Texas, the Lone Star State, was our home away from home for over 3 years. Having lived on the East Coast in N.Y. and then Florida, we were not sure what to expect. We fell in love with Texas. We settled in Austin, the state capitol, that began to transform from a small town to a major metropolis, years before we moved there, so we only witnessed a small part of this exponential growth. It is said that Austin is the ‘Live Music Capital’ of the States, and they promote their “Keep Austin Weird” anthem, passionately. We had a great opportunity while there, to see some of our favorite bands, such as The National, Khruangbin, and the Cure, as well as attending the world famous Austin ACL Music Festival.
Some things we immensely enjoyed were: Texas Barb-b-que, and especially Brisket; the countless parks and hiking trails, with amazing lakes and rivers, both in Austin, as well as the surrounding ‘Hill Country’. The amazing Colorado river running through the heart of downtown Austin, where swimming, kayaking, and paddle boating were a great way to chill in the heat of the ‘Texas Sun’! The amazing Zilker Park, swimming in the ice cold waters of Deep Eddy and Barton Springs, jumping in Jacob’s Well, or drop swinging into the Blue Hole were all amazing to experience that warmed the heart, but chilled the bone!
When we were living in Texas, we tried to go hiking to a new trail each weekend, followed by visiting one of the many vineyards or distilleries located throughout the ‘Hill Country’!
Some of the many Texas places we visited and loved;
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend is a must see when visiting Texas. Plan to spend at least two days there. There is great, if not limited accommodations inside the park, unless you are camping in tents or trailers. Nestled along the southwest Texas and Mexico border, it is comprised of 1,252 square miles of land, making it larger than the state of Rhode Island. It even has a border crossing (the smallest border crossing we have ever seen) so if you wish to slip over to Mexico for a short visit, be sure to bring you passport. Oh, and you need to get back before 4 PM or you will need to spend the night in the small Mexican town on the other side of the Rio Grande River. Big Bend is known to be one of the best places in the U.S. to see the Milky Way, on a clear and moonless night, so do plan accordingly.
Galveston
Historic island city on the Gulf Coast of Texas, known as the ‘Playground of the South” in the late 1800s, and still a favorite beach town getaway for Texans. We had a great get away weekend, with family visiting. Since first hearing the Glenn Campbell ballad of Galveston, we had wanted to visit. Mark this one off our ‘Bucket List’!
Enchanted Rock & Llano
Between the smaller cities of Llano and Fredericksburg lies the Enchanted Rock State park. We had this site on our radar, for well over 18 months, and once there, we were, well… Enchanted. The approximately 425 foot pink granite igneous Rock mountain, is a marvel to see, a bit to climb, but the experience and view from the summit, was well worth it. Best not to go when it is too hot.
The Pedernales River State Park
Trails, trails and more trails, can be enjoyed in this over 5000-acre park, in Johnson City, Blanco County, along the banks of the Pedernales River. Depending on your stamina, and time frame, you can choose one of the 20 miles of trails, the longest one being almost 10 miles and requires about 6 hours, to complete. But the scenery is definitely worth it, every step of the way. Just be sure to bring plenty of water (Plenty!!)
Corpus Christi & Port Aransas
After a drive of several hours, south from Austin, we arrived at the Gulf Coast and the city of Corpus Christi. There is a lovely beach walk dotted with small pavilions, containing historical information of the people and places that contributed to making Corpus Christi what it is. After a pleasant day and night, we headed out towards our destination of Port Aransas. We took a slightly circuitous roundabout route, so that we could take the Ferry Boat, that had been suggested to us before we left Austin. Being a Sunday, the line of cars to take the boat, was backed up quite a bit, and despite the reality of the Ferry Boat crossing taking less than 10 minutes to cross, we were super excited to arrive at “Port A”, as its often called. Lots and lots of beaches, traveling around by golf cart, walking on the stone piers of the ‘water breakers’ as they were being expanded, bird sanctuaries, and the emptiness of long stretches of beach front, made us happy that we were able to visit this part of Texas.
Matagorda Bay – Egret Island
After a busy weekend in Houston, Matagorda Beach was a stark contrast, as we travelled many many miles, seemingly to be the only car on the road. There are approximately 60 miles of beaches, and the sunsets out on the Gulf, are amazing. Made this slight detour a memorable one for sure.
San Antonio
Walking along the River walk under the majestic 200-year-old Cypress trees, that some respite under heat of the Texas Sun, is a favorite walking site, when we visit San Antonio. The historic King William Park, along the river walk, is a great place to walk, when not too hot.
Marble Falls
A short 2 hour drive from Austin, brought us to the small town of Marble Falls. Vineyards, hiking, local music spots, and water activities all around. One thing we really enjoyed was our brunch at the Blue Bonnet Café (had to wait about 25 minutes in a queue for Sunday Brunch), as its reputation goes out far and wide, all across this region in Texas. Their food is fantastic, and you have a choice of only 15 (at least) pies to choose from. Between 3 and 5 PM they also have ‘Pie Happy Hoour!’ “Cheers!”
Burnet and the Blue Bonnet Festival
Nicknamed the Blue Bonnet Capital of Texas, and for good reason. The local population of just under 7000, pays host to over 35,000 visitors each year, during the annual Blue Bonnet Festival every second weekend in April. A must see, for all nature and flower afficionados.