Anglo settler by the name of H.W. McGuirk bought the land for farming and opened a saloon and store.

 

Stories say that Pancho Villa traveled through Lajitas regularly during the Mexican Revolution years.  And since Villa was not the most peaceful of men, General John “Black Jack” Pershing established a cavalry post here in 1916.

 

Jump ahead to the late 1970s.  A Houstonian by the name of Walter Mischer came to the Big Bend Region and liked what he saw. Mischer, among other things, was a banker and a political power broker.  He was also a developer–so he purchased Lajitas.  Mischer was concerned with preservation of the unique history of area, so he accurately restored the Lajitas Chapel and the cavalry post.  He also envisioned something like Palm Springs, CA, so he created the Lajitas boardwalk and a nine-hole golf course.

 

Mischer eventually moved on to other ventures and Lajitas was put up for auction and acquired by its present owners. But a lot of things haven’t changed—resort guests can still explore the Comanche War Trail by horseback and even stay in accommodations situated atop the site of Pershing’s army outpost. The original trading post, now called the Lajitas Trading Post has been converted into a museum and is home to the world’s largest private collection of Longhorn Steer Mounts.  This collection is traceable back to the original three herds that roamed in West Texas.

 

No Two Rooms Are Alike

One hundred three rooms located throughout the property offer guests the opportunity to choose from a range of different styles.

 

The Badlands Hotel is situated above the Lajitas Boardwalk; it offers Cowboy bordello interiors that are reminders of days past (in terms of décor—not activities). The 15 rooms feature iron beds, red velvet comforters, and Mexican-tile bathrooms, while views from the second-story rooms reach far and wide.

 

The Cavalry Post is located on the site where Pershing built his outpost in 1916.  Twenty-six rooms united by a reflecting pool at the Cavalry Post afford some of the most luxurious accommodations at Lajitas. Each room offers a unique decor ranging from Cowboy chic, with cowhide rugs and rough-hewn saddles, to Victorian, with softer accoutrements and clawfoot tubs.

 

Adjacent to the swimming pool, La Cuesta’s 12 guestrooms are flanked by a courtyard. Six of the La Cuesta guestrooms are one-bedroom suites with interiors inspired by characters of Big Bend past and present.

 

The resort’s premier accommodations, the Officers’ Quarters overlook the Ambush Golf Course and rest just steps away from the Agavita Spa. These 16 junior suites offer patios or balconies and French doors from which to enjoy the beauty of the Big Bend.

 

Then there’s El Caballo, a 2,485 square feet, three-bedroom, three-bath cottage, which faces the magnificent Lajitas Mesa.  The renowned Double D Ranchwear decorated it. A great room with fireplace, full kitchen, dining room, and breakfast nook offers plentiful space for groups. El Caballo sleeps five to six guests and pets are welcome at an additional fee.

 

The Boardwalk Suites are the largest luxury suites available at Lajitas. They feature charming Southwestern décor, complete with a living room, kitchen, and patio or balcony.  The suites are conveniently located across from the hotel lobby and Boardwalk shops.

 

Pancho Villa Wishes He Ate Here

Gourmet cuisine at the Lajitas Resort & Spa is as distinctive as the Big Bend setting—a blend of West Texas wild game and ingredients with a south-of-the-border flair.

 

The Candelilla Café serves contemporary American Cuisine enhanced with local ingredients such as prickly pear, cactus, peppers and locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Executive Chef Blaz Gonzales offers a unique take on classic American fare. The menus vary from meal to meal, so lunch overlooking the golf course and dinner watching the sunset behind the mountains are two entirely different experiences.

 

The Thirsty Goat Saloon offers live entertainment on weekends and casual dining, catering to those who are on the go at Lajitas or desire less formal dining.

 

World Class Equestrian Center

There’s much to do at Lajitas. Sure, you can relax by the pool, watch a movie at the Flat Rock Theatre Company, or take advantage of such amenities as the Agavita Spa, Hunt Club, La Playa Preserve, Boardwalk shops, and Red Rock Outfitters.

 

But we mentioned horses

The Lajitas Equestrian Center is a state of the art facility. Two National Cutting Horse Association Professional Trainers, O.K. (Kim) Estes and Katherine Hoadley, are on-site and manage all outings and even put on cutting horse clinics for those so inclined.

 

You can take short trail rides up Comanche Creek and around Mesa De Anguila.  But custom tailored half or full-day rides are also available. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or an experienced horseman; there’s plenty of riding available on the resorts string of trained horses.

 

Lajitas also offers sunrise and sunset rides, as well as an overnight ride to the Buena Suerte Mine and Ghost Town for a true Western campout. The overnight excursion departs Lajitas in the early afternoon for a three-hour ride, followed by a traditional cowboy campfire dinner prepared by a Lajitas chef. Guests spend the night around the campfire or inside the old general store, and are treated to an old-fashioned cowboy breakfast the next morning before heading back to the resort.

 

Plans are underway to outfit the equestrian center with equipment for mounted shooting. In a conversation with Kim Estes, the experienced horseman expressed the resort’s desire to accommodate the needs of any equestrian minded guest including prearranged cattle drives and mounted shooting.

 

You can also bring your own horse.  The center has a 20-stall barn with office, tack room, bathrooms, two washing/grooming areas and provides bedded stalls, stall cleaning and water. The barn is also equipped with an automatic fly spray system, water misting system, and ceiling fans in each stall. You can warm up and practice is the center’s 32,000-square-foot covered riding arena or 60-foot covered round pen or simply ride on more than 25,000 private acres of trail systems.

 

An RV Friendly Resort

There’s also space for a different kind of horse.  The Maverick Ranch RV Park at Lajitas Resort has 101 sites, including 60 pull-throughs, each with a 35/50 am connection. The Maverick Ranch features full hook ups, WiFi, satellite TV, bathrooms with private showers, new state-of-the-art exercise room and pool, as well as a new laundromat. Maverick Ranch also contains indoor space for group gatherings and meetings and shaded areas by the swimming pool. Guests may enjoy all of the resort amenities and activities.

 

At the Clay Henry General Store, just outside the entrance to Maverick Ranch, guests can purchase groceries, beverages, dry goods, and other needs.

 

Pancho Villa Wishes He Were Here

Lajitas Resort and Spa is a mix of the Old West and New.  A place to enjoy mountains and mesas and rivers, just as the Comanches did.  It’s a place to take a great horse ride, following the in the footsteps (hoofsteps?) of the Cowboys.

 

But there’s also plenty of amenities that bring the experience up to date.  Pancho Villa would probably cross the Rio Grande again, just for the chance to try the food and the spa.

 

The Lajitas Resort and Spa was once again designated an AAA Five Diamond Award Winner for Quality and Service in 2008. For more information about the resort visit www.lajitas.com or call 877-525-4827.
 

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