SUITE LIFE

Luxe Fredericksburg nature retreat branches out to musical Hill Country town

True story: Wynonna Judd once threatened to knock an audience member’s lights out during a Christmastime performance at Gruene Hall. We can’t blame her. Though the legendary country chanteuse’s flaming locks of hair do indeed look touchable, it is not an open call for tipsy audience members to give her a scalp massage.

But perhaps Judd would have been less grumpy about it if she had slept well. That luxury is easier to find than ever now that Fredericksburg favorite Camp Hideaway has opened a sibling location a short jaunt from the famed music venue at 360 Millies Lane.

Photo by Matt Rand

A grouping of farmhouses at the new Camp Hideaway Gruene.

The complex combines rural charm with big-city comfort. Amenities include peaceful walking trails, giant yard games, and easy access to tubing on the Guadalupe River. Guests can also cool off in the property’s resort-style pool or sun in one of the poolside cabanas.

The compound’s lodging choices are designed to accommodate both large and small parties. Small groups can opt for the Historic Cabin or The Pharmacy, fully outfitted houses with room for four to six guests, respectively. Couples can retreat to the tiny home, a diminutive lair with a home-style kitchen and outdoor grill.

Larger bunches – say, a brood of fiddle players, background singers, and exhausted roadies – can find shelter in one of five farmhouses. Each is equipped with two king bedrooms, a bunk room with four queen built-ins, a covered deck, and a plunge pool. Each also has a fire pit for post-show singalongs.

In addition to hosting families and other groups needing rejuvenation, Camp Hideaway Gruene welcomes weddings and corporate retreats. Company mixers are surely more enjoyable when held in a bucolic setting.

Camp Hideaway is now accepting lodging bookings. Reservations and event inquiries can be made online.

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easygoing travel

San Antonio airport shines as No. 1 best for holiday travel

San Antonio International Airport/Facebook

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The busy holiday season is upon us, but San Antonians won't need to pack extra patience when it comes to traveling from the city's bustling airport.

San Antonio International Airport ranks as the 10th best U.S. airport for on-time travel by consumer review platform ConsumerAffairs, which analyzed the rates of moderate and severe delays, diversions, and cancellations at 32 medium-sized U.S. airports.

SAT has the seventh lowest moderate delay rate out of all the airports examined, the report revealed, with only 16.13 percent of flights delayed by 15 minutes and up to three hours. About 1.5 percent of all flights are delayed by more than three hours, making SAT the 15th worst airport for severe delays.

Additionally, SAT has the 11th lowest rate of flight cancellations nationally, with only 1.21 percent of all SAT flights cancelled. The report notes that the average number of same-day flights to the same destination at SAT is 2.47, so there's a good chance travelers can get re-booked. However, more than a quarter (27.34 percent) of SAT cancelled flights were the last flight of the day to that destination.

Flying from SAT likely won't be very stressful during the holidays, as SAT boasts the No. 1 lowest holiday disruption rate out of all medium-sized airports, and the 8th lowest holiday severe delay rate.

The report says 18.6 percent of flights (the lowest figure among medium-sized aiprorts) will suffer from disruptions during the Thanksgiving and winter holiday travel periods — starting the Tuesday before Thanksgiving through the Monday after, and again from December 18 to January 5. Only 1.4 percent of flights will be delayed more than three hours during the peak holiday period.

The report offers the following suggestions to help anxious travelers avoid flight disruptions: look into travel insurance to protect against delays or cancellations; look for nonstop flights; or book flights with earlier departure times on an airline with multiple departures to your destination.

For flights that do get delayed or cancelled, travelers need to "act fast" to rectify their situation, says Jennifer Rykaczewski, the CEO of nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Affordable Skies.

"In the first 10 minutes, open the airline app, see whether you have already been rebooked and search for acceptable alternatives," Rykaczewski said. "Throughout the process, save any documentation of the delay or cancellation, plus receipts for meals or hotels, in case you need it for an insurance claim later."

The best and worst major airports in the U.S.
Surprisingly, Los Angeles International Airport landed as the best major airport for avoiding travel disruptions out of the 29 biggest airports in the U.S. Phoenix Sky Harbor International (No. 2) and Seattle-Tacoma International (No. 3) round out the top three best airports for on-time travel.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia led the nation as the No. 1 worst major airport for flight delays and cancellations.

Two Texas airports appear among the top-10 worst: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (No. 2) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (No. 10). Meanwhile, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport ranked outside the top 10 as the 19th worst airport nationally.

Unlike many other airports that experience high cancellation rates, the report revealed DFW's biggest issue is its high volume of flight delays. DFW has the No. 1 highest moderate delay rate out of all the airports examined, with more than a quarter of all flights (25.18 percent) delayed by 15 minutes and up to three hours.

"It’s the kind of delay that eats into your day without necessarily blowing up your whole trip," the report's author wrote.

Nearly two percent of all flights are delayed over three hours, making DFW the fifth worst airport for severe delays. However, the study says there is a silver lining for travelers saddled with severe disruptions.

"DFW offered more scheduled backup flights to the same destination than many of the other airports on this list, giving travelers a decent shot at rebooking if a flight fell through," the report said.

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