The Charmadillo | Glamping, Community, and the Spirit of Center Point, Texas
In this episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie travels into the heart of the Hill Country to explore one of Texas’ most fascinating emerging destinations: Center Point, Texas—home to The Charmadillo, a nature-forward glamp-ground built with intention, creativity, and a whole lot of heart.
Justin sits down with Sarah Rothstein, founder and owner of The Charmadillo (https://thecharmadillo.com), a 44-acre eco-tourism retreat tucked high in the hills just ten minutes outside of Center Point. With seven A-frames, primitive campsites, hammock spots, shared amenities including a cedar sauna, commercial kitchen, yoga deck, and star-filled skies, The Charmadillo offers travelers a quiet, restorative escape that feels worlds away—yet sits only minutes from world-class dining, live music, and small-town charm.
Sarah shares the story of discovering the property on a whim, moving from Minnesota without AC, building an entire glamp-ground from the ground up, and leaning into the quirky, soulful personality that inspired the name “The Charmadillo.” In just two years, her project has earned major recognition, including being named one of the Top 10 Newcomer Hipcamps in the U.S. and one of the Top 10 in Texas.
Listeners will also learn why Center Point is becoming one of the Hill Country’s most talked-about up-and-coming towns. From its historic roots as “Zanzibar” to its modern-day renaissance—complete with locally sourced mercantile shops, a thriving artist residency program, great Tex-Mex, live music, a river nearby, and iconic spots like Toucan Jams—the area offers the magic of a still-undiscovered Texas community on the rise.
This episode is a celebration of entrepreneurship, rural revitalization, creative land stewardship, and the people building the next chapter of small-town Texas.
Listen now and explore more episodes at https://buildingtexasshow.com.
