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Christmas Lights in Austin Area – Best Holiday Lights 2021

November 29, 2021 by Joleen Jernigan 5 Comments

Bastrop Holiday Lights Trail — Christmas Lights in Austin, Texas: Bastrop is aglow with the warmth and twinkly lights of the season (Credit: Colin Guerra)

Are you looking for Christmas Lights in Austin area? Read on to find out the best places to enjoy holiday displays with your family in and around the Hill Country.

Hear, hear, the sparkly season is near! From now through the end of the season, festive holiday light trails adorn Texas Hill Country, and we’ve discovered the best and brightest dazzlers around.

We love love love the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park, yet if you want to set forth on an illuminated adventure beyond Austin’s most famous light trail, follow these shining beacons signaling from across Texas Hill Country.

These holiday light trails go above and beyond for those of us beguiled by the night and mesmerized by shiny objects. Yeah, I’m waaay into it. If you crave holiday glitz and are up for a quick road trip, then these nine Hill Country destinations will satisfy your quest to shine on.

One exciting new trend I’ve noticed this year is that some of these light trails have added even more events, attractions, and/or lights, and most of them are open longer than before. This gives you extra time to make the short road trip to experience these twinkly trails.

Note: I’ve added the distances to each trail from the Texas State Capitol this year to better help you plan your trip. Happy lights-gazing!

New Braunfels Day Trip Guide: Things to Do, Eat, and Drink

July 12, 2017 by Caitlin Johnson 2 Comments

New Braunfels Day Trip Guide

The Comal River in New Braunfels, TX. A huge thanks to Chevy for keeping our writers safe and comfortable this summer as we explore (Credit: Jason Babos)

New Braunfels was founded in 1845 by a German prince looking to start a colony in the Republic of Texas. Despite the fact that his dream of “New Germany” never happened, New Braunfels’ German influence has stood the test of time. Today, this small Central Texas town is one of the most authentic German-American communities in the country.

New Braunfels is a fun destination, with adventures for every type of visitor. Located between Austin and San Antonio, it’s a short drive for those coming from either city. New Braunfels is perfect whether you’re on a weekend trip, or planning your next epic summer day trip. [Read more…]

Hold Your Beer for as Long as You Can During Stein-holding Competition

July 5, 2017 by Dustin Vegas Leave a Comment

krause cafe stein holding competition

Masskrugstemmen (stein-holding) competition at Krause’s Cafe

Can you hold your beer?

I mean literally hold your beer? Probably not as well as the stein-holding champions going into the final round of Krause’s Cafe’s Masskrugstemmen competition.

On July 14, 2017, Krause’s Cafe is wrapping up its final Masskrugstemmen of the year. This is an annual tradition held in New Braunfels, Texas, part of the restaurant’s multi-year search for those willing to give 100 percent in the name of good beer. [Read more…]

Schlitterbahn – New Braunfels: Ultimate Water Park Experience

August 15, 2012 by Guest Blogger 3 Comments

This 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…]

Day Trip to the Natural Bridge Caverns

January 12, 2012 by Brittany Highland 4 Comments

This past Saturday, Eric and I took a morning drive from Austin to the Natural Bridge Caverns. The Caverns are eight miles off I-35 between New Braunfels and San Antonio (closer to S.A.).

It was the perfect day for a drive and time outdoors. The Natural Bridge Caverns runs tours every 40 minutes at the most, but we got our tickets immediately and were touring 10 minutes later. [Read more…]