Monday, April 6, 2015

Father/Daughter Retreat 2015

A few weeks ago, Balcones Springs held one of its favorite events of the season -- our annual Father/Daughter Retreat!

Each fall and spring, the Retreat holds Mother/Son and Father/Daughter retreats to give families a chance to bond in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, while also getting a taste of summer camp at Balcones Springs.

Guests arrived Friday night and immediately began the fun with a fishing contest! Next, a craft beer tasting and cocktail hour for the dads preceded a wonderful dinner, followed by a bonfire with s'mores and a viewing of one of the greatest camp movies of all time -- The Parent Trap!

The next morning, daughters enjoyed cartoons and cereal while our visiting dads had their comparable "newspapers and coffee" (though perhaps some of those cartoons as well). After breakfast, the day looked a lot like summer camp. Dads and daughters climbed the rock wall, took a ride on the screamer (a bungee swing at the rock wall), and played classic camp games like 3Ball and Nuke 'Em before building their own pizza rolls for lunch!

After lunch, our trampoline bungee, zipline, and archery ranges were all open for our guests to enjoy. We also had craft-making and cupcake-decorating, horseback riding in our arena, and face-painting for the daughters while the dads were again able to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail.

After dinner was the weekend's highlight--the Glow with the Flow dance! Dads and daughters danced the night away at one of our most famous camp dances, complete with light-lasers, disco balls, and of course, lots of glow sticks!

Finally, to close the weekend, after breakfast the next morning, dads and daughters harvested organic vegetables in our camp garden to put into take-home lasagna kits for mom.

Some comments from our guests include:
"Love the parties, great activities, Awesome rooms."

"Great Time as Always - Staff was wonderful & really enjoyed it & girls has a great time!"

"Everything was great. Staff was great, very helpful and nice. We will be coming back."

"Thanks Olivia for giving me the courage to go on the zipline! I want to come again next year!"

"Best Year so far!!"
Thanks so much for your kind words! We can't wait to see you next year and hopefully this summer at camp!

If these activities sound like fun to you, be sure to head over to Camp Balcones Springs and sign up to come play with us this summer!

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Young Men & Women of Destiny

Every year, Balcones Springs welcomes the Young Men and Women of Destiny to our grounds for a two-day, one-night youth retreat.

Packed into the short stay are meetings, speakers, an ice cream social, a bonfire, Sunday morning worship, and a concluding Sunday brunch.

Some comments left by our guests include:
"I always enjoy this place. The staff are so friendly, and the customer service is GREAT!"

"The staff is exceptional; thank you!"

"I freaking love this place!"

"Every time we come you all are so helpful and polite to our kids; thank you for all your kindness."

"I always have a wonderful experience every time I come here; the staff is very professional and the food is excellent!"
Thanks for the kind words, Young Men & Women of Destiny! We look forward to seeing you again next year!

New Hope Baptist Women’s Retreat

We recently welcomed yet another women's retreat, this time, from New Hope Baptist, to Balcones Springs for a one-night stay.

Our guests spent time in meetings and enjoying a bonfire, though inclement weather unfortunately kept everyone inside for most of the stay.

Some comments left by our guests include:
"We had a lot of needs up front, and the staff was very gracious & accommodating!"

"I was so sick Friday night and the staff were so sweet by sending a basket w/crackers etc. Thank You!"

"Thanks so much for having us! We truly enjoyed our stay & your hospitality has been amazing!"

"Everything was so nice! I would love to come back here for our next retreat!! Cabins were clean, nice & comfortable. Thank you."

"Very 'homey' atmosphere. It was wonderful! We loved the cabins and the whole experience."

Thank you for the kind words, New Hope Baptist! We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Monday, March 30, 2015

St. Matthews Women's Retreat

We recently welcomed St. Matthews Episcopal Church to Balcones Springs for a weekend women's retreat!

Our guests found solitude and tranquility in our beautiful, isolated property, using much of their stay for worship, communion, and meetings. Fun was also had on the property, hiking trails, enjoying our wine bar, and watching a late-night movie.

Some comments from our guests include:
"Food & Staff were so lovely!!!"

"You were great!"

"Another great weekend with friendly staff, great food and lovely accommodations. Thank you!"
Thanks for the kind words, St. Matthews Episcopal! We hope to see you again soon.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Altria Group Company Retreat

Balcones Springs recently had the pleasure of hosting the Altria Distribution Group's Company Retreat--several days full of some of the most fun we've seen since summer camp!

During the first day of their stay, Altria guests had many meetings, speakers, and workshops, but at night, the fun ensued! Nighttime activities featured a Cowboy Dance with a mechanical bull, armadillo races, a longhorn photo-op, line dancing (with guest instructors), an open bar, and a bonfire at our pond, complete with s'mores and funnel cakes!

The next day, our guests headed into another round of meetings and workshops. Free time in the afternoon came in the form of enjoying our traditional summer camp activities--the zip-line, skeet-shooting, archery, rock-climbing, our rock-wall "screamer," hiking, fishing, canoeing, paddleboating, frisbee-golf, basketball, tennis, volleyball, soccer, and football. That night, a fun, yet more low-key, evening ensued, featuring a slow motion photobooth from Spinning Leaf films, a firepit and s'mores, a movie under the stars, an open bar, and the "human" version of games like Jenga, foosball, checkers.

Some comments from our guests include:
"Food was excellent!"

"Thanks to your entire staff!"

"Wow - Awesome experience! Thanks!"

"Very beautiful property, very inviting staff , good food."

"Thank you! Ya'll were great! Will definitely come back!"
Thanks so much for choosing us to host such a fun few days of activities! We hope to see you all again soon.


Special thanks also to the following vendors who made this whirlwind of a retreat possible:
Birzer Photo
Clayton Gardner Band
CORT Event Furnishings
Live Oak DJ Shay Lesyk
Spinning Leaf Films
Spoiled Dove Entertainment

Episcopal Church of Good Shepherd

Alongside our guests from Southwestern University, we welcomed the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd for a weekend retreat.

Amidst meetings and time for worship, our guests experienced some of the best the Retreat has to offer--horseback-riding on our private trails, practicing yoga, and indulging in massages.

Thanks for visiting us, Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd! We hope to see you again soon.

Southwestern University Executive Retreat

At the end of the past month, we welcomed employees of nearby Southwestern University for an executive retreat.

In between meetings, our guests enjoyed a relaxing cocktail hour, our top-rated cuisine, and a movie and bonfire under the stars of the Hill Country sky.

Some comments left by our guests include:
"Super good!"

"Exceptional staff!"

"Well set up, great place."

"Great job - thank you!"
Thanks for the kind words, Southwestern! We enjoyed having you and hope to see you again soon!