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Enchanted Springs Ranch, one of Texas’s top tourist attractions, invites families to an evening of food and fun at its Summer Chuck Wagon Dinner.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, summer, one of South Texas’s top tourist attractions will bring the Old West back to life, as Boerne’s Enchanted Springs Ranch invites families to its Summer Chuck Wagon Dinner.

“This is a chance for families to enjoy a unique kind of vacation - an old-fashioned Western meal, in an old-fashioned Western atmosphere,” says Steve Schmidt, co-owner of Enchanted Springs Ranch. “Once they set foot on the ranch, and see all this beautiful Hill Country scenery, they will feel like they have gone back in time. We want to make this a true Texas experience they will remember long after they have gone home.”

The evening will begin as guests arrive at the ranch, to be greeted by “cowboys” and “cowgirls” in period clothing. Families will be able to walk through an authentic Old West town and active Western movie set, with over 40 buildings. Also included are tractor-wagon rides through the ranch’s Wild Animal Park, where they will find Texas Longhorn cattle, zebras, deer and antelope, and even emu and llamas. Guests will have a chance to take a picture with Woodrow, the ranch’s longhorn steer, and there will be horse rides for children. Finally, as a traditional barbecue dinner (with brisket, sausage, coleslaw, beans, and a brownie for dessert) is served, guests will enjoy entertainment from live bands and cowboy storytellers, and a special appearance by Pistol Packin’ Paula (http://www.pistolpackinpaula.com), an award-winning Wild West entertainer with nearly 20 years of experience in gun twirling, trick roping, and Western dancing.

For Schmidt, the dinner is part of how the ranch works to preserve the region’s past. “A trip to Enchanted Springs Ranch is like a trip into history,” he says. “This region is a central part of the story of the Old West; Spanish explorers, Mexican vaqueros, and cowboys of all races passed through this region and left their mark upon it. Now, it is our privilege to keep the story of Enchanted Springs alive for this and future generations.”

Besides its own story, the ranch is fast becoming a location of choice for other stories of the West. Since it opened in 2004, Enchanted Springs Ranch has drawn the attention of film and television producers, and has been used for such projects as the PBS documentary “A Tejano Son of Texas” and the family Western “Palo Pinto Gold”, which recently premiered in San Antonio. “After visiting the ranch, producers have come to us and told us how impressed they were with everything we had to offer,” says Schmidt, “not only the authentic buildings on the ranch itself, but the beauty of the surrounding area. We have an ideal filming location, and I hope it can help bring more production to Texas.”

The Summer Chuck Wagon Dinner will run from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM on Wednesdays and Fridays, from June 11 through August 22, 2008. Admission is only $25 plus tax for adults, and only $18 plus tax for children ages 3-12; kids under 3 are free. Reservations are required; to reserve tickets, please call 830.249.8222, ext. 203, or 800.640.5917, ext. 203.

In addition to the Summer Chuck Wagon Dinner, the ranch is open for guests to enjoy all summer long (except on the 4th of July). Summer (June-August) hours of operation are Wednesdays-Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. For more information on all events at Enchanted Springs Ranch, please send an e-mail anytime, day or night, to events@enchantedspringsranch.com.

BACKGROUND: Owned and operated by Steve and Vicki Schmidt and Grant and Pam Jacobs, the 86-acre Enchanted Springs Ranch has been called one of the top reasons to visit the San Antonio area by the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau. Originally designed as a shooting location for Western movies, it has been used for numerous projects, including the recent film Palo Pinto Gold, ad campaigns for Chevy Trucks, and programs airing on PBS, MSNBC, The History Channel, and the Outdoor Life Network. The ranch is open to visitors throughout the year, and is also available for school tours and private events. For more information, please visit the ranch’s official website at http://www.enchantedspringsranch.com

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