Clear Creek Cove: Waterfront Vacation Rental

Here’s a picture that tells a story - a graph of combined storage levels of Lake Travis and and Lake Buchanan. Note the significant dip in from 2005 to 2010. Levels are rising again in 2010 thanks to recent wet weather. Clear Creek Cove is on Inks Lake, which receives water from Lake Buchanan and has a more or less constant level, unaffected by drought. (Source: LCRA)

Eagles nest just off Highway 29 west of Clear Creek Cove toward Llano. Currently an adult pair of eagles are raising two chicks, born in December, as described in a recent Austin American-Statesman piece by Mike Leggett.

Eagles don’t discriminate when it comes to food. They love turtles and fish, which could explain part of the reason they chose their lookout love nest over the Llano River. But they’ll also take small mammals and birds, especially waterfowl.

All of which left me kind of shocked at their current living arrangements. They are testament to the unexplainable and amazing adaptability of animals to their surroundings.

Butterfly Digital has more information about the eagles here, and Cottonwood Photography has a gallery of eagle photos.

A few images from our Thanksgiving at Clear Creek Cove…

A flock of 17 Canadian geese have been hanging out in and around the house…

Butterflies are enjoying the bright orange and yellow lantana growing around the front porch…

Lake Buchanan is very low; we’re lucky that Inks is a constant-level lake.

Our son-in-law caught several healthy bass this trip…

We experienced glorious sunsets on the cove…

Burnet County has published its Hill Country Holiday Calendar:

November

December

(Posted by Jon but written by Marsha.)

Wish I had my own photos , but of course the turtles were gone by the time I returned with my camera – the 1st one I saw was down under the pecans near the cactus. I spotted him while I was picking up sticks in the yard, turned by back on him for a few minutes, and he was gone! I thought turtles were slow moving, but he must have found a red bull somewhere!

The other turtle was on the hillside just east of the pine trees. The same thing happened – I ran to get my camera and he was gone by the time I got back.

The turtles are most commonly seen across from our boat ramp and swimming area sunning on rocks. After looking up turtles on google, I still can’t tell what kind they were. One turtle shell was pretty flat and had lots of red coloring. The other turtle’s shell was very rounded and had a pretty distinct pattern with lots of yellow. Maybe a slider and a river cooter?

(The photo above, found online, will give you an idea what I was seeing.)

At Clear Creek Cove, we’re subject to local (5%) and state (6%) hotel tax rates, so we have to collect an additional 11% on rentals. If you look at our rates page, you’ll see the base rate and the rate including tax.

We just got the following message from Scott Joslove, President and CEO of the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association. This has no impact on our rates - we rent directly, so we never “wholesale” rentals. However we thought this was interesting as it points to the significance of the tax revenues collected.

Here’s what he says:

We
want to report that a jury in San Antonio recently reached a verdict
awarding 173 cities in Texas $20 million in a suit against online
booking entities such as Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, and
Priceline.com.  It is the first of these cases to go to trial.  The
lawsuit was centered on a dispute over the amount of hotel occupancy
tax paid to cities in Texas by the online booking entities.  The cities
urged that the hotel tax was due on the entire amount paid by the
consumer for their hotel stay.  Conversely, the online booking entities
argued that the hotel tax was only due on the wholesale price that the
hotel received from the booking entity.  The jury in San Antonio sided
with the cities and found that the online booking entities owed hotel
tax for the total room rate actually paid by the guest.  If upheld on
appeal, this will provide a large influx of hotel tax revenues,
penalties, and interest to the involved cities. 

Upcoming events, from the Burnet County newsletter:

October

December

We’ve been getting great feedback at HomeAway — the positive comments validate our hard work to provide a great vacation experience at our lakeside home, which is a labor of love for us. We’d like to hear your positive comments as well as constructive feedback. If you found us through HomeAway, that’s a great place to leave your comments. If not, please use our contact form (and let us know if we can publish your remarks).

The Highland Lakes Golf Club at Inks Lake State Park, located just across from Clear Creek Cove, has a “Beat the Heat Special” during the months of August and September. Golfers can play 18 holes with cart before 11:00 for only $15.00 per player. Kids under the age of 14 play for only half price.

For more information, contact:
Highland Lakes Golf Club
INKS LAKE STATE PARK
512-793-2859
inksgolf@gmail.com

Kids can take a 25 minute ride on a full-size version of Thomas the Tank Engine at Burnet Community Center, October 9, 10, and 11. According to the FAQ page, “A ticket for Day Out With Thomas includes the train ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, as well as a variety of Thomas & Friends themed entertainment, including Storytelling and Video Viewing, Temporary Tattoos of Island of Sodor friends, and an Imagination Station with Arts & Crafts and more. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet Sir Topham Hatt, the Controller of the Railway on the Island of Sodor.” Tickets are $14-$18.