Bridge over Serenity Creek . When you sit on the deck of Del's Retreat, you look straight out at the bridge. Go ahead, walk over it, look down at the fish below and the rocky outcrops where ferns grow. The land on the other side is ours too, so enjoy the tree-covered meadow all the way up to the next road. 

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Centered in the heart of the Texas bluebonnet country at a point where the counties of Washington, Austin and Fayette come together, you will find a refreshing little rocky creek with rippling waterfalls that cuts through beautiful rolling hills of Central Texas. At one time, the cedars, oaks and sycamores were so tall and lush that daylight hardly reached the ground. Here you will find a get away from the stress of the city life, a place to go back to nature, a place to find yourself. Here you will find our treasure, our solitude, our gift to you...

 Trails West Retreat.

When current owners Betty & Del Meischen stumbled upon this gorgeous little wilderness, they were so fascinated with its beauty that they decided to share it with others seeking the solitude and serenity of back-country nature. No matter which way you get there, the drive through the rolling countryside is breath-taking. Hilltops where you can see for miles and miles are followed by lush valleys punctuated with quiet streams. The tranquil rural countryside fills with bluebonnets and a myriad of other Texas wildflowers in the spring.

Trails West is a wonderful place to bring your children for a weekend of citystyle-camping in the heart of the Houston-Austin-San Antonio triangle. Get away from the stress of the concrete jungle to the comfort of a small cabin with all the modern conveniences or get back to nature, roughing it in your own tent. We strive to be kid and pet friendly!

Betty shows grandson Jake an Indian paintbrush while daughter Becky and her husband Ryan look on.

Located in an area rich with Texas colonial history, Trails West is 5 miles from Roundtop, Texas and 1 mile from the University of Texas facility at Lake Winedale. Take in a Shakespeare play. Don't miss the outstanding, talented musicians in concert at Festival Hill near Round Top. Additionally, we’re just a short distance to many antique mecca’s such as the quaint towns of Warrenton, Shelby, Fayetteville, Burton, Brenham, LaGrange and Bellville. Throughout the year, antique festivals run continuously in this area. There are plenty of good places to eat nearby or bring the fixin's and grill it yourself.
When the days get cooler, it is great to sit around a campfire and spin a few yarns or sing a song or two. You need to get away, so come on out. We'll keep the lights on for you!

Rebecca's Cabin looks over Stephanie's Garden and the creek beyond that.

Stephanie was our 21 year old neice who drown in the Guadalupe River. Her dad planted two cypress trees in this garden on the day a memorial was dedicated to her at nearby Luther Hill (2004).

The water in Serenity creek is crystal clear most of the time. We like to watch the fish swim about. At night, generally the only sound you hear is the croaking of the frogs along the creek. The stars are so bright out here at night.

When we bought this place on March 4, 2004, it was totally thick and tangled, a wilderness so dense, we had to hack our way through. So everything from well, septic to electricity, clearing & rock for the roads had to be accomplished. Trails West Retreat is a constant work in progress so bear with us as new things continue to happen monthly.

One of the many things that attracted us to this little piece of Washington County wilderness was the abundance of wildflowers. We found many species that we had never seen before...for instance beautiful lilac colored foxglove growing wild. Of course there were bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush in the Spring but we found so many various other flowers growing most months of the year.   We are allowing wild grasses and flowers to reseed so we will not cut or shred as often to allow their natural growth patterns.

Springtime north of the Bridge view of a beautiful patch of bluebonnets.

Great idea for a gift!  Kids from all over the  USA booked a cabin for their parents' 50th wedding anniversary. The Lewis's absolutely loved their 4 day stay in Rebecca's cabin. The children also bought them tickets to a concert at Festival Hill. We can arrange for a greeting basket, wine or champagne and/or flowers to be in the cabin awaiting their arrival. Just tell us what and how much you want to spend!