As those first nippy autumn mornings saunter into town, offering a welcome and long-anticipated respite from the sweltering dog days of summer, it’s hard not to turn our attention to getting outside. But for those of us who aren’t particularly inclined to rough it, there are, fortunately, a great number of options for glamping right outside our city. From shipping containers to well-appointed cabins, here are four ideas for fall glamping fun near Austin.
Camp Fimfo, New Braunfels
A variety of unique lodging opportunities await at Camp Fimfo. Contributed by Camp Fimfo
From the signature plaid that you’ll see across the property’s 300 acres to the variety of cabins equipped for parties from two to 12, to visit Camp Fimfo in New Braunfels in fall is to experience a little taste of the Hill Country’s finest. The resort, which opened late last year, features everything from minigolf and a bouncing pillow to an on-site bar and general store, and Whitewater Amphitheater, one of Central Texas’ best music venues, is literally next door. If you have an RV, there are also 250 Red Carpet RV sites with a concrete pad, concrete patio, full hook-ups and pull-thru and back-in options. Camp Fimfo also recently opened a Waco location.
Info: https://www.campfimfo.com/
Container City, Burnet
In addition to shipping-container lodging, Container City in Burnet also features a shipping-container bar. Kristin Finan photo
Located about an hour from Austin, Container City offers a compound of shipping-container lodgings so sprawling that, in the glamping world, they feel like mansions. Opened a little less than a year ago, Container City features an idyllic location on Lake Buchanan and is located next to Spider Mountain, the only lift-served mountain bike park in the United States. Our family loved our cabin–a double-decker shipping container that slept 10 and included two bedrooms, a bunk room with two full-size bunk beds, a living room with fold-out couch and a full kitchen complete with microwave, refrigerator and coffee maker. Don’t miss the on-site Templeton’s Tavern, which is named for the gluttonous rat in “Charlotte’s Web” and is, fittingly, housed in a shipping container. The bar serves up Texas-centric beer, wines and spirits and offers the perfect respite for overnight guests.
Info: https://www.containercitytx.com/
Firesong Ranch, Spicewood
FireSong Ranch’s NDotto glamping tent features a private hot tub. Contributed by FireSong Ranch
To walk through the sprawling and elaborately appointed 800-square-foot glamping tent, named NDotto after an orphaned elephant, at FireSong Ranch in Spicewood is to experience a type of “rustic luxury” that almost seems unreal in the heart of Texas. (Ndotto literally means “to dream” in Swahili.) From the panoramic deck that overlooks a babbling creek to the private hot tub to the kitchen that includes a dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave and high-end coffee maker, no detail, or amenity, was spared. There’s no TV, by design, but there is a record player and a collection of albums. Located in Spicewood about 30 minutes from Austin, FireSong Ranch is not only beautiful but also charitable—a portion of every stay goes to foster care-related charities.
RELATED: Adventure and respite at Horseshoe Bay Resort
Info: https://www.firesongranch.com
Flophouze, Round Top
Flophouze, a shipping-container hotel in Round Top, even has a shipping-container pool. Contributed by Flophouze
This Round Top property consists of individual “houzes” created from recycled shipping containers and artfully adorned with reclaimed and salvaged items such as bowling alley floors that were discovered by owner Matt White during his travels around the globe. Each unit, all of which are air-conditioned, includes a fire pit, a mini-fridge with complimentary Topo Chicos and Mexican Cokes, a record player and vinyls, a hammock and a private porch that looks out across a tree- and cow-dotted countryside. Flophouze also has one of the most unique and fun hotel pools around – it’s also a shipping container, created by the company Modpool, complete with a clear side that provides endless entertainment and photo opportunities. While the six on-site shipping containers sleep between two and six guests, Flophouze also has a renovated 1900s farmhouse, called Farmhouze, that sleeps 10 and a mid-century, pond-side loft, Beachhouze, that sleeps up to eight. Rates start at $175 a night.
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Info: flophouze.com
