I’ve written before about the fact that both Terri and I are fairly uncoordinated, which is why we were surprised—in fact, dumbfounded—when our hosts at the Lajitas Golf Resort & Spa in Lajitas, TX, agreed to let us sign up for shooting activities. In other words, they gave us loaded guns.
Now far be it for me to judge, but when we said that we thought it would be a howl to try the course, I expected someone to adult; to say that perhaps it wasn’t the best idea—that maybe we should try something more our speed, like, say, a museum tour or sitting on bar stools. And a few saner voices did try to convince us to try their new zip line over Quiet Canyon or to go trail riding across Comanche Creek, but it was a losing battle.
Because we were in Texas. And in Texas, you gotta have a gun.
We were joined in our folly by another travel writer, Deb from New Mexico, who was as familiar with weapons as we were—which is to say not at all. Our guide, a 20-something good ole’ boy who probably grew up shooting baby bottles instead of drinking them, thought it was hysterical that we were so inexperienced until my excitement at taking my first shot made me wheel around, gun still in hand, to exclaim my joy. I have never seen people hit the dirt that fast.
After everyone got back up, dusted themselves off, and moved warily out of range, I saw a new look of respect, or perhaps it was fear, in our guide’s eyes. No doubt he now took my lack of experience—and murderous enthusiasm—a little more seriously.
We took part in the Cowboy Action Shoot, which involves walking through the ghost town of Stargazer Springs, taking turns shooting targets with a single-action pistol, a side-by-side shotgun, and a lever-action rifle. It didn’t go so well.
Guide: All you do is look through the sight and…
BAM!
Did I mention that I was kind of excited? Deb was far more cautious, and Terri, surprisingly, took this gun stuff pretty seriously. That’s not saying that any of us were very good at it.
Terri: Did I hit it?
Guide: No.
Terri: Did I come close?
Guide: No.
Terri: Am I doing this right?
Guide: No.
Terri: I think I’m getting better.
Guide: No.
I personally couldn’t hit the side of a barn with a pistol, not that I’ve ever tried to hit a barn (or for that fact, any unprovoked building) with anything. But then our guide handed me the rifle…and things improved dramatically.
BAM!
Guide: I’ll be damned.
BAM!
Guide: Seriously? Again?
BAM!
Guide: This is kind of terrifying.
I proceeded to hit every single target on the rest of the course, channeling my inner Annie Oakley and perhaps some unresolved frustrations that even a therapist can’t decipher. It was so much fun that I didn’t want it to end, though I didn’t go so far as to say that they’d have to pry the gun from my cold, dead hands….I just pouted a little (okay, a lot) when he (with much relief) took the weapon away.
The three of us posed for photos, armed to the teeth, though we agreed that we would not try to take selfies while holding guns. If you’ve seen how bad our selfies already are, you realize the odds of pulling a trigger instead of pushing a button were very real.
While Deb and Terri enjoyed the experience, I was all about going back again to try their Combat Course, which involves an AR-15, 9mm pistol and pump-action shotgun.
Vanessa: Seriously, Terri. It would be so much fun! Think of me with an assault rifle!
Do I even need to mention that I got vetoed?
If You Go
The Lajitas Golf Resort & Spa is a fantastic place to stay, even if you don’t go for shooting sports. Their list of activities is impressive, and includes everything from zip lining and horseback riding to world-class golf on a Lanny Wadkins-designed course and massages at Agave Spa. There’s also birding, mountain biking, and opportunities to dine under the stars, and you can even rent one of their Jeeps to check out the area on your own.
We were only there overnight, but you could easily stay a week and not run out of things to do. I highly recommend staying in the Cavalry Post section of the resort; built on the historic site of a remote U.S. military outpost commanded by General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, this section offers 26 rooms that are individually decorated in an Old West theme—first time I’ve ever stayed in a room where handcuffs were actually part of the décor.
To learn more, check out www.lajitasgolfresort.com, 1-877-Lajitas.