HILL COUNTRY TOWNS IN THE PATH OF BOTH ECLIPSES

There’s a lot to see and do in the Texas Hill Country, but where to begin? BKRDS.com has been creating dream getaways in this beautiful region since 2001, and our expertise is at your fingertips in this FREE amazing Hill Country Travel App, from exploration to booking and beyond!

First, check out all the 20 towns we serve in the Hill Country:

• Texas Hill Country 2023 “Ring of Fire” and 2024 total solar eclipse tools, darkness calculator based on each town, articles and resources
• Vacation travel related businesses conveniently arranged by town
• Maps and directions to all places of interest
• Pet-friendly and kid-friendly businesses and attractions are highlighted
• Over 800 listings by category for shops, restaurants, bars, antique stores, museums, & more
• Listings for local parks & recreational areas
• Hundreds of local events arranged by town and date

From there, contact us to book your perfect vacation quickly and simply! Your reservation ID and check-in date will link you to valuable, customized info before and during your visit, and no personal data is ever collected or sold.

• Simple check-in process
• Modified check-in and check-out time requests, available only in the app
• Offline mode: info can be accessed even with no cell signal
• Direct contact with us, via email, text, & phone
• Links to Backroads Reservations’ website & over 150 fantastic vacation rentals

Once you’ve reserved your guest home, our app provides all the details you’ll need prior to your visit; no more guesswork! This info is tailored to your specific rental.

• Recommended checklist for what you’ll need to bring to get the most out of the specific property
• Address, map, & check-in instructions such as gate codes & key boxes
• Detailed amenities list, such as Wifi, firewood, type of grill on-site, toiletries provided, etc.
• General house, HOA & property rules, such as fire pit use, pet guidelines, & trash disposal
• Gallery of property photos
• Check-out information at the end of your visit

Get the most out of your next trip to the Hill Country; download our app and keep yourself connected to everything our wonderful region has to offer!

Download for free on iPhone and Android

PUTTING YOUR BUSINESS’ BEST FOOT FORWARD BEFORE, DURING & AFTER THE FULL SOLAR ECLIPSE

Businesses must be prepared…

If you own a Hill Country business, chances are you’ve had your ear to the ground and are aware of the full solar eclipse coming soon. Most of the region will be directly under the eclipse’s path of totality, and that means hundreds of thousands of curious visitors will stop by for a choice view of the rare sky show.

Monday, April 8, 2024, is the big red-letter date, and all traveler-friendly Hill Country businesses should prepare for the challenges and opportunities all those people will present. This article is being published in early 2023 and for a good reason. While it’s easy to be tempted by the “I’ve got plenty of time” mindset, the time to plan and implement an eclipse preparedness strategy is NOW.

…major events like this are great news for tourism, but these events will also present challenges! Provide your information below to receive our FREE 18-point business preparedness guide by email!

SIGN UP TO HOST GUESTS FOR THE 2023 AND 2024 eclipses!

Two great astronomical events will take place right over our heads in the Texas Hill Country in the upcoming two years!

On Saturday, October 14, 2023, there will be an annular solar eclipse (“annular” meaning the moon will be slightly closer to the earth at that point, meaning it won’t totally block out the sun, so a bright ring will be visible at the peak of the eclipse). On Monday, April 8, 2024, we’ll be right under a full solar eclipse, where the moon completely blocks out the sun. What do these rare events mean to our property hosts and RV-driving visitors? We’re glad you asked!

CALLING ALL VACATION HOME, TENT CAMPING, & RV SPOT PROPERTY OWNERS!

As we’ve all witnessed by watching media coverage of previous solar eclipses, these events draw much attention and many visitors! With the Texas Hill Country directly in the shadow of the upcoming eclipses, Backroads Reservations is uniquely qualified to help you benefit from the influx of thousands of people who will be coming to the region on those important dates.

We’ve been arranging fantastic vacation stays for our guests in the Hill Country since 2001. We’re attuned to what our guests like to do and see while they visit and are ramping up our preparations for incoming eclipse enthusiasts. We already have over 500 “eclipse acres” under our management, and there’s no question we’ll need plenty more. There’s no such thing as “too early” when it comes to preparing vacation homes, tent camping spaces, and RV-friendly spots for folks who want to witness these amazing events. Prime space will be in high demand, and here’s where you come in!

If you own a vacation home, tent camping space, or RV-accessible property in or near the Hill Country towns listed below, now is the time to act! Download the free Texas Hill Country Travel App by Backroads Reservations as soon as possible for a free land evaluation and host preparation package and future updates on this fun and profitable project. We’ll keep you in the loop with developments when we know them. It may seem like a way off, but the time to act and start preparing is now, so we can work together to make our visitors’ eclipse experiences fun, memorable, and positive!

For your convenience, we’ve also provided a form at the bottom of this page for you to submit your property for consideration.

For more eclipse information, including articles, charts of eclipse duration for specific towns, and a travel preparedness checklist, download our free Texas Hill Country Travel App, available on iPhone and Android! We never share data with outside parties, so your info is secure.

The Texas Hill Country will be in the bullseye for two upcoming solar eclipses. Saturday, October 14, 2023 will bring an annular “Ring of Fire” eclipse, and a full eclipse will occur Monday, April 8, 2024. While these events will help boost local tourism, they will also present challenges. To address these, the Bandera-based vacation rental specialists of Backroads Reservations are launching the “Clear the Roads Initiative” in a special eclipse section of their Texas Hill Country Travel App.

PR NEWSWIRE PRESS RELEASE

“Clear the Roads Initiative,” Travel App to Address Solar Eclipse Impact

Bandera, TX, January 17, 2023 –(PR.com)– Backroads Reservations, a professional property management company in this small town in the Texas Hill Country, has catered to vacationers since 2001. The Hill Country is a forested greenbelt west of I-35 roughly between Austin and San Antonio, and Bandera itself serves as a gateway to the region from all of Texas’ major metro areas.

Spencer Forrest, Backroads’ CEO, recently released the Texas Hill Country Travel App, which directs visitors to traveler-friendly businesses, who benefit from increased commerce. “It’s proven to be a valuable tool,” Forrest said, “it covers over 18 towns, and lists over 750 businesses and attractions. It’s a free download that connects guests and merchants in a unique and powerful way.”

Two upcoming events will increase tourism dramatically. On Saturday, October 14, 2023, the region will witness an annular “ring of fire” solar eclipse, and a full solar eclipse will cast its shadow here on Monday, April 8, 2024. These eclipses could draw millions of people, which would create issues in and around Bandera.

Interest is increasing rapidly. Bookings for eclipse visits started a year ago, and Forrest recognized the need for preparation. As a result, he dedicated a section of the app to the events. “We’re covering them from every angle, from the science to preparedness tips, even the duration of darkness expected for each Hill Country town.”

Bandera must prepare for a huge influx of people over a short period, Forrest added; resources will be tested, and must be reinforced. As Forrest put it, “Not to push the panic button, but we’ll be ‘ground zero,’ since most of the eclipse tourists will hit Bandera,” As a part of the solution, Backroads’ “Clear the Roads Initiative” will deal with the explosion in local traffic. The program will work in tandem with property owners and local officials to get visitors off the roads and in secure viewing sites with minimal issues.

The initiative’s features will be added to the app’s eclipse section, with weather alerts, traffic reports, fuel shortage notifications, and more traveler-focused assistance. It will also include real-time emergency communications and instructions, and a rural offline mode, for when no Wifi or cell service is available.

Forrest concluded, “Bandera, and our neighboring Hill Country communities, should be proud to host these events. But we need to be ready and, in the end, proud of our response to them. Our comprehensive preparation, as reflected in the app and ‘Clear the Roads Initiative,’ will provide a win-win solution that gets the job done.”

HILL COUNTRY ECLIPSE AMBASSADOR STARTER KIT

Thank you for expressing interest in being a Hill Country Eclipse Ambassador with Backroads Reservations! You’ll serve as an important source of information for visitors and locals alike as two rare solar eclipses cast their shadow over our beautiful region. And in the time leading up to those amazing sky shows, Backroads Reservations will have your back.

We’ve been property management professionals here for over 20 years; we’re proud of the Hill Country, and are well-versed on all the great towns and attractions we have to offer to our valued guests. With that in mind, we’re doing all we can to prepare for the upcoming eclipses, which are guaranteed to draw thousands of visitors here. For example, both our website and our free Texas Hill Country Travel App have sections devoted solely to the eclipses, and we’re spearheading the “Clear the Roads Initiative,” a project designed to keep Hill Country roads as free from congestion as possible during the eclipse periods. We’re leading the way with the help of local businesses, property owners, law enforcement and emergency service agencies…and you!
Here’s the game plan. As a Hill Country Eclipse Ambassador, you’ll host and direct several meetings specifically dedicated to different aspects of planning for the October 2023 and April 2024 eclipse events. Ideally, you should be able to coordinate and host one or two of these meetings per month. We’re starting with as much lead time as we can here, so this role will involve a full year of dedicated involvement. These meetings will include valued input from all walks of life, so any connections you have to local business, official agencies, and just about anyone else will be valuable. We’ll need to hear from everyone to be best prepared!

Backroads Reservations will be doing the following to support our Hill Country Eclipse Ambassadors:

• All events and meetings you schedule will be sponsored by Backroads Reservations and the Texas Hill Country Travel App.
• We’ll pay to advertise on Facebook any and all meetings and events you schedule.
• Your meeting groups will be highlighted on both our app and website eclipse sections.
• We’ll create a Facebook group for you to use to coordinate meetings and inform the public.
• We’ll provide a list of discussion topics for you to use to get the conversation going at your meetings.
• We’ll also provide eclipse-specific articles, and other relevant content, to be posted to all Facebook group pages.

As a Hill Country Eclipse Ambassador, here’s what we’d like from you:

• A one-year commitment of your time. This won’t be a full-time demand, but we’ll need the assistance of people who can devote time and energy to this project up to and including April of 2024.
• Ability to schedule and run one to two meetings per month. These meetings will generally run anywhere from one to three hours.
• Reliable access to space where up to 50 people can meet.
• Be organized, outgoing, and a strong communicator. We need enthusiasm to help light up these meetings, and inspire others to get involved! Help everyone who attends your meetings to see how the topics discussed relate them them, specifically.
• Connections with, and access to, influential people in your community. The involvement of business owners, law enforcement, government, and other authorities at these meetings will help give our project, and our goals, higher credibility.
• Ability to briefly summarize meeting details, so we can help you share what was discussed and learned.
• Be our megaphone! Help us get the word out by letting your friends, family and coworkers how they can get the full picture of how the eclipses, and the huge numbers of guests they will bring, will affect everyone in the Hill Country.
• Be our idea bank! If, during the course of your meetings, topics come up that we haven’t discussed yet, it may mean that, despite all our research, we haven’t thought of that aspect. New topics deserve discussion, and when you let us know, we’ll get the word out to everyone.

With the help of our Hill Country Eclipse Ambassadors, Backroads Reservations will meet our ultimate goal: to make the solar eclipse events the most rewarding, memorable, and fun they possibly can be for everyone, with minimum hassle. We know we can’t do this alone, and we thank you once again for your interest in playing this critical role!

Email us at rooms@backroadstexas.net to receive your free pack