Blog Posts
Reconnecting with my family at Deer Lake
By Guest Writer: Cynthia J. Drake
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Reconnecting with my family at Deer Lake Cabins Ranch Resort
By Guest Writer: Cynthia J. Drake
Pulling our SUV through the woods to arrive at the front gates of Deer Lake Cabins Ranch Resort, our first clue that we had arrived somewhere special was the greeting from a sweet speckle-coated ranch dog (whose name we’d find out was Blue) happily herding us to the front office.
We had arrived at Deer Lake in Mount Vernon from Austin, desperately in need of some family bonding time. It had been a long time since our last family vacation in Texas, and our two sons (ages 10 and 6) were excited to see what was in store. They’d packed their fishing poles, road trip snacks—and of course a heap of stuffed animals for the journey.
Blue escorted us as we checked in and fetched our keys to Bent Tree Cottage as well as our mode of transportation for the weekend: a utility terrain vehicle (we called it a side-by-side). The idea that we’d be zipping through the woods in a UTV struck a particular chord of excitement for my boys, who spent the rest of the trip arguing over who would get to sit in front (spoiler alert: we usually just squished in together).
And we had another surprise passenger: Blue jumped up into the UTV like he’d known us his entire life and was ready to join our family, receiving a chorus of giggles and lots of pets.
Our lakeside “cabin,” which the kids said was really more like a “mansion” in their humble opinion, featured three bedrooms, including an upstairs loft with three single beds ideal for little ones, a large living room with fireplace and big screen TV, and a full kitchen. It was big enough to accommodate a family of 12—and plenty of space for my family to spread out.
The living room windows framed the sparkling Deer Lake out back with a paddle boat nesting near our own private dock. My oldest son pestered my husband and I until we finally let him take his fishing pole out to the dock to get started on today’s catch, while we settled in.
Next on the itinerary: a spin on the UTV to get a lay of the land. The wind whipped through our hair as we passed a playground, went over a bridge, passed stables and barns with beautiful horses loping nearby, and arrived at a smaller lake—Dream Lake—with another playground tucked underneath majestic pine trees. The fresh pine scent was another kind of treat for us. On the way back, we couldn’t resist yelling out a “Yeehaw!” as we careened back to our cottage.
Each night as the sun went down, we built a fire in our outdoor fire pit, and my husband and I sipped a glass of wine as the boys made their own fun in the woods near our cabin. They went to bed tired and happy, the way kids always do after a day of fresh air.
The next day arrived with more activities on the docket: in the morning, we all tried out our sleuthing skills with a murder mystery escape room located in one of the barns on the property. The escape room was styled as an old time saloon with a billiards table, bar, and lots of antique props that the boys enjoyed exploring while on the search for clues. A staff member started us out and was there to provide hints if we needed them. Our youngest son provided a crucial link in our mystery by rifling through pockets of an old coat, and our oldest used his math skills to solve one of the clues.
In the afternoon, we went on a guided horseback ride, which took us through the woods and past a field where we saw deer and buzzards. Our horses were docile and sweet and seemed to operate mostly on “auto-pilot,” needing only the gentlest encouragement.
Blue came up to check in on us during the horseback ride, and he also joined us for a hayride in the evening that took us to a “petting zoo” on property, where we fed animal crackers to the goats and checked in on the chicken coop. Blue hopped on and off the hay bales, leaping from the moving tractor, as we laughed.
On the final morning, I woke up early and peeked out our back deck just in time to watch the sun rising up over the woods across Deer Lake. The dappled pink clouds reflected in the water, and the only sounds I could hear were bird chirps.
There was palpable sadness when we had to turn in our keys and head back to normal life. My sons had tried their best to catch a fish on and off, but weren’t successful in their pursuit. Next time, we told them. Of course, it didn’t really matter. We’d spent the weekend enjoying the beauty of nature in East Texas, mostly without screens. We got to discover a part of the state we really hadn’t explored before. The whole trip felt magical and restorative. And we knew for certain that we would be back again soon.
