Wimberley Zipline Adventures: An Unforgettable Experience

May 6, 2013 by · 4 Comments
Wimberley Zipline Adventures

Brittany and me during our zip lining tour, with Hill Country in the background

In the Texas Hill Country, we’re spoiled beyond measure. Few places on earth compare to the natural beauty in our area.

Most drive through Central Texas and get the perspective from the ground. But everyone does that, right?

Why not see the majesty of the Hill Country in a way that you’ll never forget? It’s time to zip line in Wimberley, Texas!

Wimberley Zipline Adventures

I’ve had a pretty adventurous life, but soaring over the Texas Hill Country on a zip line was one of the most [Read more...]

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Have a Perfect Day in Driftwood: The Salt Lick & Duchman Family Winery

April 11, 2013 by · 7 Comments
The Salt Lick in Driftwood

Entrance to The Salt Lick in Driftwood, TX | Credit: Cris Mueller

This guest blog post is by Cris Mueller.

Just thirty minutes southwest of Austin is our coy, neighboring hill country town of Driftwood that offers a posh day-trip, worthy to share.

Don’t be fooled by its peaceful nature. Rather, open your palette to experience a day chock full of infamous Texas cuisine and wineries on the Texas Wine Trail.

It’s the greatest time of year to pack up the car, take out your camera and venture off to Driftwood for wide open Texas skies, colorful wildflowers and foodie pics to make mouths water. Although there are many ways to wander the beautiful outdoors of Driftwood, I recommend you include two stops: a lunch of traditional Texas BBQ and a picturesque family vineyard. [Read more...]

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Burnet Bluebonnet Festival: Parades, Pets, Races & Small Town Charm

April 4, 2013 by · Leave a Comment
Texas Bluebonnets

Credit: Jeff Cohen

This guest blog post is by Tracey Louis.

Austin and Burnet contrast greatly from one another. Funky, urban-yet-outdoorsy Austin is only an hour away from quaint, traditional Burnet.

Yet they share some commonalities, including a love of reveling in springtime’s natural beauty, and fabulous hospitality inclusive of our beloved pets.

One of my favorite festivals is the Burnet Bluebonnet Festival, precisely because it does such a good job of showcasing Burnet’s small town charms, sharing the beauty of springtime wildflowers that paint the roadways and hillsides, and including our animal companions in the fun. [Read more...]

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How to Have a Perfect Day in Kerrville, TX

February 28, 2013 by · 12 Comments

Earl Garrett St. in the city center of KerrvilleSituated two hours southwest of Austin, Kerrville, TX was placed toward the bottom of our day trip list because of its distance away. But after visiting Wimberley, Gruene, multiple state parks and so many Hill Country gems closer to us, we still kept hearing good things about Kerrville.

We woke up on a recent Saturday morning and spontaneously decided that our Kerrville day had arrived! I’ll jump to the end of the story and tell you that we had an amazing day and can’t wait to visit again. In hopes that you can have as stellar of a day trip as we did, here is my guide to having a perfect day in Kerrville, TX. [Read more...]

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Day Trip to a Distant Past: Inner Space Caverns

February 25, 2013 by · 3 Comments
Inner Space Caverns entrance

Entrance to the Inner Space Caverns

Driving around Austin, there is so much to see to engage your imagination. Flashy neon signs, funky graffiti, natural parks.

But you may have missed one of the most natural beauties in the Austin area, just feet away. Seventy feet, to be exact, down below you as you pass along I-35 right outside of Georgetown.

The Inner Space Caverns were discovered in the 1960′s. Construction crews bore down while expanding the highway, only to realize that not only was their drill much deeper than they’d expected, but it was stuck! They drilled a 24″ hole nearby and lowered a man down to see exactly what was going on. Imagine drawing the short straw that day! [Read more...]

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Alamo Springs Cafe: Burger Heaven Near Fredericksburg

January 17, 2013 by · 4 Comments
Alamo Springs Cafe Known for Best Texas Burgers

The Alamo Springs Cafe

Alamo Springs Cafe doesn’t have a website. AlamoSpringsCafe.com redirects to a Facebook page. They are out in the middle of nowhere. And none of this bothers them in the least.

When your burgers are this good, you don’t need to worry about silly little details like location and a functional website. I mean, who needs all that to be successful, right?

 

From the Alamo Spring’s Cafe Facebook About page:

“Inconveniently  located in the middle of nowhere” between Fredericksburg and Comfort. Laid-back atmosphere, serious food, and ice cold beer. We were on the Cover of Texas Monthly “Best Burgers in Texas ” issue (August 2009) [Read more...]

Filed Under: Day Trips, Discoveries, Food, Food & Drink · Tagged:

Gruene, Texas Is One of Our Favorite Day Trips from Austin

January 11, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Gruene Texas Water Tower

The landmark of Gruene Historic District, the water tower

Click on the Play button on the podcast player above to listen to this week’s episode of the Austinot Podcast!

Less than an hour south of Austin is Gruene, Texas, an area with a colorful history that’s perfect for a day trip or weekend away.

Founded in the 1840′s, Gruene was once a booming transportation and commerce center. However, the boll weevil disaster and Great Depression hit the town hard, and Gruene was basically a ghost town by 1950.

With the help of friends, many of Gruene’s most important buildings were restored and designated as historic landmarks. Today, Gruene Historic District is a lovely town with an old-time feel that’s easy to appreciate. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Austinot Podcast, Day Trips, Discoveries, Podcasts · Tagged:

Immerse Yourself in Simpler Times at LBJ State Park

January 9, 2013 by · 1 Comment
LBJ State Park Visitor Center

LBJ State Park Visitor Center

While I love city life, there’s something to be said for green space and the simplicity of nature.

Just yesterday we wrote about Laguna Gloria, an outdoor paradise in the middle of Austin.

If you drive a bit further to Stonewall, TX – a little more than an hour west of Austin – you’ll find the beautiful Lyndon B. Johnson State Park. It’s a hundred percent worth the drive. No matter how old you are or who you visit with, there’s a piece of the park for you to enjoy! [Read more...]

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J. Lorraine Ghost Town Spooks Area with Mysterious Fun

January 3, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

J Lorraine Ghost Town in Manor, TXRemember when we used to use pencil and string to try to draw the perfect circle? If we used that childhood method to draw a circle around Austin, with an hour-long drive as the radius, you’d be astonished by how much you’d find to do within that relatively small area.

For example, have you heard of Manor, TX? It’s located about 13 miles east of the I-35 exit for 290 (read: about half an hour from downtown Austin). Manor is one of those Texas towns that you can drive through without noticing, but it does have one thing going for it. If you turn off 290 and drive a few minutes closer to the middle of nowhere, you’ll find J. Lorraine Ghost Town, a semi-forsaken spot with a tantalizing history. [Read more...]

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Heights, Depths & the Rugged In Between at Reveille Peak Ranch

August 21, 2012 by · 2 Comments
Bluebonnets at Reveille Peak Ranch

Bluebonnets in bloom

If you owned 1,300 acres of pristine Texas Hill Country, what would you do with it?

For Vol Montgomery, the answer doesn’t have to do with profit or development, but with preservation and passion. The owner of Reveille Peak Ranch is actively creating a unique community for his friends and family, and those who share his interests.

On most days, Reveille Peak Ranch is a specially-designed haven for a small subset of outdoor sports enthusiasts: mountain bikers, trail runners and scuba divers. But it also functions as happy host to nature studies, school and youth camp outs, community BBQ’s and one-of-a-kind weddings. [Read more...]

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Schlitterbahn – New Braunfels: Ultimate Water Park Experience

August 15, 2012 by · 3 Comments

Schlitterbahn West Water Park CastleThis guest post is by Allen Schowengerdt.

4:30 a.m. Kids wake up.

5:00 a.m. Kids back to bed after a struggle and a small bribe.

6:00 a.m. Kids awake again. It’s clear they’re not going back to bed.

6:30 a.m. We manage to make our way from under the covers, due largely to the automatic coffee pot we set the previous night.

Christmas morning, you ask? Nah. Only the biggest day of our summer vacation and our trek an hour south of Austin to New Braunfels and the greatest water park in the world: Schlitterbahn. [Read more...]

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Horseshoe Bay Resort is a Tropical Wonder in Texas Hill Country

June 29, 2012 by · 4 Comments

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Horseshoe Bay Resort is located on Lake LBJ

Lake LBJ is one of the only constant-level lakes in Texas

Click Play on the podcast player above to listen to this week’s episode of the Austinot Podcast!

Early this week, we had the exciting privilege of visiting Horseshoe Bay Resort on Lake LBJ, and spending the night. To be honest, we had never heard of Horseshoe Bay Resort before arranging our trip. But once we got out there, we couldn’t believe what we had been missing!

Rent jet skis at Horseshoe Bay Resort in Texas

Rent a jet ski for the day from the Horseshoe Bay Marina

Here’s just a taste of what we learned in 24 hours at Horseshoe Bay: [Read more...]

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How to Have a Perfect Day in Wimberley, TX

June 22, 2012 by · 10 Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Wimberley TX Zipline Adventures

Wimberley Zipline Adventures

Click Play on the podcast player above to listen to this week’s episode of the Austinot Podcast!

We recently enjoyed a perfect Saturday in Wimberley, TX.

Wimberley is a short hour-drive away from Austin, located in the midst of Hill Country. Whether you’re with friends, family, your significant other or even by yourself, there is so much to discover in this small Texas town.

Here is what we recommend you check out when you head out to Wimberley. You’ll have a hard time fitting it all into one day – we couldn’t – but we’d like to see you try! [Read more...]

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3 Reasons Blanco State Park Should Be on Your Austin Summer To-Do List

June 19, 2012 by · 5 Comments

Summer is here in Austin and we’re already starting to feel the heat. For those of you new to the area, it’s only going to get hotter. But there’s good news. Early summer in Austin is one of the best times of the year to break out the picnic basket and get your outdoor time in.

At the Austinot, we love state parks. The parks within a day’s drive of Austin are some of the best in the entire country. Each state park is unique, and every time we write an article we share tips on what to bring, what not to bring and what to expect. Click here to check out related articles on state parks.

One of the parks we visited recently was Blanco State Park. Whether you’re looking for camping, swimming, hiking, [Read more...]

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Favorite Texas State Parks Near Austin – Austinot Podcast, Ep. 13

June 8, 2012 by · 8 Comments

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Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

Enchanted Rock

Click Play on the podcast player above to listen to this week’s episode of the Austinot Podcast!

Texas State Parks provide a little bit of everything for everyone. Whether you enjoy tent camping, hiking, fishing, swimming, grilling out, horseback riding or relaxing beneath the shade of your RV, there is a Texas State Park for you.

In today’s Austinot Podcast episode, we barely scratch the surface with four of our Texas State Park picks. We know there are so many more amazing locations across the state, and we’d love to hear about your favorite. For now, here are ours: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Austinot Podcast, Day Trips, Discoveries, Podcasts · Tagged: , , , ,
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