It was a warm summer evening, when one Mr. James Morrison Emanuel Varisco was traveling from Mississippi on his way to California or as it was known as then, the wild west. He pitched his camp under a starry sky just outside of what is now College Station, Texas next to what would become known as Lake Jerry Ellis and settled down for the night. It had rained the entire previous two days and he and his champion thoroughbred horse had been riding nonstop. Little did he know, he had been followed by some local bandits who were famous for being ruthless and leaving wayward travelers penniless and stranded. Just as he settled down to sleep he heard a thundering of footsteps, and rightly guessing trouble was a coming, took shelter behind a large boulder next to small watering hole. With some crack shooting from his Colt Revolver and Winchester lever action rifle, Mr. Varisco was able to dispatch all five of the bandits while they were still on their horses about 75 yards away and only suffered being grazed by a single bullet on his right leg. Since the wound did not appear to be serious, he drifted off to sleep. While deep within his slumber, Mr. Varisco was visited by an apparition of a Cherokee Indian, chief Koatohee Rayetayah Geronimo. At first, the chief appeared to just be performing a ceremonial dance, and Mr. Varisco was rightly confused, but then the spirit spoke to him and told Mr. Varisco that he was in grave danger. Not only was he still bleeding from his battle, but a massive herd of buffalo would soon be stampeding through his very campsite. Thanking the strange apparition, Mr. Varisco woke from his slumber, and was putting the finishing touches on his bandage when a herd of more than 1000 buffalo stampeded through the area. Using a technique taught to him by the Chief during his dream, Mr. Varisco was able to dance (or waddle as it is now called) seamlessly through the massive group of charging animals and arrived on the other side of the group unharmed. He was so grateful to the Cherokee spirits that he abandoned his trip to California and decided to establish the Cherokee Sky-Dancer Lodge in the exact location where he slept and saw the Indian spirit.
To this day, the Cherokee Sky-Dancer Lodge still sits on the original foundation Mr. Varisco laid down on that very day, the 19th of August 1824. While the lodge itself has undergone improvements and renovations, the surrounding land and most importantly the welcome, friendly customer service has remained unchanged. It was Mr. Varisco's belief that any parched, lonely, or lost traveler should be afforded a place to seek shelter and eat a hearty, home-cooked meal for a fair price. Our lodge still operates on these values and beliefs and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. At our lodge, not only can a person get a great meal and place to sleep, but also enjoy the relaxing amenities provided by the nearby lake and even participate in a guided buffalo hunt. So come on down and see what you've been missing, we guarantee you wont be able to get an experience like this anywhere else in the world. We hope you will enjoy your stay!
