Tag Archives: texas hill country

my favorites: best texas swimming holes

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thank goodness for summer! time to relax and slow down.

thank goodness for summer! time to relax and slow down. (taken at jacob’s well in wimberley)

and just like that, spring is over.  the temperatures are creeping up, and not cooling off at night.  my husband and i walked to our neighborhood wine night (yes) last week, and i was struck by how quickly jeans season ended.  after years in california with its cool nights, we’re back in texas, where it’s time to shed pants for summer shorts and skirts.

just relaxing at jacob's well in wimberley, texas

just relaxing at jacob’s well in wimberley, texas

so its the perfect time to talk about my favorite texas swimming holes.   i’m much more of a city girl than a nature lover, but california taught me a lot about appreciating nature (maybe it was our proximitiy to griffith park that helped me live at peace with coyotes and that rogue mountain lion), and now i can’t get enough of the perfectly and naturally formed swimming pool, shaded by trees and open to all. there are three that i’ve really enjoyed visiting: two in or near austin and one in far west texas.

the scene at jacob's well in wimberley, texas (the dark circle in the water is the 30-foot well)

the scene at jacob’s well in wimberley, texas (the dark circle in the water is the 30-foot well)

  • jacob’s well, wimberley, texas – just southwest of austin in the beautiful texas hill country lies wimberley, a place i visited a lot growing up and never fully appreciated until i was older.  jacob’s well is a 30-foot deep well in the middle of a shallow creek, surrounded by rock cliffs and shaded by trees.  though the well is deep, the surrounding creek bed only has about two feet of water lined with slippery rocks.  scuba divers used to dive to the bottom of the well, and crawl through a narrow space at the bottom that opened up to another drop-off, estimated to be around 150 feet deep (a couple of deaths caused the city to grate over the drop-off and prohibit scuba diving).  go early as lines can form in the summer, bring a picnic and goggles, and find a warm rock on which to sun bathe while taking a cool dip in the well.
cooling off in austin's barton springs

cooling off in austin’s barton springs

  • barton springs, austin, texas – located in the middle of austin at zilker park, barton springs is an austin favorite.  formed from natural springs from main barton spring, the water is refreshing and sparkling (read: freezing, no matter what time of year), and is where the party’s at.  the city has lined the springs with cement to make it into more of an outdoor pool, and there are plenty of grassy areas or bleachers to set up for the entire day.  the people watching is fantastic (especially if you go outside the gates a bit further down), and remember: topless sunbathing is allowed everywhere in austin.
sun bathing at austin's barton springs, with a token guitar player in the background

sun bathing at austin’s barton springs, with a token guitar player in the background

  • balmorhea springs, balmorhea, texas – so, this one is…remote.  we stumbled upon this gem during a trip to marfa in far west texas, and it is definitely worth a stop.  these springs have the clearest water i’ve ever seen, and are located at balmorhea state park.  for $7, you can enter the springs, swim for awhile, and enjoy the grounds.  there are campgrounds and cabins onsite, and it seems to be a favorite among kids.  this would be a perfect stop during a tour of west texas that could include a couple of nights in marfa, a stop in alpine, a drive through big bend with a stop at terlingua (home of the texas chili festival), and a visit to the mcdonald observatory (see more of my thoughts on that here).
mountains in the background at balmorhea springs

mountains in the background at balmorhea springs

the next step is to find some swimming holes closer to home around dallas – do you have any favorites in your part of the world?

rushing grass-filled stream at balmorhea springs

rushing grass-filled stream at balmorhea springs in west texas

my favorite time of year: the summer travel season

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the summer 2014 travel lineup

the summer 2014 travel lineup

somehow, miraculously, my busiest time at work is over.  it seems too good to be true, but after several 80+ hour weeks, and many more 70+ hour weeks, i’m ready to explore something other than a corporate office.  thanks for your patience these past few months – more frequent blog posts to return shortly.

while not necessarily recommended, work stress does have one positive impact on me: it forces me to plan vacations.  i love having something to look forward to, a celebration for the end in sight.  or in this case, not just a single celebration, but many!  i am so excited for the travel lineup this summer, i can hardly wait.  after agonizing over the budget with my husband (we set aside a certain amount each month to make sure we can travel to the extent we like, foregoing other luxuries like nicer cars or a bigger house), we’re booked for the following locations:

the stunning texas hill country

the stunning texas hill country

  • road trip through texas – my husband is going on a bachelor party road trip through central and southeast texas, complete with bbq, biking, and beer.  i tried to insert myself into that soiree, but apparently it’s not very traditional for a female to join.  shame.  at least the wedding is in hill country, too.  thinking of buying myself a pair of boots for the occasion.  yeehaw.
the devil's backbone, outside of wimberley in texas hill country

the devil’s backbone, outside of wimberley in texas hill country

  • new york, new york – then it’s my turn for a bachelorette party in the city of cities.  my all time favorite, and this time i don’t have to plan a thing!  the last time i was in new york, i focused only on brooklyn, hardly venturing into manhattan.  while fantastic (and something i would definitely recommend), i’m ready to again be in an empire state of mind.
let's hear it for new york...

let’s hear it for new york…

  • los angeles (x2) – does it count as a vacation if you’ve lived there before?  i think so.  i’m looking forward to seeing old friends and partaking in several father’s office burgers (if you are ever in LA, you absolutely must try this burger.  as someone who counts cheeseburgers among her favorite foods, believe me when i say this burger is incredible).  and staying at the cottages in silverlake is always a treat.
the view from our cottage in silverlake, a favorite stay in los angeles

the view from our cottage in silverlake, a favorite stay in los angeles

  • new orleans, louisiana – is it crazy that i have never been to n’awlins before?  i think so!  so thrilled that my friend, stephanie, pushed our friends to book this trip.  it is shaping up to be a fabulous time with good food, great friends, and (hopefully) lots of jazz.  did  i mention good food?
new orleans, as shot by ed bierman at https://www.flickr.com/photos/edbierman/10798203675/

new orleans, as shot by ed bierman at https://www.flickr.com/photos/edbierman/10798203675/

  • south africa – yes!  we booked it!  it’s official!  i fell in love with southern africa after reading brendan van son’s blog last year when he rode a motorcyle through africa, and i couldn’t wait to see it myself (sans bike).  we’ll be taking the beginner’s guide to south africa as i like to call it, which includes about five days in cape town and five days in kruger national park.  so excited to explore the winelands, table mountain, and see the big 5 (the lion, rhinoceros, leopard, buffalo, and elephant).  one of our safari lodgings includes canvas walls so that “you can hear the animals and be that much closer to nature.” scared. out. of. my. mind.
cape town, south africa, as shot by eGuide travel at https://www.flickr.com/photos/eguidetravel/2919101197/

cape town, south africa, as shot by eGuide travel at https://www.flickr.com/photos/eguidetravel/2919101197/

  • mystery location – yes, you read that correctly.  it’s time for the biannual bestie trip, and we cannot decide where to go.  solution?  let’s wait until the last minute and play travel roulette and follow the deals!  we may end up in boise, but hey, i hear boise has it going on.

please, please tell me about your adventures this summer!  where are you going?  and would you like to write about them in a guest post?  i would love to feature them and hear  more!  i get so inspired from others’ vacations.

 

 

 

jaunt chats: texas hill country

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biking through central texas hill country

biking through central texas hill country

during my husband’s and my anniversary trip to san antonio a few weeks ago, i was struck by the beauty of that part of texas. rolling hills covered in dense trees make for a picture not at all what most people expect when they think of texas. my husband, parker, has always loved this area, and recently went on a biking trip through hill country with some of his friends. his stories of german-settled towns and gorgeous scenery were so great that i had to share. read on, and then come explore this part of texas!

the boys while biking through hill country, texas

the boys while biking through hill country, texas

jaunt: where did you travel, and when?
parker: three of my friends from high school and i traveled to central texas (an area of the state known as the “hill country”) in early october for a biking/camping/drinking trip. the hill country is located south and west of austin and extends basically from west of san antonio all the way to a bit north of austin. two of my friends and i set off down I-35 to meet kevin, another friend of ours, at his house in austin. after eating a few tacos at a delightful little dive off south congress in austin, we hit the road. we were at our destination in fredericksburg by 4pm.

jaunt: how did you plan for your trip? any good sites or books you’d recommend?
p: my friend, derek, bought a book called “biking trips across texas,” which had a bevy of great ideas. we ended up settling on a route that would allow us to stay in fredericksburg one night and then camp in two highly recommended state parks the following two nights. fredericksburg is a really cool place and should be a must-visit for anyone who is going to that part of texas. we also learned the hard way that if you’re planning an “active” trip with friends, it’s essential to find out who already has certain pieces of gear. even though four of us were biking, we were together the whole time, so you only need one bike pump, etc. thankfully we didn’t end up needing much of the gear we brought, but it’s good to always plan out who should bring what ahead of time.

the boys taking a break during biking

the boys taking a break during biking

jaunt: ok, aside from planning out our gear in advance, what are the three things jaunt readers must do or see while in the hill country?
p: if you are going to spend any time at all in the texas hill country and are inclined toward being outdoors, then you will not be short of things to do. here are my top three:

1. spend a night at lost maples state park and have your mind changed forever about texas being a flat, ugly state without any trees. due to some geographical oddity, this part of texas is filled with stands of maple trees that would be more at home in the northern united states than in central texas. when you combine the maple trees with gently flowing streams and gorgeous, rugged hillsides, there is no wonder that the park general store sells a coffee mug that proudly proclaims, “Lost Maples State Park: The Most Beautiful Spot in Texas!” side note: i bought said mug for my wife, so if you come over to our house for a cup of coffee then you can see it for yourself!

a river runs through it

a river runs through it

2. take a dip in the frio river. we spent the third night of the trip at garner state park, which is about 25 miles from lost maples. garner was also really beautiful, but was a bit more crowded than our previous camping experience. one of the highlights of this particular state park is that the frio river flows right through the middle of it. the frio is spring-fed, so its water stays very cold all year long. the region was in the midst of a heat wave when we there, so swimming in the frio felt completely amazing. the water is also really clear and you can rent paddle boats and inner tubes that allow you to lazily float and look at the fish.

frio river in hill country, texas

frio river in hill country, texas

3. eat german food and drink german beer in fredericksburg. much of central texas was founded by german and czech immigrants, and the small town of fredericksburg (about 50 miles from austin) takes its heritage quite seriously. the main street of the town is lined with german breweries and german restaurants. we spent a night eating sausage – knockwurst, bratwurst, and weisswurst – and drinking an amazing array of beers. for those traveling from big cities, you’ll be amazed at the affordability of everything.

jaunt: what is the overall vibe of this trip/to whom would you recommend this trip?
p: the hill country is definitely a relaxing place. there are a lot of interesting towns, most of which are separated by beautiful drives. our trip was a bit different because we spent so much time biking (which can be relaxing in its own way but is probably best described as taxing). nevertheless, one can find anything in this part of texas – from nice resorts to bed and breakfasts to beautiful camping. basically, you can plan a trip to fit any vibe or mood.

go pro shot of biking through the hill country

go pro shot of biking through the hill country

jaunt: ok, i’m sold (minus the biking part). what did you read while traveling? would you recommend?
p: one of my favorite books is about this part of the world. it’s not about biking, camping, or the hill country, in particular, but it is about texas politics in austin in the 1950s. it’s called “the gay place” by billy lee brammer and it does a wonderful job of evoking the details of a certain time in a certain place. as any trip to the hill country will probably start or end in austin, it would make for a great read. there are also several books about road biking in texas, including the aforementioned one that derek purchased before our trip.

note: thank you to derek for all photos in this post!

hill country, texas

hill country, texas