Road Trippin' thru the Hill Country

I've said it many times now since being home, and I'll say it again. My momma's recent retirement is benefitting us all. She now has the time (like me) and the money (unlike me) to travel and enjoy life at a relaxed pace if she pleases. Luckily, on my month-long stay back in Texas, I've been selected as the ideal travel companion.

She pays the bills and I make the plans. It's a great partnership for us both (no responsibility for her and no debt for me works out quite nicely!).

We were able to venture out on a five day, minimally planned road-trip through the beautiful Texas Hill Country. The next 10 posts are about all the adventures, finds and good eats along the way. The trip was a great success, due in large part to having no schedule during the absolute perfect time of year for Texas travel -- Fall.

The biggest thing I noticed about Texas after being gone for a few months was THE SKY.

It really is SO BIG and SO OPEN. There are so many songs and sayings about the Texas Sky, and I never really understood before, but now I totally get it. Many times when we were on the road, I was literally up in the clouds. Completely not registering that my mom was talking to me because I was fixated on the sky happened more times than I'd care to admit. It's simply mesmerizing. And we as Texans are so accustomed to it we don't even realize it. I couldn't be more Texan and I didn't see it until this trip. You'll notice the recurring theme of beautiful clouds and open skies throughout my photos, because I just couldn't get over it.

Outside of the sky, the blog entries focus mostly on location and food, split up by towns, parks, points of interest, and good eats.

From Friday to Thursday we visited the cities and towns of Concan, Leakey, Medina, Utopia, San Antonio, Boerne, Bandera, Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Luckenbach, Stonewall, Johnson City, Blanco, Austin, and Lockhart.

We never called ahead for a hotel, never paid over a hundred bucks for one, and never had any vacancy issues (or any other issues for that matter).

We were able to listen to some great live Texas Blues, tour LBJs ranch home (where the house has recently been opened to the public), and stop off at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

I drank my first Shiner Beer since arriving home on Texas soil.

We swam (waded, really) in the Frio, Sabinal, Pedernales, and Guadalupe Rivers; hiked in Garner and Pedernales State Parks, Lost Maples and The Texas Hill Country Natural Areas, and at Hamilton Pool, and saw Blanco River and State Park.

I have linked several things throughout so you have the option to learn more about where we were and all the history that goes with it if you'd like to do so. They look like this. Just click. Okay, y'all enjoy!