I hope everyone had a wonderful winter. Spring is definitely in the air. If you are looking for a weekend or week outing in the Hill Country, you can find what you are looking for in New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, Wimberley, and San Marcos.

Wimberley:
Market Days are back in Wimberley! Come see over 470 vendor booths in a great outdoor setting the first Saturday of the month. Your shopping won’t be complete until you check out the shops in the Wimberley Square. The Central Texas Bonsai Exhibit and Wimberley Glass Works are must see attractions! Finish with dinner at Mandola Winery’s Trattoria Lisina or one of the fabulous restaurants at the Junction - Cedar Grove Steakhouse and Casa Loma Tex-Mex. Then enjoy the evening at Creekhaven Inn or Highpoint Manor.

New Braunfels/Gruene:
For outdoor types, enjoy an outing to the Animal World & Snake Farm, a helicopter ride with Helicopter Tours of Texas, or skiing and wakeboarding at Texas Ski Ranch. Plus Schlitterbahn will be opening soon! Relax on a lazy ride down the river with Rio Raft or Mountain Breeze Camp. Great campsites are also available. New Braunfels has unique shopping in downtown and in the historical district of Gruene. Many great hotels are available such as the La Quinta Inn & Suites, the new Sleep Inn & Suites, Executive Inn & Suites, and the Super 8. Try German food at Friesenhaus, incredible burgers at Iron Horse Grill, or barbecue at McBee’s. For fine dining, try The Vineyards Restaurant in Garden Ridge.

Canyon Lake:
Canyon Lake offers great fishing and boating. For our shoppers, try Faithville Shopping Center or downtown Sattler on FM 2673. For real Italian pizza, you must try Parziale’s Pizzeria. There are also several great home-cooking restaurants in the area. For cabins, RV sites, and tent camping, Rio Raft & Resort and the Riverside Resort are scenic locations.

San Marcos:
Texas State University is located in the scenic hills of San Marcos. Enjoy touring the campus and see where LBJ went to college. Check your email and relax with a cup of coffee at Tantra or the Coffee Pot. Find treasures at Second to None Upscale Resale. Enjoy the many parks and Aquarena Center’s glass bottom boat.

Three generations have been staying and playing at Rio Raft & Resort in Canyon Lake, where unique river fun and scenic Hill Country beauty are the perfect combination for an unforgettable family vacation. Located on the Guadalupe River, at 14130 River Rd., and just minutes from beautiful Canyon Lake, Rio Raft & Resort offers 25 cozy cabins, RV hookups, guided fishing trips, camping, swimming, tubing, rafting, and of course, breathtaking scenery. The cabins overlook the river, and all have individual decks and barbecue grills. Since 1977 this family-owned resort has been the perfect place for family reunions. You can float lazily in the river frontage, or try something more exciting like a thrilling whitewater trip or novice run. Whatever the ride, you’ll love the panoramic beauty of the cypress-canopied river and green shrouded hills. Rio Raft & Resort is open year round for great fun! For more information call 830-964-3613 or 877-RIO-RAFT (746-7238) or visit www.rioraft.com.

Click to see RioRaft on the Discovery Map.

VISIT CANYON LAKE AND THE GUADALUPE RIVER AREA FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURES.
CONDITIONS ARE GREAT FOR TUBING, RAFTING, BOATING AND MORE.

“Water Recreation Capitol of Texas”

Canyon Lake and the Guadalupe River Area, Texas – September 21, 2007 –

Media Release by:
Canyon Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
canyonlakechamber.com
800-528-2104

The sun is out, the lake is cool, the river is inviting, and the golf courses are green. Canyon Lake is at normal levels, OPEN for boating and fishing, and the river is right for tubing, rafting and fishing, too!

For water sports enthusiasts, tubing, kayaking, boating and rafting adventures are available on Canyon Lake and in the Guadalupe River Area. On the Guadalupe, you can fly fish for trout, ride tubes down the rapids, or just relax and enjoy nature at its finest. Stick around to catch the most spectacular sunsets.

For golf lovers, the Canyon Lake Area’s great golf courses are green and ready to be enjoyed. They offer players of all levels great golfing experiences among rolling green hills in the Texas Hill Country.

Campers, hikers and bikers will find a wealth of outdoor options. If big adventure is on your agenda, visitors have their choice of scenic hiking/biking trails, horse back riding, primitive RV campsites, and abundant wildlife viewing to enjoy. We want you to know that we have all the accommodations you need, from budget-priced to luxurious.

We are extremely pleased to welcome visitors to our area and are sure you will leave with pleasant vacation memories, and a smile. From sunrise to sunset, we offer everything from romantic getaways to fun-in-the-sun activities on our beautiful lake and river.

If you are looking for a Canyon Lake Bed & Breakfast, the Greenskeeper Inn, is a beautiful retreat overlooking the golf course.

For a Canyon Lake Cabin, RV Park, or Campground, try the Rio Raft & Resort or Riverside Resort.

With the upcoming Labor Day weekend, I thought it prudent to remind everyone of the new ordinances enacted for public safety and to protect our rivers. They do not apply within Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, the Texas Ski Ranch or outside the New Braunfels city limits (above Gruene Bridge.) Have a safe and fun time on the river!

New safety measures are in place this year for the Comal River and the portion of the Guadalupe River within the city limits below Gruene Bridge.

New Braunfels welcomes guests to enjoy the Comal and Guadalupe rivers with the following guidelines designed to ensure public safety, enhance visitor experience and protect the natural environment of the rivers:

Alcoholic beverages:

Open containers are not allowed in Prince Solms Park, at the last public exit on the Comal River, Cypress Bend Park, and Hinman Island Park.

Containers/Coolers:

Glass or foam containers are not allowed on any waterway in Texas.

Volume drinking devices or containers under 5 fluid oz. are not allowed.

Coolers up to a 16 quart size are welcome on the rivers. Please note that all coolers must have a locking mechanism to prevent spillage (a zipper, Velcro fastener, latch, or cord to keep cooler lids on.)

Flotation Devices:

It shall be unlawful for any person, regardless of age, to enter, be on, or in the public waters of the portion of the Guadalupe River that lies within the city limits in an inner tube or other flotation device, other than a six-man raft, when the flow of the river is above 1,000 cfs.

Vessels over 18 feet are not allowed on the Guadalupe River within the city limits (below Gruene Bridge.).

Rafts are not allowed on the Comal River and all flotation devices used on the Comal River must be 5 feet or less in diameter or width at the widest point.

There is a limit of two tubes per person on the Comal River only.

Reasonable accommodations will be allowed for those with special needs and for those wishing to swim.

Hard body kayaks and canoes using the Comal River may not use the public exit on weekends or anytime during the summer.

Other equipment:

Noise devices (boom boxes) may not be audible beyond 50 ft.

Other regulations/recommendations to be aware of for river recreation activity:

Jumping from bridges, dams, and trees into the rivers is illegal.

Littering is illegal. Receptacles for disposal of litter are available.

Personal flotation devices, such as life vests, for children and weak swimmers on both the Comal and Guadalupe rivers are recommended at all times.

Tubing and swimming when the river flow is above 500 cfs is not recommended for the general public.

Only rafts navigated only by experienced paddlers are recommended when river flows are above 1000 cfs.