The Cowboy Capital of the World is how the locals
proclaim Bandera, which is nestled at the heart of the bucolic
Texas Hill Country. Texans are prone to boasting about their
biggest and best and many of these claims turn out to be ‘all
hat and no cattle’. But in the case of Bandera, I’m
inclined to agree.
Resembling a Western movie set, Bandera describes itself as “a
drinking town with a hunting problem”. It’s stuffed full of
dude ranches geared up for tourists wanting to experience the
cowboy lifestyle, albeit with some modern trappings. I stayed on
the Dixie Dude Ranch, run by Clay C Conoly, whose family have owned
the ranch since 1901.
Set in 725 glorious acres of genuine cowboy country, the ranch
can accommodate 65 guests. It is the only ranch in the area to
offer overnight trail rides but I sensibly declined and plumped for
just a few hours in the saddle. It doesn’t matter if, like
me, you can’t tell the front from the back of a horse, or
you’re as skilful as Roy Rogers or Annie Oakley,
they’ll have just the horse for you.
The Hill Country is where the south ends and the west begins.
Its proximity to many other major tourist destinations adds to its
allure. San Antonio, home of the Alamo, one of the US’s most
visited attractions, is just 45 miles away, as is the state
capital, Austin. Dallas and Fort Worth are both a three-hour drive
and the Texas coast is less than two hours away.
Back at the ranch you can hone your roping skills – a
necessity for the budding cattle rustler – and if you get
bored of the cowboy culture, there are many other outdoor
activities. There is some excellent kayaking and tubing on the
Medina river and, of course, the ‘gun thing’. If you
want to see how the pros do it, in the summer there are three
rodeos a week to choose from.
Another great ranch where you can cowboy it up is the Mayan
Ranch, owned and operated by the Hicks family, including all seven
daughters, so none of those “women can’t ride” jokes. You
start the day with the Cowboy Hayride Breakfast and after the
morning horseback ride you can cool off in the “big ol’ pool
fer you and all yer tadpoles”.
And how does a cowboy relax after a hard day on the trail? Why,
he’ll mosey over to the saloon to shoot the breeze with a
couple of old timers over a cold brew. In my case, the saloon was
the 11th Street Cowboy Bar and as decadent a hostelry as you are
likely to encounter this side of Bangkok.
Outside it’s all Country and Western bands and inside
it’s wall-to-wall cowboys and cowgirls, with a liberal
sprinkling of biker dudes and chicks. A bizarre collection of bras
– many signed – hangs from the ceiling and, like
everything else in Texas, they’re big. The barmaid, who
proudly revealed that her bra was already part of the display,
endeavoured to persuade my female companion to add hers. Oh, and
did I tell you about the politically incorrect ‘art’ on
the walls and windows of the women’s restroom? No? Well
that’s a whole different Texas story…
