vanishing texas river cruise

The cruise was very beautiful and enjoyable the dinner was not worth the price for children but good for couples got to see the Eagles in the rocks off the Colorado River the staff was excellent

My boyfriend and I loaded up the dog and headed out to Vanishing Texas River Cruise to kayak and later camp at the Canyon of the Eagles Resort. We had a 2:00 reservation on a double kayak, but we called to let them know that we would be about 30 minutes late. We ended up getting there a little after 3:00, but the gentleman didn't seem bothered by our tardiness. He gave us a warm welcome and handed us both life vests. When he realized that we were planning on taking our dog along with us, he offered to give us a canoe instead for more room. We inspected the double kayak and assured him that there was enough room for the three of us. He set the kayak up for us and waited for us to get inside and settled before giving us a nice shove into the water. This was our first time kayaking together as a couple and we had a blast! The water level of the lake is about 30 feet below where it should be, but this didn't bother us. It was crazy and sad to see all the docks far from water level. We were out on the lake for a little over three hours. We had chosen the four hour rental, but three hours of rowing tired us out and we went in early. We were given a ride back up the hill in a golf cart which was a nice luxury. I highly recommend bringing a small ice chest with beverages. We took several breaks just to float and refresh.

This tour was possible because of the low water level of the lake. The Tour Guide explained a lot of the Lake, how it was built, some history in small pieces, and also on the "Flats"-island, where Old Blufton was located. We were walking on the original Highway 29, which is now flooded by the lake. Hopefully they will get at least some water back, they say they are missing 30ft ...

We took the 2 hour cruise. It was a good way to get out on the lake. The tour guide was very good about pointing out any nearby birds and gave a lot of good historical info. My 5 and 10 year old both enjoyed the trip. They also loved feeding the seagulls off the back of the boat. I found the historical information interesting.

The trip is not very exciting but it is relaxing. The tour guide Tim definitely has a lot of information. It is a great lesson in history. He is also good at identifying wildlife along the route. It was a nice boat ride. Would like to go again when the eagles are in residence.

It will heighten your awareness of how precious water truly is to take this 2 hour cruise. From the "dock" (the real dock is high & dry) to the small island of Old Bluffton that is normally under water you'll see lots of water birds that are so amazing. Old Bluffton's history is told and you'll actually walk on the area that has so long be underwater. It's very interesting but be sure to wear a hat & sunscreen during the summer. Worth the drive over to the lake and certainly worth the price.

The cruise was relaxing, informative, interesting, and a lot of fun! The staff was extremely courteous, they are very handicapped-friendly, and they know how to make you feel at home. (I am handicapped -- they drove me down to the boat in a utility vehicle. If they had not been so considerate, the walk would have been impossible for me to make and I could not have taken the cruise.)During our visit (May, 2013), the water level was down considerably, but that didn't really matter. The boat floats on top of the water, so it doesn't matter if you're in 4 feet of water or 40. We saw plenty of scenery, and Captain Shawn skillfully navigated the waters to ensure we have a fun, safe time. The lower water level exposed the normally-submerged ghost town of Bluffton, so it was actually an advantage. I highly recommend this cruise.

Of course, after waiting for a few years, I finally got to go do the Vanishing Texas River Cruise. The only disappointment was in drought ridden Texas I chose the one nasty gloomy day to go. The birds were all hunkered down, we saw only one eagle way up high, and of course with the drought we couldn't go up the river as far as we would have liked. That said, the cruise was fabulous and the narrative from our guide was fascinating and held our interest. He knew the area, he knew the history, and he knew the folk lore. Perfect!! I'll go back when the lake is up and the skies are blue and clear. Highly recommend it to any wanting to know the history and lore of the county, and have a few birds thrown in for good measure.

Seems like I'm having a lot of once in a lifetime experiences but we took the cruise yesterday. We knew the river was down so we would not be able to go real close to the eagles but this particular voyage was also when Last Chance Forever would be doing their monthly release of rehabilitated raptors. A couple of people are picked by lottery to hold and release. I got to hold a Great Horned Owl! They also brought some educational birds on board--birds that are not ready for release or that can never be released--so we saw up close a cara cara falcon, a screech owl, and several other birds. We did see a few eagles (Contrary to what another reviewer says the eagles do stay into March and even later--they don't have set "ticket" times to leave. Nature is not predictable unless you go to Sea World) as well as a lot of water birds. The staff and volunteers were very patient, making sure people got photos and had plenty of time to see the birds up close. A falconer was releasing a rehabbed Peregrine Falcon. She (the falcon) was in the head gear for the entire voyage sitting out for us to see. She was released at the end of the voyage and we watched her fly off and meet a raven for a little "discussion" about territory. The special guest as we got off the boat was a 4 year old American bald eagle who won't be released until next year. Everyone who wanted got to have a photo taken. Where else does that happen! The cruise was delightful, the weather was great, the boat has excellent facilities on board. And we saw a lot of birds. The last time we took this trip was about 20 years ago but it won't be 20 more for us to go again.

This was a nice cruise around the lake. Because of water levels, we were not able to go up the river. Even so, it was nice to just stay on the lake.

the drive to get their was beautiful. Then when we got thier the staff for the cruise was friendly.. The lady who was telling us all about everything on the cruise was very informative. The water was not as high as it could of been so we could only go down river so i didn't get to see the waterfalls or any eagles i had seen on the broucher so looks like i am gonna have to take another trip down thier another time but it was to me a fun relaxing adventure.

My mom and dad took the sunset cruise for their 40th anniversary and., said this was a very enjoyable trip. The lake is very low right now due to the drought, but the cruise made a very bad situation with the lake levels into a very educational and fun experience. The music was very good and the food was excellent that they served for supper. The crew was very friendly and pleasent. Thanks for showing them a great time.

My hubby and I went in June..enjoyed it except when we got to Bluffton we decided to stay on the boat rather than walk a couple of miles, they told us that the guy/entertainer would play and he just sat and watched us and others and did not play his guitar or sing! Also, they told us it would be about a 20 min wait and it took about 50 min for the others to get back from Bluffton.On a positive note, the food was great and the staff were very nice!

lake was down ALOT and I think this took away from the experience

This cruise may be better when the water gets higher but the eagles leave around the first of march. There website says they are around till after spring break. I would asume to get that spring break crowd book for a cruise. Without the eagles there is absolutly nuthing to see. The water was so low during spring break we didnt get to go down river. The people are real nice but that was 2 hours of our life we just cant get back.