Tag Archives: Hill Country

9 Reasons to Travel to Dripping Springs, Texas

There’s been a lot of buzz around Dripping Springs, Texas lately. Situated just outside of Austin, it really hones in on the Hill Country’s rustic feel just outside the big city. When visiting, these are the top activities that should be on any list when visiting Dripping Springs

Stay
When in town, go authentic. It’s time to embrace what makes Dripping Springs, Dripping Springs. Cottages, inns, B&B’s, take a pick! There’s so many to choose from but stay in a place which brings character. It’ll add a little pizazze to your story!
(Above, The Liney Moon)

Eat
There’s so many great places to eat, the real question is where to begin? The Pizza Cave (below), Rolling in Thyme & Dough or Smoke n’Hops among other local favorites. Come !

Get Outside
Dripping Springs is the home to the Hamilton Pool reserve. Enjoy the famous Texas swimming hole over scenic limestone including a waterfall to help you cool off after a hike through one of the nearby parks.

Texas Hill Country Olive Oil
A growing crop, Texas produces olive oil! Stop in for a tour of the grounds and learn how the production of olive oil is growing in Texas. Inside, enjoy olive oil and balsamic vinegar tastings and even pair them with a wine tasting from some of the finest vineyards in Texas.

Explore the Wine Trail
Did someone say wine?! Dripping Springs is home to vineyards of their own including Solaro Estates Winery and Bell Springs Winery. Looking to stay in town, swing by one of the tasting rooms or wine tours to expand the selection. Need a drive? That’s available too!

Micro Brew Invasion
Dripping Springs is home to Jester King, Twisted X and Thirsty Planet Brewing Company. Smoke’n Hops and The Barber Shop are the local watering holes to help quench your thirst. Sit back, kick back and relax! Have a cold one!

Distilleries
The beverages go on and on! Deep Eddy Vodka, Dripping Springs Vodka and Treat Oak Distillery are all in town. Staying in Austin and want to come out for the day? Completely possible with one of the many tours to and from, including the Austin Tour Company which will bring you and your friends to and from downtown Austin to Deep Eddy Vodka for some fun and games.
Note: All tours at Deep Eddy Vodka must be booked in advance.

Mercer Street
“Take a step back in time on historic Mercer Street. Home to some of the first businesses in town, you’ll recognize that you’re on Mercer Street well before you see a sign. Historic buildings house the dancehall, perfect for the evening two-step, grab a beer or enjoy some frozen yogurt and ice cream. THere’s a place on Mercer Street for everyone.

Drive
This is the Hill Country. Explore it, embrace it, take it in. It’s best done behind the wheel with endless destination.

What’s your favorite attraction in Dripping Springs?
What’s on the top of your to do list?

The Hye Market and the Best Sandwich of Your Life

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Down in the Hill Country, on Highway 290 between Johnson City and Fredericksburg lies the small town of Hye. If you blink, you may miss it. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

Hye first caught my attention a couple years ago. I was given this incredible picture of an old truck and tractor out (I LOVE those trucks and tractors) in front of a Post Office. There was a little description by the artist on the back stating it was based in Hye, Texas. The Curious George in me started researching. This location holds a lot of history, especially with President Lyndon B. Johnson. I had to find this place and that I did (read more about it here – Hye, Texas).

Most recently, we took a trip down to Fredericksburg. I knew we were going to drive by this old locale and I was curious to see what became of the building. Low and behold, it is now a market with the best damn sandwich I’ve ever eaten!

The Hye Market is perfection. Bringing together the old and the new. They focus on featuring the best locally produced items and it shows in their products. Walking in, it’s hard not to notice the creaking floors, antique fixtures, amazing ceiling and a charm that you can only find in one of these old buildings. I will admit though, sometimes when I walk into one of these places the thought crosses my mind – “Am I going to want to run out of there?”. Maybe it’s those scary movies I’ve been forced to watch. Not the case here. Kick back and relax!

The food! What’s this “best damn sandwich”?! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a sandwich so fast. Before I knew it, it was gone and then I was a little disappointed. Even now, I wish it was closer so I could swing in and grab one everyday.

The Levi Local – this great sandwich brings choices. I’m still trying to figure out what made it so damn good. Was it the herb aioli that was finger-lickin’ good? The turkey? Was it because it was served in an old pie dish? I’m still trying to figure it out but all I know is I wish it was closer. I’d order another!

The Levi Local – Honey Roasted Turkey, Swiss Cheese, Local Herb Aioli on wheat bread. Holy moly!

The deli area and the main dining area are in two different rooms. The deli area sits alone with a few extra chairs, some antique relics.

The adjoining room is the main dining area. This same room is also town’s post office and I’ve heard Lyndon B. Johnson’s post office box is still there. Filled with microbrews, wine and local items to purchase, have a seat and enjoy your meal. Be sure to look up and take in the old tin ceiling that is only found in these old buildings.

The main dining area leads out to the front porch which houses rocking chairs to observe the traffic and take a breather but more importantly plaques that showcase the historical importance of this spot. President Lyndon B. Johnson grew up down the road. It is here that he claimed to have sent his first letter in the mail. More importantly, the front porch is the very spot in 1965 where President Johnson appointed the United States Post Master General.

The front porch is also the perfect place to sit back and relax after that delicious meal!

Have you been to the Hye Market?
What is the best small-town meal you’ve ever had?

Hye Market
10261 W. Hwy 290Hye, Texas 78635

Read more:
For information on Hye and my first trip to the Post Office Hye, Texas.
How to Spend 48 Hours in Fredericksburg.

48 Hours in Fredericksburg, Texas

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Last week, we headed to Fredericksburg, Texas for a little wine and relaxation. Although we were only in town for slightly less than 48 hours, we made the most of it and you can too! There will be a lot more information on our getaway in the weeks to come but in case you decide to head down for a quick trip (as you should), I wanted to share how we made the best of our 48 hours!

Our trip was a Wednesday evening thru Friday afternoon. Fredericksburg is a town where there is so much to do that it didn’t even matter that the weather was less than stellar. If anything, it provided more of a reason to pour ourselves another glass!

Step #1: Find yourself a great place to stay.

We started our journey from Fort Worth after work on a Wednesday evening. Three and a half hours later, we arrived. This gave us time to unwind after the long drive and left us with a full day to really take in the sights!

We stayed at the Fredericksburg Inn & Suites, right off Main Street in the historic downtown. These accommodations were awesome!!! Not only is this a historic landmark, they provide a full breakfast in the morning, freshly baked cookies in the lobby in the afternoon AND our room was gorgeous. The icing on the cake – our room had a Luckenbach theme. It’s like they knew the way right to my heart!

Night #1: Check in, settle in, pop open a bottle of wine and kick your feet back and exhale – you’re on vacation!

Full Day #1
It was raining. Pardon me, pouring outside so a trip to the Enchanted Rock was out of the question. (If it’s not raining, definitely try to do this first thing in the morning!)

8am – Rise and Shine followed by delicious pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon and yogurt in the inn.

10am – We headed over to the Fredericksburg Visitors and Convention Center (CVB). This is a chance to find what it is we wanted to see. There is so much to do so we picked a few of our favorites.

11am – We were headed to the vineyard, Becker Vineyards that is. With little time to spare, it’s time to make it count! Becker Vineyards is about 10-15 minutes outside of town. Regardless of which vineyard you choose, use the morning to head out to spend time at an actual vineyard. We were the first to arrive! Oh the glory of having an entire tasting room to yourself!

12:30pm – Time to find another winery. 4.0 Cellars was our choice. This was a slightly different adventure as there were three wineries in one location! That’s right – why have wine from only one winery when you can have three?! Easy choice!

2pm – Head back to town, it’s time to grab a bite to eat. We headed back to the Inn, parked and walked down over to Main Street. We are a little indecisive when we’re hungry but lucky for us the Fredericksburg Brewery is right on Main Street so we wandered right in. Grab a flight and pretty much anything off the menu. I’ve never had anything that wasn’t delicious!

3:30pm – Shop This area is historic and there’s something around every corner. Peruse the stores. Everything from art, antiques, locally made goods. If shopping is not for you, there’s always starting the next event early…

4pm – Downtown is also home of the Urban Wine Trail! The wine country has brought the wine to town! With at least seven tasting rooms within walking distance to each other, there’s no reason to drive outside of town, they’ve brought the good stuff to you! As we walked down Main Street, we made a stop to the Fiesta Winery tasting room. How convenient it is to just pop on in and grab a glass.

Tip: Grab a glass to go! It’s legal to walk within the historic district of Fredericksburg with your glass.

5:30pm – Peruse Main Street or explore the town! There’s so much to see and do that we really feel like we haven’t touched the tip of the iceberg. We found this gem in town while exploring.

7pm – Dinner. Although we were in a German town, we went Italian and my belly sure was happy that we did. Pasta Bella, right off Main Street feels like a secret heaven, homemade Italian food. (Below: Seafood ravioli.) There’s plenty of options, search around and I’m sure you’ll find something you will love!

Day 2

8am – Time to rise and shine, grab breakfast and check out of the hotel. A full day of activities ahead!

If there’s time before 11am, I highly suggest exploring the area. Take a detour off Main Street and explore! There’s so many historical buildings, the homes and B&B’s have an immense amount of character and the community of this town shines through and through.

11am – Wine tasting – at it again bright and early. This had to be my favorite tasting of the entire trip – Lost Draw Cellars. Where to begin – there wasn’t a single wine that we didn’t enjoy, the hospitality and conversation was amazing (trust me – talk to Troy) and they’re authentic and focused on building a community.

Need an extra incentive, they have a tasting wall. Buy a glass and pay it forward or perhaps you already have one waiting for you. Hint: To the next Vermonter that walks in, your first glass is one me!

12:30pm – Luckenbach One of my favorite places in Texas, this is it. It’s not just a song, this place really exists. The post office, the bar, the stage, wild chickens, cowboy hats, BBQ and a dancehall. The best part is the authenticity and meeting people from all over! Stories are amazing! Reminisce in this little spot and enjoy the live music from those who step in (or join in yourself)!

2:30pm – Eat lunch at the Hye Market. Just outside of town off Highway 290, lies the little town of Hye. The significance of the Hye Market location is that it is the post office that President Lyndon B. Johnson used for his entire life. (Read more about the history here from my last trip.) Today, it is still the functioning post office but it is also a market where you will have the best sandwich you’ve ever eaten in your life.

My recommendation: The Levi Local – Honey roasted turkey, swiss cheese, local herb aioli on wheat bread. I’m still trying to figure out how they made that sandwich so good. It disappeared right before my eyes!

4pm – Garrison Brothers Distillery Bourbon you say? The scenery reminds me of Virginia. The country, rustic atmosphere, not a neighbor in sight and relaxing in nature…. add a glass of bourbon, have a seat in the rocking chairs and we’re all set! This tour was so interesting! We love hearing how businesses begin and this is no exception. The Garrison Brothers are passionate about their product. The tour walks guests through each step of the process including samples along the way.

6pm – Time to head to the next destination or stay longer – that’s the best choice!

Tips:
– Swing by the CVB for information. Some pamphlets may have coupons for discounts or free products!
– Take advantage of visiting during the week!
– Most tasting rooms open around 11am.
– Give yourself about an hour at each tasting. Take your time, enjoy the wine, have great conversation with others. Some locations will even have cheese, meats and crackers available for purchase with your tasting.
– The majority of places close around 6pm (wineries and shops in town). If there’s somewhere you really would like to check out, research ahead of time.
– Looking for a B&B – see where I stayed on a previous visit.