LANDMARK INN: Discover a historic jewel ... and then sleep 
in it ... details ahead on Passport to Texas ... 
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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Just fifteen miles west of San Antonio, nestled in the 
Medina River Valley, you'll find Landmark Inn State 
Historic site, in the town of Castroville. Castroville is a 
quaint town settled in the mid-nineteenth century by 
European immigrants, wooed to Texas by the government 
of the new republic. To many would-be settlers, the 
description of Texas was irresistible. 

"Of course everybody was talking up Texas. Come to Texas. It's 
a land of freedom. And they would describe it in luscious, 
luscious terms. As if it were the Mediterranean."

Cynthia Brandimarte is the director of historic sites 
programs with Texas Parks and Wildlife. The first floor of 
what eventually became Landmark Inn was built by a 
Swiss merchant as a store and residence. The shop was a 
welcome rest stop for those on their way to California 
during the Gold Rush.

"Individuals would come and settle. And that's one of the early 
buildings in Castroville. And now it's a bed and breakfast, so 
it's a great place to go."

The building was later sold to an Irish immigrant who 
added more space and a second floor; eventually the 
owners began letting rooms for the night ... something 
that still happens to this day. And if you want to do as 
early settlers did, book a night at Landmark Inn by 
visiting the reservations section of the Texas Parks and 
Wildlife web site.

That's our show for today ... For Texas Parks and 
Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti.