Texas Travel – Getting Reacquainted With Home Part II

As we started to travel safely again (we avoided contact with as many people as we could, wore our masks kept things clean) we started to branch out from the Texas Gulf Coast so we started touring places in Central Texas and the Texas Hill Country. This is an area of Texas that is a big tourism draw already but we visited some places we had been before and places that we had never seen. We started visiting Central Texas around July of 2020 and we visited Waco, Boerne, Fredericksburg and caves in the area. Things were different of course but we still had the chance to see a lot and learn about this region of the state.

Travel to Central Texas

Waco

We first visited Waco on a quick weekend summer trip to visit a few of the museums and sights in the area. Since it was during the summer like in most of Texas it was very hot with temperatures above 100 degrees. We stayed at the very nice Hilton Hotel in downtown Waco so we were close to most of the attractions in Waco. While Waco is not a large city there is still a lot of history and important places to visit there. Waco was an important stop on the Chisholm Cattle trail and in 1870 the Waco Suspension bridge was built as a toll bridge. It still stands today with great cattle drive sculptures memorializing the cowboys and cattle. While that is one aspect of this historic area the history goes much farther back than the 1800s. One of the first spots we visited was the Waco Mammoth National Monument. Thousands of years ago Columbian Mammoths were killed in a what scientist think could have been a great flood. They were all together trying to survive. Their bones were preserved in a great archeology find and the bones in the second dig site are preserved as where they fell. They are in an air conditioned building where you can walk on walkways over the bones. You can see mammoths, a camel and a few other ancient animals. On our tour social distancing was required and people took it very seriously. We listened to a ranger talk about the discovery and then walked through the exhibit where tours used to be the norm. It still was a great visit. We did not walk any of the trails as it was already very hot in the morning.

Beyond ancient history Waco was the home to the invention of something many of us find very tasty. Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco and its home now to the Dr. Pepper Museum. At a once bottling facility of Dr. Pepper you can tour the old facility and learn the history of Dr. Pepper and the early days of soda in general. Its also houses the Free Enterprise Institute. We saw a great exhibit about all the failed sodas throughout time and how people worked hard but things still do not work out. While at the museum you can try an old fashioned soda fountain Dr. Pepper. The museum showcases once again ingenuity in the State of Texas.

Another iconic Texas institution and part of history and the present is show at the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and Museum. The Texas Rangers have been a law enforcement force for many years. They have investigated crimes, protected settlers and in the modern age have hunted down people like Bonnie and Clyde. They of course have spawned shows like “Walker Texas Ranger”. The museum has many great artifacts and tells the history from beg.ining to today. Visiting this museum reminded me how tough Texans can be in what has been a rough and wild land. It also showed how Texans are perceived and effect the world in pop culture.

Texas is a major sports state. On Friday nights for example across the state small towns can all be found watching High School football. In Waco you have the Texas Sports Hall of Fame located near Baylor University. In the museum you can see pretty much every sport recognized and you can see all of those Texans that became big in the sport. From Nolan Ryan to Babe Zaharias there are many native Texans who became stars and very well known. Seeing this museum showed me once again that Texas has made a huge mark on sports and sports has and will forever be a huge part of Texas culture.

We briefly tried to visit a new part of Texas culture but the Magnolia Market at the Silos closed right as we got up to it. We did though see many people in the store looking through all the home goods from this new influence Texas is having on the world.

While in Waco we continued our pandemic tradition of getting food to go and eating in the hotel room. We did this to try to be safe as we tried to travel where we could. Waco is a great place to visit to reflect once again on Texas’s past and people who have influenced the state and the world. You do not have to go to one of Texas’s major cities to find this.

The Texas Hill Country

We have visited the Texas Hill Country many times but as with any place it was different this time around during the pandemic. We took a short weekend trip that made Boerne our base of operations and we visited several popular hill country cities and a not a well known spot. We visited Boerne, Kerrville, Fredericksburg, a cave West of Austin and Comfort while in the area. As Always we did our best to immerse ourselves in the area culture by seeing a variety of things.

On the way to the Hill Country area we visited Longhorn Caverns on this trip. Longhorn Caverns is a State Park and has a nice visitors center and guided tours in the cave. This cave has some interesting history. It is known that Comanche Native Americans have used the cave and there is a stage in the cave from where it used to be a speakeasy during prohibition times. Masks were mandatory as we safely toured the cave. There are many caves in the Hill Country that you can visit. Each are unique and have interesting formations. One cave was Earthquake created instead of the normal water based. The Longhorn Cavern is very long and water created. If you make it to this cavern it also has a great observation tower that gives great views of the hills and lakes in the area. Be on the lookout to the out of place castle in the distance.

Boerne

We stayed at the Bevy Hotel in Boerne (its a Double Tree brand) that was a very nice hotel in a great area to visit. It had a nice pool, bar and restaurant that sold locally made ice cream. In Boerne there is a nice small town shopping district like you will find in many Hill Country small cities. There are plenty of Antique shops we walked through while wearing our masks and being safe. In Boerne we got some great food that we took back to our hotel room to eat. One place we enjoyed was Shang Hai Chinese Restaurant that had really good soup. There are some nice breweries and a cave you can visit in the city. We used this city as our base of operations as we visited other cities.

Fredericksburg

No visit to the Hill Country is complete without a visit to the German heritage town of Fredericksburg. There are multiple attractions and plenty of shops and restaurants. We got there early to tour the National Museum of the Pacific War. The museum is located in Fredericksburg because the American Naval Commander in the Pacific during WWII (Admiral Chester Nimitz) was from Fredericksburg and his home can be toured as part of the museum. People were limited in the museum so we were able to social distance well. Only two of the three museum sites were open but we still learned about the Pacific Theater in WWII and about another native Texan that impacted the world. Texas is very proud of its military history and has had many people influence battles all across the globe. While in Fredericksburg we also visited the frontier fort called Fort Martin Scott. It stood to protect Texans in the frontier from anyone who might attack them. You can tour the buildings and see the nearby Texas Rangers center that is being built to recognize the Texas Rangers and their history. While we were there the shops were very crowded so with our policy of traveling safely we decided not to visit the shopping area but did take a quick walk along the main street.

Kerrville

In the small town of Kerrville you can see multiple unique and interesting attractions that connect you to art, religion and the world in general. We first visited the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville. There we saw many paintings and sculptures that depicted the Western way of life that embodies the Texas past and in many cases the present in Texas. It was a great small museum to visit. The second stop we made was to The Coming King Sculpture and Prayer Gardens. Up on a tall hill in Kerrville is a huge cross. A beautiful garden filled with sculptures depicting scenes from the life of Jesus Christ and the Bible where you can walk through and pray, meditate and relax. They have Bible study classes there and you can give a prayer request. While it was very hot we still enjoyed the quiet walk and some time to pray for the future. Just South of Kerrville you can visit Stonehenge II that is a 2/3rds size replica of the ancient site in England. It was interesting to see a bit of England in the middle of the Texas Hill Country but in Texas you can find a number of interesting places that link it to the world.

Comfort

We made a quick stop in the small city of Comfort at a monument where we were completely alone. Near downtown Comfort you will find the German Treue der Union memorial that was built many years ago. The memorial is in German and is dedicated to Germans who were killed in the Nueces Massacre during the American Civil War. They were Pro-Union and were killed by Confederate forces. Many of those who died are buried at the monument. It is a reminder of the sad parts of Texas history.

Austin and La Grange

We made a trip up to Austin while we were still trying to avoid crowds and not visit family and friends to stay safe. While not a true part of the Hill Country Austin and La Grange have some great places to see. We only went to visit the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum that we are members of. The museum was not crowded when we visited and was doing a great job keeping people safe. We social distanced very well. The museum goes over Texas history from the Native Americans, the explorers such as La Salle to the Texas Revolution and Civil War to modern days. They usually have great temporary exhibits as well. They have artifacts such as the LaBelle which was a ship in La Salle’s failed settlement in Texas. The museum fills three stories and is a reminder of how storied Texas history really is. Few other states has such a rich history as Texas. In La Grange we took a Christmas light walk at the Monument Hill State Park. The is on a bluff that over looks La Grange and has a monument with the remains of the Dawson Massacre and the Mier Expedition to Mexico. This occurred during the Republic of Texas times and Texans were captured and forced to draw beans. Those with Black Beans were executed. The park also has the Kreische house and remains of their brewery. You can once again see German heritage of this area. The Christmas light walk has the trails of the park covered in lights. Usually you can walk through the home to see a German Christmas scene and try Wassel but it was closed due to covid. A small family note you can see my great-great grandpa’s marksmanship medal in the museum there.

My Take On Central Texas and the Hill Country

The Good

The Hill Country and Central Texas is a favorite spot to vacation to in Texas. Its full of history, German and Czech culture, museums, natural wonders and plenty of shopping. If you visit the small towns its a great place to get away from the big cities in Texas. In some towns you definitely get a European vibe with a Texas twist. The area has some of the most beautiful scenery in Texas. Its also home to some of Texas’s best breweries and vineyards. There are a lot of good natural walks and tours you can take where you usually won’t be bit up by mosquitoes (as much) like along the gulf coast. You can of course tube down the rivers in the area but I really enjoy the museums and the history of the area. In the Hill Country compare to most regions in Texas there is a larger variety of activities you can do. Another great aspect is in general I’ve found the Hill Country and Central Texas are one of the most clean areas of Texas. You do not see the litter, abandoned areas and garbage as you might see in some of the Texas regions. If you love German style food or BBQ this region is for you with so many restaurants and smokehouses in the region.

The Bad

With the Hill Country being a heavily visited area it can also be very crowded. Cities like Fredericksburg are full of shoppers and parking can be difficult at times. With more heavily visited areas also comes more expense when it comes to things like lodging. In the larger cities like Austin the traffic is some of the worst you will find in Texas. The growth in the area has made it expensive to live near Austin so you would need to live in a small town and commute in to get affordable housing if you want to live there. Like most everywhere in Texas it can be hot and the weather can be wild at times so always be prepared.

In Conclusion

The Hill Country and Central Texas is an area of beautiful scenery and abundant history. You have so many chances to learn about unique Texas cultures with a heavy German and Czech influence. With museums like the National Museum of the Pacific War you can once again learn about how Texans have changed the world in many ways. In the larger cities like Austin and Waco there are many great museums and historic sites that show the firsts and tough ways in Texas. Its a great place to visit but might cost you a bit and be prepared for crowds and traffic. We travel to this region often so its why it was one of the first areas we visited as we continued to travel further from home during the pandemic.