The Bluebonnet Cabins are a couple of cabins that can be found in New Ulm, Texas, between Houston and Austin. The Bluebonnet Cabins offers two cabins—the Lily Ponds Cabin and the Bluebonnet Cabin—with another one on the way, which will be called the Cottage at Wolf Hill. A unique thing about the property is that it has a petting zoo, where visitors are able to interact, feed, and even play with the animals. The animals kept here include raccoons, fawns, donkeys, and more. Ponds and hiking trails are located on the expansive property, which is made up of over 50 acres of land.
The Bluebonnet Cabins have two cabins available to the public. The cabins can each sleep up to five people at a time and are two stories tall. Regardless of which cabin a guest chooses to rent, they will receive a handbasket of eggs that come from the chickens on the property, as well as bread, bacon, juice, butter, and orange rolls as a welcome gift. The cabins come equipped a full kitchen, an electric fireplace, televisions with DVD players, and hairdryers. There are also covered porches outside complete with hammocks, which are protected by mosquito netting.
The first of these vacation rentals is called the Lily Ponds Cabin, which has a king-sized bed and a queen-sized sofa sleeper. The cabin has a deck on the top for guests who want to have a higher perch to see the surrounding scenery and wildlife at a better angle. Central heating and air conditioning are located inside the cabin and can be used at the visitor's leisure. The Lily Ponds Cabin is found close to one of several ponds on the property.
The Bluebonnet Cabin is the name of the second living arrangement and offers a king-sized bed and a large sofa sleeper as well. It is only a short walk away from the ponds and is also found close to a number of trails that guests are able to hike along. A more expansive porch is located on the front of the property, allowing guests a more personable location to sit and relax outside and get a better view of the wildlife.
On the grounds of the Bluebonnet Cabins, guests can find open areas, ponds, and hiking trails across the property line. The ponds have fish in them and offer the local wildlife an extra place to get their daily supply of water. This is often where guests have the opportunity to see animals during their stay. Due to the fact that they are in a more rural part of New Ulm, nature is relatively abundant, and there are a number of animals—both being cared for at the Bluebonnet Cabins pseudo "petting zoo", and those in nature, such as deer and goats. Both of the cabins tend to be close to one of the ponds, allowing guests a better view of the aquatic life, such as the fish and even some turtles.
The animals that are tame enough to wander on their own are part of an informal petting zoo, though there are plans to make it a more official petting zoo in the near future. The animals that can be found on the property are usually rescued, abandoned, or injured animals, and whenever possible, the owner tries to release them back into the wild if the animals are in a well enough condition to live on their own. These rescued animals include chickens, geckos, turtles, fish, ducks, miniature pigs, miniature ponies, and miniature goats. There are several donkeys that wander the property in a small group. They have been nicknamed "The Donkey Boys." They tend to appear and walk with people throughout the day. The owner mentions that the ponds are strictly off-limits for fishing or swimming.
The owner of the Bluebonnet Cabins, whose name is Linda, explains that the goal of the property is to create an environment that gives guests the chance to relax from their busy lives. The motto for Bluebonnet Cabins is "Woods, Water, Wellness," which references the outdoor nature of the property and emphasizes her goal to her customers. To aid her guests in experiencing this, she does her best to maintain the upkeep of both the inside and outside of the cabins. Linda also says she tries to interact with her guests, but only as much as the guests would prefer. Sometimes, she doesn't see them very much at all, and other times she gets to talk to them on a regular basis.
The Bluebonnet Cabins has several policies that guests should be aware of when considering making reservations. The first policy is that there is no smoking allowed inside any of the buildings. A fee may be charged to the guests if evidence of smoking inside is found. Another thing to note is that pets are not allowed on the premises. This is to protect both the would-be visiting pets and the animals of the petting zoo due to the fact that there is no sure way of knowing if a guest's pet will behave positively or negatively to the other animals on the property. Visitors are not able to light any fires on the property as well. Finally, Linda asks that guests show nature a bit of courtesy by cleaning up after themselves and leaving things as they had been found.
The town of New Ulm is a little smaller than most but has a substantial amount of history and activity. Motorsports and BMX are very popular sports amongst visitors to the area. In fact, across the street from Bluebonnet Cabins is a dirt bike race track. Linda explains that it can be very entertaining to watch them ride. Due to the trees that are located in between the dirt bike track and the Bluebonnet Cabins, the sounds of the motorbikes are significantly reduced, allowing guests to relax on the property relatively uninterrupted.
There have been a number of reviews left regarding the property and the quality of stay that guests have received. Many of them mention the petting zoo and their enjoyment with the animals. Others tell of the quality of care that they received as well as how well the property is maintained. One person who recently stayed at the cabin shares a story regarding the animals that they were able to interact with, saying, "What an amazing cabin and experience. Last night we heard a noise, and the front porch light went out. I was so scared. I pictured a horror movie. Two city kids go to the woods and never make it back. In the end, two donkeys came by to say 'hello.'"
The Bluebonnet Cabins have been around for about 20 years, having opened for business in 2001. Linda, who is the current owner of Bluebonnet Cabins, is also the original owner of the cabins. She explains that after she met her husband, they would travel to his "weekend place," which is close to the establishment. They decided that they wanted to find a new 12-acre location and ended up coming across this one. At first, it was just used as a camp house with an outhouse, but they went about fixing it up and soon had it ready to rent out to visitors. The first building on the property was Lilypond Cabin. It wasn't until 2013 that they built the Bluebonnet Cabin.
Soon after that, they met another businessman that agreed to invest in their company. He's also currently helping Linda publish several stories about the animals in their petting zoo in the form of children's books. Future plans for the property include adding an official park and zoo to their establishment. According to the plans that they have in place for their petting zoo, it should be officially done in the next year. Linda explains that one of the things she enjoys most about the property is being able to keep all of the animals with them. They add to the uniqueness of the Bluebonnet Cabins, and she loves taking care of the various species that they come across. One such animal that Linda mentions is named Vinny Van Goh. Vinny is a cow that lost her ears when she was attacked by several coyotes.
The town of New Ulm has an abundant amount of history as well. The city was established in the 1800s. A historical battle called The Battle of Goliad took place in the surrounding area. One unique thing about the area is that in the city of Round Top, which is northwest of New Ulm, an international celebration called Antiques Festival is held on the first of April and the first of October. Many people from all over the world come to shop during the festival.
1842 Track Road
New Ulm, Texas
United States
Campground
Linda Behrend
