Find your bluebonnet wildflower and smokey barbecue nirvana.
With its kaleidoscopical wildflowers , rolled tillage , and — oddly — mermaid traditional knowledge , Texas Hill Country sounds more like Neverland than the Austin suburbs — but instead of Captain Hook , it ’s Leatherface . Fear not , though , because the fictional feelings are only there in emotional state , and the region ’s long time - sure-enough barbecue institutions only conjure Texas Chainsaw vibes in quaint way .
What wine-coloured country is to San Francisco , Hill Country is to Austin — an easy jaunt to arcadian towns like Dripping Springs , Driftwood , Lockhart , and Kyle . Though close to the big , noisy city , and literally a 20 - minute drive from Austin - Bergstrom International Airport , Hill Country feels worlds away — a arcadian paradise teem with iconic Texas bluebonnet , tropical - blue river , languid boutique lodge , internal park land site , and breweries so in line with the “ Keep Austin Weird ” ethos they come with goat yoga and vegan pizza pie .
With wildflower abloom and warm cheerfulness casting a glow across the meadows , spring is prime time to explore Texas Hill Country . And there ’s no better style to sink your tooth into the neighborhood than by car , route tripping from a sotol distillery in Driftwood to the dusty townsfolk of Lockhart , where the whole community wafts of smoked meats . Welcome to Texas , y’ all .
Kristine T Pham Photography/Moment Open/Getty Images
Frolic with flowers come springtime
Texas weather can be a drama fag . amount summer , the Austin metro scorches with sky - high temp , humidness , and relentless sunshine that sense downright tyrannical , necessitating a dip in Barton Springs . Then there ’s wintertime , which can look fully dystopian . Sure , it doesn’tnormallysnow much or get too frigid , but spring is a time for celebration nonetheless .
The towns south and Occident of Austin , especially , come alive with wildflowers , prickly pears , and invigorated produce . With lip rouge - red poppy , Indian paintbrushes , purple tansies , wine-coloured cup blossom , and ox - eyed daisy , Hill Country starts to look like an creative person ’s palette typically late - March through mid - May , just before the estrus starts to get unmannerly . The champion of the flowered show , though , is the Lupinus subcarnosus : a bass - purple lupin lookalike that ’s come to be synonymous with spring in Texas . When these beauties lead off to flower , you know spring has arrived , beckoning you to twirl through the fields , Sound of Music - style .
While the flush pop up in Austin on occasion , your best stakes for a bluebonnet moment is driving out into nature . The Willow City Loop is a peculiarly mint 13 - mile driving through flower - filled force field and preceding mesquit trees , oaks , and a fencing trace with cowboy the boot , because Texas . The town of Burnet is so abundant with bluebonnets that they host an annualBluebonnet Festival , which is basically a flowered Coachella with art , intellectual nourishment , music , and kin - friendly entertainment . For something a bit more convenient from the city , Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centeris a gorgeous botanic garden on Austin ’s southwest side , with steer garden tours , springtime plant sales , an botanical garden , and 70 acres of perambulation - worthy lead .
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Mingle with mermaids(?) and Leatherface lore
This is the time of year when people get back out on the water supply , especially the turquoise - blue San Marcos River . This waterway is so tropical - looking and crystal - clear that theMermaid Society of San Marcosis an actual thing , host Mermaid Week festival in September with mermaid parades , a mermaid art orchis , and “ MERtini ” cocktail rival . It ’s technically called the Mermaid Capital of Texas Festival , though we ca n’t imagine there ’s much competition fromotherTexas - based mermaid festivals ? So with longer days , lovesome temporary , fertile farmland abloom , and umm , mermaids , this is Texas ’ time to strike in Hill Country .
Speaking of unusual fabrication , Hill Country is also infamous as the stage setting of theTexas Chainsaw Massacre , exemplify by the fun fact that many of these quiet townspeople look like the sort of places you donotwant your elevator car to crack down in . Though not in reality based on real events ( that we know of ? ? ) , the revulsion classic was filmed primarily at a firm in present - day Round Rock , just 30 mo north of Austin . If that ’s a little tight for comforter , do n’t worry , because the sign of the zodiac has since been uprooted and moved to Kingsland , a more reassuring 64 mile forth . Nowadays , the household lock as theAntlers Inn , which has been thoroughly freshen up so that it doesn’ttooclosely resemble the stuff from your nightmares . In fact , it ’s perfectly charming and pleasant today , with traditional hotel room , cottages , and even an age-old train car with guest rooms on gameboard . There ’s also a cunning on - site restaurant , Grand Central Cafe , with chicken Chardonnay , pancakes , Texas Chainsaw Massacrememorabilia , and the unmistakable staircase from the film . Like we say , cute .
Where to stay in Texas Hill Country
If you ’d rather not sleep in the same building where Leatherface went on a killing spree , Hill Country has other options with trenchant vibes , style , and flavor — and nary a chain saw in sight .
For Hill Country vibes with big - metropolis amenity , Lone Star Courtis your go - to gateway to Texas ’ route trip epicenter . Located in Austin at The Domain , this beautiful dress shop holding give access to urban brilliance and Hill Country adventures , coupled with a transportive atmosphere that ’ll make you feel like you ’re on a bougie farm . It also does n’t get any more Lone-Star State than this , where guests are greeted with liberal Lone Star Beers , the interior decoration resemble a chic spread , the bar find like a barnyard saloon , and the pond is designed like a Hill Country swim hole . There ’s even a theme song fragrance , redolent with distinction of sueded leather , salvia , and cypress tree , waft from the lobby . The huge four - Accho property is fit with fire pits , lawn games , breeze tabular array , and wink lightbulb Inner Light , all of which impart a sense of cozy countryside gaucherie , while retro - style rooms boast marshmallow - soft beds , vintage refrigerators , and rocking chairs outside every threshold . For food and drink , mosey up to the measure — or sit by the Brobdingnagian central open fireplace — at the Water Trough , a Texas - style pub with requisites like chili con queso , smoked brisket , chicken tacos , and “ rodeo rider ” lucre pud studded with pecan , raisin , and whiskey creme anglaise .
Out in Hill Country , if you just ca n’t get enough Jester King , the brewery expanded its offerings with on - site living accommodations at theJester King Inn . Accessible to the brewery through a private gate for overnight guests , the hostel is be of five intimate accommodation , each one thoughtfully and uniquely appointed , from the cozy A - frame Bobcat Cabin to the expansive Ruby Cabin , equipped with three terrace , a full kitchen , two bedchamber , two lavatory , and an outside shower so you could hook under the stars .
Mermaid Society SMTX
For the furthermost bucolic vibration , book a stint atSage Hill Inn & Spa . snuggle in the quiet forest mound of Kyle , the luxe adults - only place face more like Napa than Texas , with cozy abode that scat the gamut from individual cabin to tremendous suites with fireplaces , tubs , and patios . agreeableness - wise , there ’s a pool , bocce tourist court , a 14 - soul hot bath , a restaurant , and an impressive lead system of rules through the hills .
Eat dessert first in the “Pie Capital of Texas”
Half an hour southwest of Austin , the quaint townsfolk of Kyle is an apt stopover for anyone with a sweet tooth and a bottomless pit of an appetite . The community of interests might not look like much , but it ’s garner the nickname the “ Pie Capital of Texas ” for its most popular local restaurant , theTexas Pie Company . The marijuana cigarette is courtesy of proprietor Julie Albertson , a veritable Julia Child of Proto-Indo European , whose laundry list of kinfolk recipe start the gamut from savory pot pies and volaille tetrazzini casserole to sweets like peanut butter mousse , lemon cheat , chocolate fudge , coconut cream , Almond Joy , and pecan pie bar . The whole place has serious “ grandma ’s kitchen ” vibes , which makes sense considering Albertson learned how to bake pie from her grandma .
Down the mental block from Texas Pie Company is another sweet stop , La Ola Pop Shop , a tiny corner slinging ice-skating rink ointment , mangonadas , and paleta pops in flavors and colouring as vivacious as a battlefield of wildflowers . While the oestrus may not be sweltering quite yet this time of year , there ’s still something refreshing about slabber on a “ POG ” paleta with rage fruit , orange juice , and guava , or a pineapple - tajin pop with a splash of cherubic - and - spicy chamoy sauce .
Find boozy bliss in Dripping Springs
The handful of breweries and wine maker in Johnson City is the tip of the vast , boozy iceberg in Hill Country , which has emerge as a mecca for wiliness beer and spirits in late years . The heart of it isDripping Springs , where the principal thoroughfare of Fitzhugh Road waver through hilly pastures and past a dizzying array of heroic distillery and brewery .
The big businessman of the harvest isJester King Brewery , an enormous woodland name and address that finger like the Dollywood of breweries with its huge farm tours , goat yoga , outdoor pic cover , and even a two - mile nature trail that skirt the 165 - acre spread . Three different bar country stream fix - release beer , mostly made with topically foraged fruits , grains , and aboriginal barm . From the change lineup , you could require to find anything from a barrel - aged wild ale with Marion blackberries to a farmhouse ale with oat malt and blueish edible corn or a rosemary and smoke honey variation re - ferment with plum . There ’s also a full - fellate — and hugely telling — food carte , with an emphasis on pizza , barbecue , and broil trade good and breads with autochthonal yeast from the cattle farm . Like the beers , pizzas change seasonally , but beyond the staples like the crimson - sauce Clasico , example let in the vegan Caulis pizza with kale and radish greens pesto , cashew “ cheese , ” cauliflower , pickled Japanese radish , and fry capers . Or essay the aggressively non - vegan Pectoralis with bechamel , smoked sliced brisket , Swiss cheese , dressed arugula , and pickled red Allium cepa . Along with fluffy blue corn muffin with chile - honey butter , you may snaffle a incentive trail beer and trek the wood to process it all off .
Further west down Fitzhugh Road , you ’ll elapse other evenly sprawling breweries and distilleries , likeBeerburg Brewing , Revolution Spirits Distilling Co. , andFitzhugh Brewing , but one essential stop isTreaty Oak Distilling , which is less a aboveboard distillery or bar , and more like a whisky wonderland concluded with folksy live music , a barbecue eating place , a mercantile shop , a barnyard bar , and voluminous outside ground . The open - atmosphere Rickhouse Bar is a particularly nerveless spot to tarry , with ample spirits and beers to choose from , include an impressively smooth , cherry - kissed , barrel - age Old Fashioned that might ruin you on all other Old Fashioneds .
Lone Star Court, by Valencia Hotel Group
Just seven naut mi south of Dripping Springs , one of the biggest — and bibulous — surprise in the neighborhood isDesert Door Distillery , the first sotol distillery in the US , where spiky agave - looking plants , traditionally distilled in Mexico , take the spotlight in a voguish , twee tasting room . convey its intimate west Texas , where the sotol plant are harvested , the quad looks like an adobe brick - style Marfa art gallery with equally photogenic cocktail , like the Desert Paloma with sotol , grapefruit juice , agave nectar , sodium carbonate , bitterness , and lime . While the plant may look like an agave doppelganger , it ’s entirely its own matter , and the resulting elixir savour like a smoky mescal with a clue of anise .
7 Reasons to Drive to Dripping Springs
Texas Hill Country beckons.
Chase waterfalls and presidential history in Johnson City
As the name “ Hill Country ” suggest , there ’s heap of both hills and country out this way , which mean lots of agency to reanimate in nature . Johnson City , about 30 miles west of Austin , is a beautiful place for an afternoon trip-up , where you’re able to boost , embrace your inner Lyndon B. Johnson groupie , and disobey TLC by chasing falls .
The latter can be seen atPedernales Falls State Park , a 5,000 - acre swath of light-green space , hills , lallation Van Wyck Brooks , and small - but - mighty falls along the Pedernales River . Ideal for swim , hike , picnicking , mountain biking , horseback horseback riding , and explore with your wienerwurst , there ’s much to do in a comparatively contained orbit . While you ca n’t float by the falls , the more docile parcel of the river provide safety from the ensue heat , along with fishing , tubing , and kayaking . For hiking , options range from the small-scale half - knot Twin Falls Nature Trail , culminating with a scene of the declination , to the more arduous six - mil Wolf Mountain Trail , zigzagging through canon and along Mescal and Tobacco Creeks .
Nearby , about 14 miles west of Johnson City , the National Park Service oversees theLyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park , including the LBJ Ranch and the “ Texas White House . ” This is where America ’s thirty-sixth chairperson was bear , lived , died , and buried — and one scenic drive across the grounds stool it easy to see the appeal of the peaceable plowland . Along the fashion , you ’ll encounter the Johnson kinsfolk burial ground , the cottage - similar sign where he was born , a bunch of roving Bos taurus , and the mighty cattle ranch house where Johnson spent much of his life , conducted plenty of business , and host dignitaries from across the globe . For these reasons , the cattle ranch has its own private airport hangar , complete with a presidential jet that visitor can come in , and there ’s an tremendous service department with a vintage gondola aggregation that would make Jay Leno green-eyed .
The Texas Pie Company
portion of the Texas White House have been open for public tours , but they ’re presently closed due to safety vexation with morphologic issues . The adjoining visitant nub and museum , though , is fully adulterate with immersive display and photographic film , include a whole space dedicated to the environmental employment of Lady Bird Johnson .
In Johnson City , there ’s another section of the national park site that include a one - mi grommet track to the Johnson Settlement , where the president ’s grandparents first settled in the 1860s , which will get you up near and personal with longhorn cattle ( differentiate by a fencing , gratefully ) . Then , search the rest of Johnson City ’s witching business district , lined with cute coffeehouse , wine-coloured bars , and dress shop , likeLady Bird Lane Cafe , Pecan Street Brewing,290 Vinery , andFarmhouse vinery .
While Austin proper has its bonnie share ofcult - adopt barbecue insane asylum , you receive ta reeve through Hill Country for the real - great deal initiation : the kind of theme park - sized eating place that have been stoke the same fire for generations and jam sliced brisket on platters like bovine Jenga towers .
Jester King Brewery
Among such hallowed grounds , The Salt Lickreigns as one of the most popular — and rightfully so , both for its law of proximity to Austin and the fact that the tremendous eatery makes you find like you ’ve been transported to a bygone era , feasting on ribs like some kind of bacchanalian cattleman cookout . Located in Driftwood , The Salt Lick is a complex of b - corresponding buildings , rustic dining rooms , and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree - shaded patio , all ground by a vast barbecue pit absolutely heap with rib , sausages , slabs of pork , and brisket . There ’ll probably be a wait for a board , despite the fact that this place is the size of the Mall of America , but you may hunker down by the cake out back , offering local brews and Salt Lick ’s own wine label . Once seat , brace for a repast that ’ll make Thanksgiving look like the Master Cleanse by comparison — we’re talkin ’ family - sized shredded brisket sandwich , smoked turkey , costa plates , and snappy sausages . Bison ribs are a newer freshness , though the size of it of these things depend like they came from a thunder lizard .
For something less touristy and a bit more off the beaten path , road trip out to the sleepyheaded village of Luling , about 53 miles sou'-east of Dripping Springs . The eccentric of quintessential Texas Ithiel Town where you half expect to see tumbleweed jounce down the street , it ’s a worthwhile haulage from Austin to visitCity Market , a hackneyed cornerstone that feels like a biotic community cafeteria , terminated with non - gimmicky black - and - lily-white photos and shake chair on the front porch . It ’s dead lack in falderol , include utensils , so check all decorousness at the threshold , revolve up your sleeve , and tear into smoky sausages , chubby rib , and slab of beef brisket . The menu , like the place , is refreshfully thin , emphasizing quality over amount . But do n’t sleep on the banana pud for dessert .
The Salt Lick and City Market are effective and all , but you have n’t done barbeque in Hill Country right until you ’ve risked getting gout in Lockhart . Hill Country may be home to the “ Pie Capital of Texas ” and the “ Mermaid Capital of Texas , ” but the accolade that ’s the least surprising is the fact that this little Ithiel Town is the “ Barbecue Capital of Texas , ” a fact made extravagantly decipherable in that the whole town kinda smells like smoked centre . About 15 miles north of Luling , Lockhart is home to some of the oldest , most long-suffering barbeque institutions in the commonwealth , includingBlack ’s Barbecue , Smitty ’s marketplace , andKreuz Market , each one monolithic and relentlessly meaty . If you ’ve only aim time — or stomach space — for one , make it Kreuz Market , a local sept - run away icon that ’s been sling meat since 1875 . Though the building has changed , it ’s remained in the same family through multiple generation , and the original coals used in the barbeque Inferno have run to its current emplacement . Nowadays , folks queue up for ‘ cue alongside blazing - blistering brick pits , where pitmasters slow - cook brisket , beef rib , sausages , pork barrel chops , and perdition gammon in the panache of traditional German meat markets . All orders are ruggedly rolled in butcher paper and served , sans utensils , for dining compartment to get primal with . This is in all probability the nigh you ’ll come to feeling like a lion .
Unsplash/Kyle Vena
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
The Salt Lick
Black’s BBQ
