A small cabin on 30 gorgeous acres in dark sky country just outside of Austin, Lovegrass House was originally UT Austin Dean of Architecture Wayne Bell`s escape, his quiet place, his creative pied a terre. Today, the zen vibe of the updated interiors complements the tranquility of the hill country that surrounds it. Lovegrass is a little cabin in the woods where you can fall in love -- with nature, with art, with the you you may have lost, the dark skies you may have forgotten.
Lovegrass is tucked into a grove of trees in front of what used to be a large riding ring. Down the path to the right are the barn and stables, which will eventually house rescued donkeys available for adoption. Down the path to the left is the chicken coop, currently unoccupied, but not for much longer. If you venture out beyond the riding ring, you`ll find soft woodchip trails that loop around the property to the left, and to the right leads to Sunset Ridge, a series of three tiered decks positioned for perfect sunset viewing, as well as some pretty epic stargazing. Beyond the woodchip paths, you`ll discover a meandering 30 acres of mow and deer trails covering a variety of terrain, from frostweed fields to open meadow to rocky terrace to wet weather creek bed. The property is open and raw and longing to be explored. Wildlife spotted so far: a family of foxes, a young bobcat, deer, owls, wild turkey, soaring hawks, scurrying lizards, fluttering butterflies, hovering dragonflies, busy bees, and while not yet seen, at night, somewhere in the distance, a pack of coyotes serenades the stars.
Shared amenities on the property are the walking paths and the decks at Sunset Ridge. Everything in, around and connected to your space is for your private enjoyment for the duration of your stay.
Tuesdays are garbage days, and someone will be by in the morning to collect all outdoor bins. Once the garbage has been picked up, someone will return the bins later that afternoon.
While the garbage is roadside waiting for pickup, someone will be by to check the pool/Jacuzzi chemistry, top off as needed, etc.
Mondays and Thursdays are for mowing paths, tending the gardens and filling supplemental feeders as needed, so you may see us out and about on the property, but nothing too intrusive to your space.
This is a tentative property maintenance schedule and is subject to change as needed. We are always respectful of privacy and will give a heads up if we need to approach your space during your stay.
While you feel a million miles away from it all, you`re actually a short drive to the following local places truly worth visiting!
NOTE: Please call or check business websites for operating times and current offerings.
Hamilton Pool Preserve (See pics in the listing! Stunning natural waterfall and grotto, reservations required, 5 miles from us)
Milton Reimers Ranch (See pics in the listing! Gorgeous park on the Pedernales River, awesome multi-use trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding, awesome trails dedicated to mountain biking, killer rock climbing, and beautiful swimming, fishing, floating beach, dog and kid friendly, 3 miles from us)
Westcave Estates and Discovery Center (beautiful natural area that offers grotto tours and hosts events at the Discovery Center, check site for required reservations and info, 5 min drive)
Fetch (food truck park on HPR starring Leyla`s Lebanese, but also featuring a number of quality food trucks serving up pizza, ice cream, barbeque, Mexican, etc; very convenient to grab and head back to the ranch!)
Jester King Brewery (voted one of 5 best breweries in the US) (10 min drive)
Texas Hill Country Olive Company (YUM and FUN, great gifts, olive grove tours, 12 min drive)
Family Business Beer Company (modern space with modern art, live music, trivia nights, craft beer, beautiful grounds, playscape for kids, 2 minutes from us by car)
Hamilton Pool Vineyards (wine tastings and live music on certain nights, 3 min drive)
Treaty Oak Distillery (live music, open-air bar, Alice`s restaurant) (10 min drive)
Abby Jane (across from Treaty Oak, this little gem serves up some delish baked goods from pastries to pizza)
Mercer Street shops in downtown Drip (fun modern and antique boutiques, 12 min drive)
Mazama Coffee (great coffee, pastries and vibes, 12 min drive to downtown Drip)
Rolling in Thyme and Dough (great breakfast and lunch spot, with homemade breads and soups, yummy sandwiches and hearty breakfasts, just beyond downtown, 15 min drive)
Fitzhugh Brewing (good menu, nice beer selection, big shaded playscape, 10 min drive)
Verde (fun casual Mexican, playscape for the kids, 5 minutes by car)
Hill Country Galleria (bookstore, coffee, art space, clothing boutiques, sporting goods, pet shops, salons, dining, etc, 10 min drive)
Whole Foods (at the Galleria)
HEB (12 min drive, off of 71 near the Galleria)
Jack Allen`s Kitchen (big lively place with great cocktails and good food, 20 min drive)
Epicure (excellent food and wine, cozy, romantic spot)
Sidecar Tasting Room
Hawk`s Shadow Winery (big expansive patio with gorgeous hill country views for a relaxing tasting experience, half-hour drive)
Tillie`s at Camp Lucy (awesome brunch, half-hour drive, reservations recommended)
Tratoria Lissina (romantic night out in nearby Driftwood, beautiful grounds and excellent food and service)
Bell Springs Winery (fun spot with gorgeous grounds, art truck, food truck, wine and beer, sometimes live music)
Dreamland (mini-golf, pickle ball, playscape for kids, beer and food, art installations, holiday fests, live music at times, and a splash pad)
Jacob`s Well and Blue Hole (awesome watering holes in Wimberley, about a half-hour drive)
Parking is available on site in designated areas outside your cabin. There are shuttle services for wine tours, and Uber and Lyft operate in the area. Just be sure to factor in 20-30 minutes for your Uber to arrive when planning.
POOL:
The only thing you need to do regarding the pool is keep it covered when not in use to maintain temp and cleanliness.
The pool is heated by heat pump to a warm 90-ish degrees. The heat pump and pool pump are on a timer. Please do not expect a warm pool if the temps are in the low 50s or below overnight or during the day. We wish — but no heat pump can really do that.
PROPANE:
We aim to ensure sufficient propane for grills and firepits prior to guest arrival. In the event you find an empty tank, please accept our apologies and know that we do keep ample propane tanks on the property for such moments.
Extra propane tanks are located behind the parking area for Lovegrass House and Hawk`s Nest, behind the wooden enclosure marked for trash/recycling overflow.
TRASH OVERFLOW:
We keep large overflow garbage bins behind the parking area for Lovegrass House and Hawk`s Nest -- behind the wooden enclosure marked for trash/recycling overflow.
CARS:
Cars are limited to the main drive in and your corresponding parking area. Under no circumstances may you drive a vehicle anywhere else on the property.
Prior approval is required to have more than two cars on the property during your stay.
No smoking on the property.
No fires outside of the provided propane fire pits.
No hunting or shooting of any kind.
No creative parking. Do not drive beyond your designated parking area. We have water and septic lines buried out here. If they are broken because a vehicle drove on them, the booking party will receive a repair bill.
Any guests other than those indicated in the booking require prior approval.
Two-car max per booking. Any extra vehicles require prior approval.
Keep noise at a respectful level, especially after 9pm.
Lights out at bedtime to keep skies dark and wildlife unimpeded. Lights out after dark in general also will help immensely with bugs.
Cover pool when not in use. (Please use the provided skimmer to remove any bugs before covering.)
Do not kill our bugs or spray any insecticides. You don`t want our snakes to be hungry. ;)
Do not feed the wildlife anything cooked or processed. This includes leaving food outside after grilling, leaving a used grill open, and leaving tools used for grilling outside. Raw fruit and veggie scraps are a welcome gift to wildlife.
Enjoy the paths, trails and observation decks, but please leave no trace.
Pets require approval prior to booking. We celebrate animals, but have some expectations. Here they are:
--Pets must be approved prior to booking.
--Dogs must be housetrained and socialized.
--Dogs must be on leash when outside.
--Dogs may not be left outside unattended for any period of time.
--Guests traveling with dogs must clean up after them inside and out.
--No dogs in the pools. We will have to charge a $100 maintenance fee if the pool filter is clogged with dog hair upon checkout, and we really don`t want to do that!
Checkout Procedure:
--Checkout time is 11am.
--Please load any dirty dishes into the dishwasher and turn it on auto cycle. Pods are under the sink.
--Please let me know if anything is broken. I mostly care about having a chance to replace it before the next guests!
--Double-check for personal belongings before checking out. We do not ship forgottens.
--Take any food and drink that came in with you out with you when you leave.
--Turn off all lights inside and out.
--Leave the interior fans on.
--Leave the AC set to 74.
--Close all doors and windows.
Please and thank you so much!
