When architects conceptualized the beautiful new Deer Lake Lodge resort in Montgomery, Texas, they might not have imagined someone like me as a guest. The resort, built using recycled shipping containers and boasting a list of sustainable features, looks like a green utopia.
As I drove up to hotel, I suddenly remembered the beer bottles that I was too lazy to recycle last weekend and the pork rinds I ate while watching football. Can this place really cure my terrible ways, or should I have smuggled a bag of potato chips in my bag?
Upon arrival, a friendly young woman named Emily took me on a tour of the resort. She said she would keep the tour brief so we could enjoy the music being played by Brandan in the fasting lounge. I had to wonder: Who is Brandan, and what is a fasting lounge?
A little concerned but somehow placated by the smell of expensive essential oils in the lobby, I continued to look around. The resort is minimalist but lush, with grass growing on the roofs of the shipping containers. The landscape designers smartly kept the surrounding area not-too-manicured.
Suites and cabins are well-designed and comfortable. The very organized staff gave me a list of events, ranging from energy psychotherapy and acupuncture to yoga and sauna. The heated saltwater pool and Jacuzzi beckoned me.
The resort’s co-founders, sisters Tracy Boulware and Dr. T.C. Hughes, wished for a naturopathic detoxification destination in their home state of Texas. They wanted a close-by destination spa for city dwellers, a place where guests could detoxify easily and comfortably with no strain or pressure.
Be that as it may, my itinerary at Deer Lake Lodge looked pretty busy to me. I was scheduled to start with yoga and qigong, followed by a “life enhancement group class,” a nutrition class, then a “breaking the fast” session that afternoon. I decided against a fast, but the relaxed staff let me know that we were about 10 miles from downtown Montgomery, where wine or barbecue await.
The next day I had a “magnetic ritual massage” that started with “balancing chakras with gems” and an application of diamond dust mud. The exfoliation felt refreshing and I was, indeed, shining bright like a diamond.
The pampering didn’t stop with the massage. Upon my departure from the spa, the thoughtful staff gave me a salad for the road.
Deer Lake Lodge is a respite from the city, where you can just be calm and cleanse your body and mind. Packages (three nights up to a week) start at $1,900 per person, although you can opt to stay for just one night or visit simply for treatments.
Just one bit of advice: If I were you, I’d leave the pork rinds at home.
Deer Lake Lodge is a destination spa in Montgomery, Texas.
Grape Creek Vineyards has three locations in the Hill Country. Courtesy of Grape Creek Vineyards