Things to Do in Jefferson for the weekend of June 18th.

We have an action packed weekend coming up this. So if you are looking for a weekend getaway, look no further than Jefferson.

This weekend is the T-Bone Walker Blues Festival in Linden, Texas. The weekend long event in the birthplace of blues greats, Scott Joplin, T-Bone Walker, and Don Henley will bring music lovers in from all over the country. The festival starts Friday afternoon and rocks on until Saturday evening.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has several activities going on this weekend. Collins Academy will be hosting the "Growing Up Wild" program for children between the ages of 3 and 7 on June 15th. This three hour long program will allow the children to explore wildlife and the world around them. Daingerfield State Park will be teaching the basics of the fine art of historic camp cooking with cast iron in the Dutch Oven Cooking class on June 19th.

If you are looking for nightlife then we have just the ticket for you. The Voodudes will be playing at Auntie Skinners Saturday night. This classic rock band out of Shreveport, LA will start playing at 9pm.

In addition to all of this, we will have all of our usual fun things such as boat rides both out on Caddo Lake and the Big Cypress Bayou, carriage rides, mule drawn wagon rides, shopping, antiquing, musuems and tours.

So come on down. We are going to have some big fun on the bayou.

Summer Fun

Summer is almost upon us. Have you made your family vacation plans yet? Consider a trip to Jefferson for your summer family fun. No matter what you enjoy, you can find it here.

Jefferson is surrounded by water. This beautiful and historic antebellum town is built on the banks of the Big Cypress Bayou. The Turning Basin Bayou Tours offers riverboat tours daily during the summer. There is no better way to learn about the history of Jefferson or the Big Cypress Bayou then one of these boat tours. The bayou drains into Caddo Lake which is really more of a spanish moss covered cypress swamp than a traditional lake. You can take your family out on the Graceful Ghost steamboat tour and see alligators, birds, beaver, nutria and other exotic wildlife. For the fisherman, some of the best bass fishing in the state is at Lake o' the Pines.

Maybe ghosts and the paranormal are more of your family's idea of fun. Jefferson is haunted with many friendly spirits. In fact, it is considered to be the most haunted small town in Texas! The Grove, a private residence available for tour, is a certified haunted house. Not a hokey Halloween haunted house but a real ghostly home. On Friday and Saturday nights, you can take a walking ghost tour of the historic district and hear about all of the documented hauntings. If you and your family love ghost stories then the Historic Jefferson Railway after dark is where you need to be. The steam locomotive takes you through a scary 5 mile tour of the woods all the while scary ghost stories are being told

We are running some great summer specials. Our Memorial Day special is very special. If you stay Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night, we will give you $50 off your entire stay. If you can travel during the middle of the week and stay consecutive two nights, we will give you your 3rd night for free.

Stay Tuned. More about all of the fun things to do in my next posting. It is certainly "Jumpin in Jefferson".

Are you ready for Spring?

Although it is the dead of winter, we are preparing for spring here at the Carriage House. Like most people, we are just plain tired of winter at this point. As of this writing, it is overcast and 39 degrees. We don't have it as bad here as they do in other parts of the country but this Texas girl can't deal with too much cold weather. Bring me some Bluebonnets!

Part of this planning process is putting together some room packages so our guests can have the best possible experience when they stay here at the Carriage House. So here is what we have come up with so far. If there is anything that you think we should add, please send us an email or call us at 903-665-9511.

Breakfast in Bed - One of the best parts of being on vacation is the ability to just be lazy. We never get to do that in real life. It is up and at 'em to go to work, take the kids to soccer practice, get breakfast started, and so on. Wouldn't it be the ultimate in relaxation if you didn't have to get out of bed in the morning at all? Well if you select the Breakfast in Bed package, we will bring breakfast to you in your room. This package is perfect for that romantic getaway.

Romance Package - Instead of a morning in, maybe you would like a quiet evening in? We can do that too. Our romance package, will give you everything you need to stay in and have a quiet evening just the two of you. This package includes a meat and cheese tray, homemade cookies, fresh fruit and a bouquet of flowers. All of this will be waiting for you in your room when you check in.

Caddo Lake by Boat - If you are coming to Jefferson for more of an adventure trip, we have something for you too. We have partnered with the Graceful Ghost on Caddo Lake for private boat tours on a pontoon boat. This personalized tour will take you into parts of the lake that the big boats can't go. Some of the best sites on Caddo are deep into the swamp. In fact, if you are gator watching, this will be the only way to possibly see one (no guarantees - they are shy). This package is perfect for the photographer, lake lover, bird watcher or anyone who really wants to get deep into the swamps and bayous.

Brown Bag Lunch - No matter what your plans are for your trip to Jefferson, you may just not be near a restaurant when lunch rolls around. No worries! We will make your lunch for you. Our Brown Bag Lunch will have a sandwich with deli sliced meat and cheese, a bag of chips, a piece of fruit and a bottle of water. This package is perfect combined with the Caddo Lake by Boat package, bike trips, hiking out at Caddo Lake State Park, a day at Lake o' the Pines or any other adventure you can find out here.

Carriage Ride - Even though it has been a full day of exploration and fun, there is still more to do. Let us schedule a horse drawn carriage ride for you through the beautiful historic district of Jefferson. The carriage will pick you up here at the Carriage House and take you on a personalized tour through the historic district.

If there is something that you would like to do that is not on this list, please feel free to call us at 903-665-9511 or send us an email at info@carriagehousejefferson.com. All of these packages can be booked when you make your room reservations online or by phone. Please give us a few days notice so that we have time to prepare or schedule your package.

Preview Weekend

We did it!

We had our first guests last weekend. Tom and I needed to practice our inn keeping skills and so we invited our families and closest friends out for a fun-filled weekend in picturesque Jefferson.

Since many of our friends and family had never been to Jefferson before, we took them to all of the fabulous spots in town and in the area. They all enjoyed the fun quaint stores and antique shops in town. Saturday afternoon, we took them on the "Graceful Ghost" boat tour of Caddo Lake. If you have never been to Caddo, then you don't know just how beautiful that area really is. Caddo Lake is really more of a swamp then a lake and it is filled with beautiful birds, alligators, beavers and many other creatures. It was misting that day which gave the lake a very mystical, ethereal look to it. That night, everyone got to enjoy The Ghost Train. The wet and dreary weather only added to the scary ambiance.

What was the verdict...they loved Jefferson and had a fantastic time. Many of them are already making plans to come back and stay at The Carriage House again. We are looking forward to it!

This coming weekend, we have our first real test. We have our first "real" guest come stay with us. We can't wait to meet these folks and we are looking forward to being able to serve them.