Exploring The Texas Hill Country

Today is Saturday and it is time! It is time to leave it all behind and have a day of vacation, to get in the car and just drive. Where to go? Destinations are not part of the plan. The fun of the day is the exploration, seeing new things and being in new places. To the Texas Hill Country we go!

We found ourselves traveling down Hamilton Pool Road, off of Highway 71. The road stretches for many miles and the views are memorable! Because of the rains this Spring, the grass was green and the trees full with their magnificent foliage. Every turn in the road produced a new scene in our minds, feeding our soul full of nature.

Every week or two, I have a need to leave the cement world of the city and enjoy the country views surrounding Austin. The hustle and bustle doesn't seem as prevalent in the outskirts of town. I get "filled up" with the green trees and beautiful hills, views of the water and broad open horizons found in the country. Sometimes I can feel the refilling process as I drive and view the beautiful Texas Hill country!

Spring is not yet over. The wildflowers are still beautiful even though they seem to have faded in color. The grasses around the flowers are taller from the rains and the colorful flowers are not as pronounced in the fields. Time after time, we turned a corner or rounded a bend to see a gorgeous field of bluebonnets or indian paint brush decorating the hill side with their fading glory!

It seemed that we were the only car on the road. Then..... a truck appeared before us delivering furniture to a residence in the country. It appears that Rooms To Go has a very large delivery area. The truck was slow to turn because of the ditches along the driveway. It began a slow turn toward the house and then paused to realign its huge trailer to fit through the property gate. Turning into the driveway was a very slow process. Yawn!

We were stopped and watching the truck make its slow turn when several motorcycles appeared from behind the colorful trailer. They zoomed past us only to reveal many more behind them. As we continued our journey down the road, the motorcycles continued to appear. It certainly was a beautiful day for them to be out!

Rounding a bend in the road, we encountered a stretch of the Pedernales River. It was a restful, quiet stopping place to stretch our legs. The wildflowers bordered its banks with color and the many rocks provided their rough surface as a backdrop against the flowing waters.

It has been a long-standing tradition in our family to take mini-vacations where we drive to a nearby location on a Saturday and pretend we are tourists. When our kids were little, we piled into the car to visit Wimberly or Fredricksburg or some other location for sightseeing, shopping and a meal. By dusk, we were home and in our own beds. If you have never taken the time for a mini-vacation, I encourage you to have a special day with your spouse and/or family. Memories are made as you learn more about your surroundings and enjoy each other! Have fun!