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Far From Rough at Rough Creek Resort
by Dave Shultz
 There is no part of your experience at Rough Creek Resort that
can be considered “Rough”. In fact, the
Lodge at Rough Creek will probably be one of the smoothest travel destinations
you’ve ever seen. From the moment you
arrive, you know you are in for first class treatment at this luxury resort.
 The lodge is definitely a destination to itself. You won’t pass it on the way to any
place. In fact, if you didn’t know it
was there, you wouldn’t find it at all.
As you travel on Hwy. 67 going southwest out of Dallas, just after you
pass Glen Rose, Texas, there a sign on the side of the road that points an
arrow down a narrow Texas country road.
That sign says Rough Creek 4 miles.
About 4 miles along that road, you find an elaborate set of stone gate
posts with a simple declaration on the stonework, “Rough Creek Resort.”
 
  After you pass through this gate, a short drive through
rolling pastures filled with very contented cattle brings you the first glimpse
of the Lodge itself. The building
exterior belies the luxury that awaits.
The architecture is large and utilitarian with exposed beams and support
cables but from the moment you pull into the parking lot and the valet rushes
to help you with your luggage, you just know this is someplace special. A short walk down the covered entry and
through the massive wooden doors quickly affirms how special Rough Creek
is. The lobby is minimal so
you are immediately ushered into a greatroom filled with massive man sized
furniture that is dwarfed by the enormity of the room.
 A 40-foot stone fireplace splits the lounge and restaurant
areas and seems to help support the huge curved ceiling. A glass wall towers opposite the entry so no
matter where you are, there is a panoramic view of Mallard Lake and the green
fields beyond. You’ll soon find out
that every one of the 39 rooms has this same magnificent view.
 You will only have to identify yourself once to the staff
and after that, everyone will call you by your name. It’s a real pleasure to be seated for a meal and feel like the
waitperson knows who you are. If you
request something done a certain way once, they will remember that and ask you
the next time if you want it the same way.
In fact, everything about your likes and dislikes is entered into a
computer data base so upon your return, you’ll find that everything is already
set up and waiting for you exactly as you would like it.
 The driving force behind this hospitality is General Manager
Paul Boccafogli whose philosophy in the lodging business is constant
training. The staff is encouraged
during weekly meetings to learn and practice something new each week that will
improve customer satisfaction. Every
person working at the lodge makes eye contact with you and has a genuine smile
every time they see you. Ask any of
them the most important thing they’ve learned working at Rough Creek and they
will say “Customer satisfaction," and
training is paramount to maintaining that satisfaction.
  The main purpose of the lodge is of course hunting and
everything is set up to make the hunting experience easy and satisfying. You can hunt Chucker, Partridge, Quail and
Pheasant from October 1 to March 31st. A quick visit to the Baretta room where the hunting supplies are
kept proves that you can show up with nothing but a toothbrush and still have a
great hunt. The lodge has a beautiful
stat of the art kennel with 50 well trained and well mannered bird dogs. Your hunt will probably start with a ride on
one of the custom hunting trucks out to one of the special feeding fields
planted to nurture wild game birds. The
dogs will be released and will soon be on point. After that, it’s up to you.
  After a day of activities around the 11,000-acre ranch
you’ll be delighted to find Executive Chef Gerard Thompson preparing some of
the most memorable meals you will ever eat.
Gerard is noted for his unique preparation of game birds but there are
other surprises on the menu worthy of any five star restaurants. Each meal is a marvel of taste and
preparation. The term “Too pretty to
eat,” comes to mind but the exotic aromas will convince you otherwise. From appetizer to desert, each dish arrives
with a flourish and is served with pride by staff that not only remember you
name but exactly how you like things prepared and any special requests you’ve
made in the past.
 
  The
rooms at Rough Creek are also on the masculine side with heavy furniture but the
ladies will appreciate the oversized tub and shower as well. The attention
to detail in the amenities is especially prevalent in the bath. Extra
space and lots of the things that make an overnight stay memorable are found in
abundance here. Tall men will especially appreciate the oversized shower
head about 7 feet off the floor and there's plenty of room for two if you're
having a romantic weekend.
Rough Creek Resort may be off the beaten path
but it's well worth the effort to find if you want an incredible resort
experience that can be "rough" as well as luxurious.
Rough Creek Resort
PO Box 2400
Glen Rose, Texas 76043
(254) 965-3700
(800) 864-4705
www.roughcreek.com
Photos by Dave Shultz
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