Out on the Range

Chill out and channel your inner cowgirl with a trip to the North Texas plains.

By April Cumming

Drive a couple hours northwest of town and you’ll begin to notice, if you haven’t already made the connection, that there’s a big difference between telling people you’re from Texas and telling them you’re from Austin.

This land out here—barren prairies sparsely peppered with drought-resistant plants like Mexican heather, cacti, sage bushes, agarita shrubs and the occasional juniper-dotted hill outcropping—well, this is Texas.

Most who drive through have one mission in mind: to do just that, drive through. While settling here was a highly attractive option to oil-boom profiteers in the early 20th century, most of today’s modern city dwellers would find it out of character to look at this land and decide to stay. But for those with an inclination to slow down and stop the car, you’re bound to find there’s more to be seen and experienced out here than meets the eye.

A four-hour drive north of Austin and an hour drive west of Fort Worth lies the charming town of Graham, Texas. Pioneers were quick to plant roots here when oil was discovered in 1917. Fifty years later, in 1966, Graham had more to offer than an average Austin suburb does today; there were 17 churches, seven schoolhouses, a hospital, a radio station, two libraries, three parks and two newspapers.

It’s claim to fame now, outside of holding the designation for the largest town square in Texas, lies just a few minutes south of Main Street at the 1,500-acre Wildcatter Ranch Resort and Spa, an ideal weekend retreat for those wanting to step away from the meetings, deadlines and frenetic pace of the city without having to leave too many creature comforts behind.

A mile-long limestone driveway, flanked on each side by the ranch’s prized herd of longhorns, is your winding welcome mat to the ranch. Follow the path as it gradually plateaus at the top of a steep and rocky mesa, arriving at the property’s headquarters, a hotel structure that looks like it was plucked right off a John Wayne movie set. Pick up the keys to your cabin (We recommend staying in the modernly rustic Buffalo Cabin. Think flagstone fireplace, wood-beam-framed beds, plush linens and stained concrete floors.), and go check out the infinity pool. You’ll want to spend at least one of your light-pollution-free evenings here getting entranced in a staring contest with the stars.

In the morning, arrange for breakfast to be delivered to your cabin and let yourself recline in the comfort of your personal porch rocking chair, watching the sunrise as it slowly unveils the undulating spread of ranchland stretching out to the horizon. When you’ve finished your second cup of coffee, put your newfound energy to good use and take a stroll down to the barn to meet up with the ranch wranglers. They’ll get you all saddled up for a guided morning horseback ride or join you on a four-wheel- drive Jeep tour that serpentines through the resort property’s 25-mile trail system.

In the afternoon, score some pointers from the ranch hands as you practice perfecting your archery aim and sport-clayshooting skills. If the weather allows, take one of the resort’s canoes out for a tranquil paddle on Conner Creek, or schedule a fishing outing to the far reaches of the property, where the ranch abuts the Brazos River.

Not much of a thrill seeker or outdoorswoman? Wildcatter has those looking to keep a low profile covered. Let your worries be whisked away as you revel in a rejuvenating therapeutic massage.

Cap off your day with a chicken-fried steak dinner at the Dinner Bell, the ranch’s onsite steakhouse. The menu and inviting atmosphere attract both tourists and area locals, which means you’re promised to see a few cowboy hats scattered in the crowd.

Before you hit the road, be sure to join the wranglers for a morning longhorn feeding. After all, you are in Texas and, as a Texan, that’s something you don’t want to miss out on.

Photos courtesy of Wildcatter Ranch Resort and Spa.