highlight: lake
Graham, TX
Kingsland, TX
Imagine a place flowing with pristine rivers and lakes, a place with vineyards as far as the eye can see, and home-cooked food so delicious you’ll feel like you’re eating a royal feast. That is a land fit for a king, which is exactly why they call it KINGSLAND. The true beauty of this Kings…land doesn’t lie in the city, but in its surroundings which contains tons of things to do. Kingsland sits along the Colorado River and the beautiful Lake LBJ. It also straddles the border between Burnet and Llano counties. Both Lake LBJ and the nearby Inks Lake are constant level lakes, meaning the lakes stay full year round when other Texas lakes dip due to droughts. To experience Lake LBJ, start at the Lake LBJ Yacht Club and Marina. Don’t worry, this isn’t a snooty yacht club, but a down-home, hill country place to rent a boat or play at the Granite Beach Waterpark full of inflatable water toys. The waterpark is open weekends Memorial to Labor Day. If you are looking for history, check out Kingsland’s Antler’s Inn, built in 1901 as a resort and refuge for railroad workers and travelers. Also on property is the actual house from the filming of the 1974 classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The house has received a new coat of paint and doesn’t look as terrifying as it once did, but if you cock your head just right, you can almost hear the grind of a distant chainsaw. Today the home serves up delicious cuisine as the Grand Central Cafe. And the steaks are way better than the ones Leatherface whipped up. If you are looking for grub, head for a delicious burger or chicken fried steak at the local Hoover’s Valley Cafe, one of the few remaining relics of a long-forgotten town. And if you want a view to go with that food, head to On The Rocks, a delicious homemade Italian joint perched atop a tall cliff and overlooking Lake LBJ. Finally, if you are looking to truly feel like a king, head to one of the area’s wineries. I highly, highly recommend visiting the Martin family of Perissos Vineyards. Beyond being incredibly nice, they are making some of the finest wines in Texas. Visit in July and August and you can even help them harvest and stomp the produce!
Bryan-College Station, TX
If you arent an Aggie, you might consider a day trip to Aggieland worse than community service. But believe it or not, there is more in College Station than just lots and lots of Aggies. But if you are headed to Aggieland, you might as well make a stop by the campus of Texas A&M University to see Aggie traditions such as the Century Tree, the statue of Sullivan Ross, and Kyle Field. On the north side of Kyle field, youll see the tombs of past Reveillies complete with private score board so that mascots past wont miss a single touchdown. While on campus, visit the George Bush Presidential Library. George Bush 41 wasnt an Aggie, but loved the Aggie tradition so much that he put his Presidential Library on campus.
And one thing every college town has is great grub. College kids need to eat, and BCS provides. Near campus, you might want to grab a burger and beer at the Dixie Chicken, the kind of establishment Aggie legends are made of, complete with full bar, dominos, and rattlesnake cage. Or check out Laynes Chicken Fingers, a place so passionate about its golden fried chicken fingers that all it serves are chicken finger baskets and chicken finger sandwiches. I also highly recommend grabbing a Snuffy burger at the Chicken Oil Company in Bryan (order it Death style if you want to dance with danger), and Mr. Gs Pizzeria in downtown Bryan serves up a mean calzone.
Lovers of class and other fine things might want to head to the renovated Downtown Bryan for some shopping and food, or to the Messina Hof Winery, one of the most-decorated in the state.
And finally, for outdoor lovers, Lake Bryan is a great place to go swimming, or to mountain bike along its 20 miles and miles of well-kept trails.
Burnet, TX
Burnet is a town that sits within spitting distance to two perfect hill country lakes. Need we say more
Thats right, Inks Lake and Lake Buchanan are two great reasons to make a trip to Burnet. But they arent the only reasons. While in Burnet, check out Fort Croghan for some frontier history and the Highland Lakes Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force for some aviation history and to hop aboard their beautifully restored antique planes. If you are looking for a bite to eat, I highly recommend picking up some homemade Tex-Mex and a backrub from The Maxican or BB-Q at Burnet Feed Store BBQ located inside an old feed store. (Unfortunately, Bertram BB-Q featured in the episode closed its doors.)
Now for the lakes! To explore Inks Lake, head to Inks Lake State Park with miles of hiking trails and plenty of ways to get in the water. If you are feeling risky, I recommend cliff jumping in at the Devils Waterhole. But if you are more vampire than swimmer, then go underground at Longhorn Cavern State Park to caves that have been everything from a tribal council room to a 1920’s speakeasy.
To see Lake Buchanan, hop aboard a Vanishing Texas River Cruise taking visitors upstream to experience the wild side of Texas. In the winter you might even get the chance to spot bald eagles that spend the winter around the lake. But whether you see eagles or not, you can see the beautiful 25 foot Fall Creek waterfalls, a stunning and unexpected surprise in the Texas Hill Country. To ride through the falls or just around the lake, rent a kayak or canoe from Buchanan Adventure Tours based out of the LCRAs beautiful Canyon of the Eagles nature park. Which is an excellent place to stop and have dinner over the lake or spend the weekend.
Jefferson, TX
While Jefferson may fully deserve its title as the “B&B Capital of Texas,” it also deserves its title as “The Most Haunted Small Town in Texas.
To see the history of Jefferson, I recommend a carriage ride with Lone Star Carriages, and then a stop into the Jefferson Historical Museum occupying the old Federal Building.
If the history leaves you hungry, head to the Hamburger Store for a delicious burger and to pin a dollar bill on the wall. Wash that burger down with a praline or milkshake from the Jefferson General Store.
And once you are ready to dig into the haunted history of Jefferson, step into the Jefferson Hotel, read the story of Diamond Bessie, and then grab a tour of The Grove, which is the most haunted home in Jefferson.
To experience the beautiful side of northeast Texas, but one that is just as scary, in its own swampy way, head to Caddo Lake. The State Park is a great way to experience the lake. BUT – if you want to really explore the lake, grab a tour with Caddo Outback tours. John will be happy to help you out. And when you are done, grab some fried catfish from Riverbend Restaurant.
Austin, TX – South Side
thatIf there’s a part of Austin that epitomizes the “Keep Austin Weird” slogan, then it’s South Austin. And the funkiest part of this funky town is the South Congress District. It has everything from shopping to costume shops to antiques and candy shops. I recommend stopping by Lucy in Disguise to marvel at the aisles of costumes, Uncommon Objects to marvel at the unique antiques, and Big Top Candy Shop to marvel at imported candies from around the globe and CHOCOLATE-COVERED BACON. Yes, you heard that right. If the bacon isn’t enough to hold you over, head to Hopdoddy Burger Bar for an absolutely killer burger or Homeslice for some killer pizza.
Off of South Congress, I recommend dining at one of the hundreds of trailer parks filling up every empty lot. You can eat everything from Asian to Cajun. For you sweet tooth, don’t miss grabbing a chocolate-covered banana from Bananarchy, maybe a dough-nut from Gordough’s, or some classic frozen custard from Sandy’s. Oh yeah, and you could do a lot worse than a Sno Cone from Sno Beach.
To enjoy the outdoors of South Austin, head to Zilker Park which is Austin’s big grassy playground. And for a dip, jump into Barton Springs. The 68 degree water is refreshing on any day. I also recommend a hike along the Greenbelt.
As the sunsets, live music fills the air. For honky-tonk, look no further than the Broken Spoke. Get your boots ready.
