Texas Hill Country Views: Part 1

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”– J.R.R. Tolkein

From the front seat of our 4Runner, we gazed, mouths agape, at the countryside. Rolling hills covered with dark greenery, majestic oak trees twisting up toward the sky, grass for miles and miles, crystal clear rivers gurgling up from sandy beds; the hill country had million dollar views. I grew up in central Texas, near the beauty of Austin. But, despite my proximity, I never truly appreciated all that the neighboring cities and towns had to offer.

Wimberley was the first stop on our tour of the Texas Hill Country. I fell in love instantly. We popped into Blue Hole for a quick hike and made notes to sign up for a swim at the beautiful lagoon if we decided to move to the area. COVID limited the number of people who could enter the swimming area and the entire season was already booked : ( The park was tucked into the hills, quiet and shaded; a perfect escape from the summer heat. We drove to a few neighborhoods and over the Blanco River. Hidden in the hills were cute little homes with fearless deer who roamed freely. The local grocery store was a small HEB and the parking lot was not over crowded, thankfully. We decided to scale Old Baldy, a tall peak that was near the outskirts of town. Upward we climbed, scaling each step, urged ahead by colorful rocks shouting inspirational words along the way. At the top was a picturesque view of Wimberley and a blue sky horizon littered with puffy white marshmallow clouds. It was breathtaking.

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We drove north to Driftwood and made a pit stop at The Salt Lick for a socially distanced, finger lickin', melt in your mouth taste of Hill Country bar-b-que! The ribs were exceptional, as always! We sat beneath a family of elder oak trees and discussed our thoughts so far. Wimberley was a quaint town with character, beauty, and a rural feel. But we would likely need to seek our employment opportunities at a larger, urban city such as San Marcos or Austin. We knew we would need to balance the cost of a long commute with our desire to avoid the hustle and bustle of a larger city.

With our bellies full, we continued along a one way backroad in Driftwood dotted with live oak trees and cattle, and I dreamt our future. The future that we were trying to find, settle into, and build. The future for our children and our family. A future filled with nature and lessons about life, deeply rooted in a sense of adventure, discovery, and happiness. The outskirts of Dripping Springs came into view, breaking my reverie. More construction and the sounds of developed town echoed in my ears. Dripping springs, surrounded by hills and trees, was a suburb of Austin. The neighborhoods were popping up all around us with new construction and new builds, some move in ready, others plots of land ready for your dream home. Sparse suburban sprawl mixed with rural hill country painted the town of Dripping Springs. E Highway 290, the main thoroughfare, splits the town into north and south. We travelled along this road, stopping to grab some much needed coffee (Moonraker) at Summer Moon. Local and chain restaurants dotted the highway along our route back out of town. Both towns had much to offer and would essentially make our decision a bit more difficult.

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Exhausted from a long day of exploration, we made our way back to our home base. The winding roads with little traffic was a breath of fresh air. We exchanged opinions and photos, jamming out to some indie album from my favorite artist, as the trees swayed in the evening breeze. Our journey had just begun and we were excited for the future.

Stay tuned for Part 2 : )

"So baby drive slow

’til we run out of road in this one horse town

I wanna stay right here in this passenger’s seat..." TS