The Cottage is charming and cozy, built in the1920's, completely renovated in 2020. Decorated with a Texas-centric flair, it is comfortable with all essentials provided, as well as many "nice to have" items to add to your enjoyment of the Cottage and your experience of Smithville.

Our favorite spaces are the Dining Room with its welcoming family-style dining atmosphere and the covered Back Deck which invites you to relax and lounge; enjoy a conversation; or choose to have a private moment, book in hand and wine glass at the ready.

Steps away, you will find the Chamber of Commerce where you can get all sorts of flyers and guides to local attractions in Bastrop County and the Railroad Museum with pictures, memorabilia, and information about Smithville's history as a railroad town. Oh, and you can get your picture taken with Smitty, a full-size representation of what was for many years, the world's largest gingerbread man.

After getting your favorite espresso drink at the General Store, you can explore the local galleries, vintage and antique stores, or follow the map to the locations where a variety of movies have been filmed locally, including "Hope Floats." Using the golf cart could be handy for your tour and, while you are at it, admire the lovely last-century architecture of the homes and other buildings of our small town -- surely one of the reasons it's been popular with the movie-makers.

There are a number of parks just blocks away including a railroad park (of course!) with playground, a dog park, and the Veterans Memorial Park with an interactive water feature to cool off the young ones during the summer.

You can walk a few blocks to eat at one of the restaurants downtown that offer a range of foods from brunch on the weekends, to pizza and barbecue, to finer dining options. And, you can always go next door to Huebel's Bier Garden, a local watering hole purported to be Willie Nelson's favorite Smithville bar, where you can enjoy a game of pool (it's still free!) and a beer and meet some of the locals who enjoy gathering there after their workday is over.

We, your hosts, think of Smithville as a place to relax; a place to get away from the traffic and stress of what many of us experience in our busy daily lives. It's a place to get together with other family members, to arrange a friends' reunion, to celebrate a special occasion. We have done everything we can think of to provide an atmosphere that you can sink into, so sit back and unwind.

Our town is indeed a friendly place. It takes its description as a Small Town with a Big Heart seriously. Take a stroll without a plan. Open yourselves to meeting new people and see what conversations you get into.

For those who are looking for a bit more activity, you can go further afield. We are only 30 minutes from the Austin-Bergstrom Airport, we are right down the road from Circuit of the Americas, and we are only about 45 minutes from downtown Austin with all it has to offer. And, you will find that Smithville is a great "jumping off" point for further exploration of historic West Texas towns such as Bastrop (15 miles), LaGrange (28 miles) or Roundtop (35 miles). If you google "Explore Bastrop County," you will find all sorts of activities to choose from, and those are fun too.

Whatever activities you choose for your day, you can then return to your "home away from home," watch the beautiful sunsets we are known for, and ... relax.

Welcome and ... Cheers!