USA Travel Guide

By now you’ve probably figured out how we do things around here. We mention a popular zoo and then recommended a hotel to stay at when visiting said zoo. But what about when the hotel is a zoo? That’s called killing two birds with one stone (or being lazy, we’ll let you decide).

Canyon of the Eagles Lodge & Nature Park, one of the more unusual Texas Hill Country hotels we know of, isn’t a zoo in the same sense as the previously featured Houston Zoo or Fort Worth Zoo, but it is no less appropriate for animal and nature lovers of any age. While the lodgings, styled after Hill Country homes from the early 1900s, are attraction enough in themselves, it’s when you head out for a day of the resort’s more rustic diversions that you’ll discover its instant appeal.

A large portion of the 940-acre property has been reserved as an exclusive wildlife preserve where you can see countless rodents and birds, including bald eagles, as well as hundreds of other indigenous Texas plants and animals. To get the most of it, be sure to come prepared with comfy walking shoes, a hat, plenty of sunscreen, sunglasses, binoculars, your camera and your swim wear.

You’re not always on your own. The lodge runs guided tours with on-site wildlife experts along with seasonal seminars. For that extra something, we’re intrigued by the Ultimate Eagle Cruise, an eagle-watching excursion (with food!) up the Colorado River.

Sure, it’s not a traditional zoo, but you might discover more at Canyon of the Eagles Lodge than you ever would at any joint that is.

You can visit the Web site or call 1-800-977-0081 for reservations.