Down The Guadalupe De New Braunfels & 3 heures de la Côte TX! Private-sur l'eau!

We had a fabulous stay on the Guadalupe/Lake Gonzeles at the Bishop's wonderful lake house. First of all, the location is fantastic--we were able to make day trips to Houston, Austin and San Antonio as well as exploring the Texas Independence Trail and the beautiful painted churches in Praha, High Hill and Shiner (we also went to the Shiner Brewery). But we also loved our days at the lake house--from kayaks to the pontoon boat for fishing to horseshoes and washers and s'mores around the firepit, it was complete relaxation and family fun. We also enjoyed the poker table, chips and automatic card shuffler. Our boys left with new skills in the Texas Hold 'Em! The surrounding countryside was beautiful and covered with flowers at this time of year, so we also enjoyed some long walks, and a fun afternoon at nearby Palmetto State Park. But one of the greatest pleasures was the afternoon we spent with the Bishops themselves--they are such a charming couple who truly demonstrate the Texas spirit of hospitality. We thought they were just coming to deliver the keys to the boat but instead took us on a fun and informative tour of the river, lake and dam. The house easily accommodated our group of nine, and the boys loved the built-in twin beds and the little sleeping nook. The outdoor living space was so comfortable, for cooking, for eating, for relaxing--and so creatively decorated as well. The thought that you put into making your house so fun, comfortable and welcoming was inspiring! Thank you again, Linda and Delton, for being such a big part of making our Texas vacation so great. Hope to see you again!

The Bishops were very welcoming. The home is very clean and, cozy. It slept all 20 of us comfortably. The out door area is amazing! The river was great for fishing and, boating. Our family had a great time!

House is very clean and stays really cold when it is super hot outside. And we really enjoyed the patio set up outside. Plenty of room outside to play games, cook, have a bonfire and play cornhole in the shade.

Only down fall, water by dock is shallow and gross and we saw plenty of snakes in that area. So none of my family was willing to get in the water. There are other water options like kayaks and you can rent a pontoon boat and get out to the deeper water. Other than that, we really enjoyed ourselves and had a fantastic weekend.

The Bishop house was excellent! Perfectly accommodated our large group, and had everything we needed. Staying on the river was a huge plus. Linda was excellent and very accommodating, but not intrusive. I look forward to re-booking.

Our family--nine adults and six children (15- 3 years)--had a reunion at the Lakehouse! Even after a week, nobody wanted to leave. From the kayaks to the ice machine and unique kitchen to the incredibly cold A/C, everything was wonderful. There were ample towels, bedding and the two kitchens had something for everyone. The kids were especially fond of their own hang-out/sleeping area with a kid-friendly TV and DVD-player. Also, the outside shower was handy for bathing or cooling off.

The fishing rods and reels were plentiful and sufficient for all of our wannabee fishermen. Several of us fish in streams and the ocean but that's not the same so we didn't do very well. . .but it certainly didn't keep any of us from trying. We all had high hopes but only a few small fish were caught and released. Wal-Mart is convenient, just a 15-minute drive, and sells fishing licenses.

There were tons of games and videos and things to do. Nobody every complained of boredom because just sitting on the huge deck (with a new roof that has fans) overlooking the water was doing something. The view was amazing. The sounds calming. The surprises exciting. A huge owl spent lots of time in a tree by the deck. We saw non-poisonous water snakes that were beautiful. Millions of frogs were just begging to be caught (and let go). A neighbor, armadillos, a chicken, huge, brilliant green grasshoppers and a stray cat all came to visit. . . so friendly! Our smaller kids loved feeding and trying to catch the inch-long fish that swarmed the shallow water along the walkway to the dock.

One unexpected highlight of the week was when we went tubing down the nearby Comal River. Grandma (at 88) even joined in the fun although our three-year old was deemed too young. We found a way to take him anyway.

We came expecting to rough it, but we were wrong. The high tech satellite system wasn't used, but most of us were delighted that wifi had just been installed. There isn't a dishwasher and none of us are dish-washing fans, but a huge stack of paper plates made clean-up easy. Guests might want to bring some cutlery that isn't plastic if they're going to be cooking steaks and things that need cutting.

It is evident that this is a well-loved lake house with pictures and clever sayings artfully decorating almost every surface. We can't wait to come back for another reunion in Texas. Thanks so much, Linda!!