One of the most unusual camping experience around

By BONNIE EISSLER

The most unusual luxury camping experience in Texas, or possibly in the world, may be a stay at Yurtopia Wimberley. Six hilltop remote and three river bluff yurts are spread out over 26 acres of cedar and oak trees, hills and bluffs with limestone outcroppings, and the Blanco River, otherwise known as the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country.

Each of the hilltop yurts has a private deck area and amenities including a fire pit, stove, hot tub/plunge pool. These yurts offer total privacy, a sanctuary, an escape from the cares of the world. The river bluff section can be more of a group experience, with shared amenities like hot tubs and fire pits, and the opportunity to experience “river sitting,” basically just relaxing in the river. “You can’t be unhappy in the middle of a big beautiful river,” says American poet and novelist Jim Harrison, who may have had something like river sitting in mind when he wrote those words.

Tracing the history of Yurtopia to find out why in the world there are Mongolian yurts on the Blanco takes us back in time more than a quarter century to Brian and Ann-Tyler Konradi’s honeymoon trip to Russia in 1994.

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Wimberley

Harvest Moon Dinner & Dance

FISCHER H Wimberley Institute of Cultures (WIC) once again hosts the Harvest Moon Dinner & Dance on Sunday, October 10, 2021. Located at Historic Fischer Hall (701 Fischer Store Road), this promises to be an evening of fun! Dinner will be catered by Old 300 BBQ and then immediately following will be music performed by Eric Hokkanen & Friends.

The Harvest Moon Dinner/Dance is just one more way that WIC works to bring the community together in celebration. Like the pie social in the spring, also a WIC organized function, WIC sponsors activities that make Wimberley fun while preserving the heritage of our area.

The purpose of the Wimberley Institute of Cultures is to foster interest in the historical, natural and cultural resources of the Wimberley Valley through educational and social programs involving both young and adult members of the community. WIC received a State Charter and an IRS number as a nonprofit corporation in 1987. The charter was granted to WIC for the purpose of educating the public in the history and prehistory of the Wimberley area. WIC owns and operates the WintersWimberley House, now the Wimberley Valley Museum, just down from the Community Center and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. The museum is open to the public and admission is free. However, donations are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated. FYI • Join WIC for an evening of food and fun at Fischer Hall, Sunday October 10, 2021 from 6 pm to 10 pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.wimwic.org. Call Tom & Debra Billups at 512-9652662 with questions.

The Perfect Friends & Family Getaway

Private Pool Spacious Cabins

Scavenger Hunt at Pioneer Town 7A has the best ways to experience the Blanco River. Check out our website for more info!

1/2 Mile Stretch of Blanco River Access

512-847-2517 www.7ARanch.co 333 Wayside Dr. Wimberley, Texas 78676

Stay and Play!

Cabins located on Cypress Creek in beautiful downtown Wimberley. Ideal for a romantic getaway, family trip or special occasion. Property can accommodate 1 to 22 guests.

Cabins on the Square 200 Wimberley Square Wimberley, TX 78676 512-537-4107 www.cabinsonthesquare.com

Bryan and Ann-Tyler Conradi.

Although Ann-Tyler and Brian are both from Texas (Austin/ Wimberley and Dallas), Brian’s father is originally from Russia and his family emigrated to the United States when he was a child. Brian, an international corporate lawyer, minored in Russian and his family’s history piqued his interest in visiting, especially now that travel was more open after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In fact, Moscow was one of the top destinations for travelers in the 1990s. Ann-Tyler and Brian rode on the Trans-Siberian Railway, which has the distinction of being the longest line in the world (around 5,770 miles) connecting Western Russia to the Russian Far East. Their extended first visit was not the end of the couple’s Russian experience as they later moved to Moscow and lived there from 2005-2013.

The youngest of their three daughters was born in Moscow and they all attended school there. “Living in Moscow for so many years, we were exposed to a lot of the culture, art and architecture of Central Asia,” Ann-Tyler says.

These years were their inspiration for transporting some of that culture back to the rolling hills of Central Texas, where the yurts seem perfectly at home.

Yurts are most often associated with the country of Mongolia, although “ger” (which means home) is their word for “yurt.” They have been a distinctive feature of life in Central Asia for at least 3,000 years and were described by the Greek historian,

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Herodotus, as the homes of the Scythians, nomadic warriors who lived in what is now southern Siberia.

These tribes preferred the circular dwellings because they were relatively quick to assemble and light to transport as well as being wind-resistant.

“We built our first yurt in March 2019,” says Ann-Tyler, “there are other yurts around the state, but ours are different because they are authentic Mongolian made.” All are handmade using natural materials such as Siberian pine, camel hide and thick sheep’s wool, and using natural techniques like steaming the wood to bend it. The yurts are painted by a family in Mongolia. The rolls of lattice and multiple layers of covering arrive in a pallet ready to set up, shipped from Mongolia to Canada and on to Wimberley, where it takes about a day for two to four people to set up. Although adults of all ages have enjoyed blissful stays at Yurtopia, millennials (ages 25 to 40) have been their main demographic, according to Ann-Tyler.

Perhaps the reason for this is that, at least according to some sociologists, in addition to being fluent in the digital language of computers and the internet, millennials are especially drawn to experiences rather than things, and spending a couple of nights in a genuine Mongolian made yurt definitely qualifies as a memorable experience. Photos by @S.A.Foodie.

FYI • Yurtopia Wimberley provides a unique luxurious experience for those wanting to relax in a beautiful natural setting. The adventure starts at 135 Winn Ranch Road (for remote hilltop yurts) or 630 Winn Ranch Road (for river bluff yurts). For more information or to check availability and book a stay, call 512-333-2202, email stay@yurtopiawimberley.com or visit www. yurtopiawimberley.com.

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