Bellville was initially settled by Thomas and James Bell who immigrated from Florida in 1822, as some of Stephen F. Austin's earliest settlers. They donated over 145 acres to Austin County. Bellville...
Texas Hill Country
The Hill Country is characterized by rivers, parks, hiking and biking trails and, of course, rolling hills. Located in the heart of the state, this area includes outdoor activities, wineries, shopping and a wide variety of restaurants. Visitors to Hill Country can immerse themselves in the rich history of the area through the many heritage sites and cultural venues, including theatres that offer live performances and other entertainment.
Cultural events from Oktoberfest Fredericksburg to the Kerrville Folk Festival provide variety enough for everyone. Fort Concho National Historic Landmark in San Angelo and Fort Lancaster State Historic Site in Ozona are just two of the more than a dozen sites honoring the area’s early western history. The pace of life in the Hill Country is considered laid back and easy going, perfect for a family vacation or a romantic getaway.
Map of Texas Hill Country Points
Things to See & Do in the Texas Hill Country
Enchanted Rock in the Hill Country
Enchanted Rock is an enormous pink granite pluton rock formation located in the Llano Uplift approximately 15 miles north of Fredericksburg in the Hill Country.
Lady Bird Lake in Austin
Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Downtown Austin. It was created in 1960 by the construction of Longhorn Dam and is owned and operated by the City of Austin...
Colorful Tour of the Hill Country Painted Churches
When immigrants from Moravia found passage into Galveston, the Ellis Island of the South, many headed for the Texas Hill Country bringing a piece of their homeland with them.
St. Michael’s Catholic Church
Located in Weimar. Established as a Mission in 1888, by Father Edward Brucklin, who became first resident priest in 1892. An earlier frame structure was replaced by this stately sanctuary in 1913...
Boerne
Founded in 1852 by German settlers and incorporated in 1909, the City of Boerne was one of the area’s most strategic transportation locations on routes for those traveling into San Antonio or...
Three Sisters, Hill Country
Nestled up in the Frio Canyon region of the Texas Hill Country are three highways that are known as the Three Sisters, or the Twisted Sisters. Roughly a hundred miles long, the FM 335/336/337 loop is...
Brenham
Brenham, the county seat of Washington County, is on U.S. Highway 290 seventy-two miles northwest of Houston. The Hickory Grove community changed its name in 1843 to Brenham in honor of Republic of...
Johnson City Feed Mill
I don’t know the story behind the shoes on this wall, but here in Texas we have boots on fence posts, bicycles on barns, trees and on fences… seems anything is fair game to try out a new...
Bastrop County Countryside
“Texas is the finest portion of the globe that has blessed my vision.” ~ Sam Houston, 1833. Photo by joolieboolie
Starlite Drive-In in Schertz
The ticket booth and marquee are still standing. In its day, capacity was around 200 cars. photo by Noel Kerns
San Fernando Academy in Pontotoc
A nearly deserted town an hour north of Fredericksburg in Mason County, Pontotoc was on the brink of becoming a boom town before a series of misfortunes. Settled in 1859, there was an established...
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Fredericksburg
Several black families were residing in Gillespie County by the 1870s. A schoolhouse was built in 1877 on property adjacent to this later church site. Blacks probably met in the school for worship...
St. Stanislaus in Chappell Hill
In 1888, Rev. James Grabinger, announced that a church would be built in Chappell Hill — St. Stanislaus. The great hurricane of 1900 that devastated Galveston destroyed this first church. The...
St. James Episcopal in La Grange
In 1885, St James Episcopal Church was built in La Grange on a lot donated by the Shropshire family for a parish formed in 1855.
The Twisted Sisters aka The Three Sisters
Join me on my Honda Valkyrie as we ride the Texas Hill Country to the The Twisted Sisters aka The Three Sisters.
Old barn in New Bielau
Photo Rob Sneed
Frio River in the Hill Country
The word frío is Spanish for cold, a clear reference to the spring-fed coolness of the river.