Photo by Gertrude Meyer

The Y.O. Ranch has been a working ranch throughout Texas history. Once it covered 550,000 acres with an extensive herd of longhorn cattle. Over the years they have trimmed the size of the ranch and the size of the herd to 1000 registered longhorns roaming 40,000 acres.
The chandelier on the left side of the picture serves as a hanging rack for branding irons representing some of the historic ranches of Texas. The exotic animal trophies on the walls of this lobby represent some of the 10,000 species of exotic animals that now live on the ranch.

The hotel lobby boasts an extensive western art collection
including this impressive bronze.

Like so many other ranches, they turned their attention to guests when they could no longer prosper in the cattle business. Schreiner Family took the idea well past the familiar dude ranch idea. They imported exotic game animals and now keep large herds of them. The ranch is near Kerrville, and you can go to there to experience a wild game hunting safari, similar to what people used to do in Africa. It just takes a brief look at their Web site to see that the ranch is involved in special activities the year around. And you can stay there just for the fun of staying on a ranch. They have teaching camps, and sales. They'll even sell you a tract of land inside the ranch compound! Here's a link to the YO Ranch Website

The grizzly bear stands in the middle of the lobby area near the restaurant entrance, and definitely gets your attention when you come in. When you hear of a wooden Indian, this is what is meant. These fellows used to stand guard at your local cigar store. Owen and Ernst agreed to pose with this one. I wonder if they were thinking of the old days of cigars and wooden Indians.

We will visit Fredericksburg next, come along.

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