Texas Hill Country: Don’t Miss These Four Towns

Welcoming hospitality, great food (not limited to delicious bar-b-que), a bounty of live music, rolling countryside and yes, longhorns, characterize Texas’ Hill Country.

Who could say no to the invitation to visit for a few days? Not me.

An hour west of San Antonio, I found the essence of pragmatic determination in Hill Country, adding to the Lone Star State’s reputation for rugged independence.  Just squint across the hills and envision cattle drives, European settlers negotiating the unyielding terrain and weather not to mention a checkered past co-existing with Native American tribes.

Today, the authenticity rings true, its spirit and soul distilled from the past. There’s always something going on in Hill Country.  And there are four towns you don’t want to miss.

PLUS: Hill Country book recommendations at the end of this post – don’t miss ’em!

Comfort, Luckenbach, Fredericksburg, and Kerrville each embody the Hill Country ethos. In truth Luckenbach is no longer an official “town” but it is very much a destination.

Here’s a quick overview of each town:

Comfort

Comfort, west of San Antonio, should be your first stop, especially if it’s lunch time.  I found it to be a full-immersion into the uniquely Texas cuisine of Hill Country. For that alone, find a place to park (it won’t be hard) and order up.

Try Fritzes, a re-purposed caboose  serves up the local fare of  barb-b-que, pickles, slaw, and beans –  a Texas tradition with gourmet street cred. 

Luckenbach

Okay, it’s more a state of mind than a town. But unlike Margaritaville, it was a real town for over a hundred years, from 1849-1971.  It has a proud history as one of the few trading posts that continuously  honored the peace treaty with the Comanche Indians, with whom they exchanged goods.

By 1970 Luckenbach, nearly abandoned with a population of 3, was bought for $30,000 by rancher and local folklorist Hondo Crouch and two partners. The existing post office was decommissioned and is now a general store; the dance hall still operates  as a music center.

On Sundays, visitors bring instruments and take turns performing informally with others in what is known as the pickin’ circle.

The circle is serious; it adheres to a long-standing convention wherein only participating musicians are allowed to join in under the live oak. Everyone is welcome, just have a guitar and be ready to use it. 

The rest of us are consigned (happily) to stand around as listen as we can, with roosters patrolling overhead. 

Luckenbach’s claim as a country music beacon is a bit tenuous, tied to the eponymous country song with the most high-profile performance as part of Waylon Jennings’ repertoire in the mid-1970s and on.

Fredericksburg

The big kahuna of Hill Country is Fredericksburg, the ‘must go’ tourist destination.  Settled by German immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century, that heritage is evident today as a running theme throughout the town.

As a departure from its Teutonic past, Fredericksburg also offers a more contemporary TexMex venue, Il Milagro, with casual Sunday afternoon live music, just the thing to accompany some of their superlative sangria.

Kerrville

Kerrville is the little town that wants to be big. So it’s trying  but retains the down-home vibe. There is a very lovely river walk the Guadalupe River, and the shops reflect the longstanding retail influence of the Schreiner family, whose business brought the town to prominence after the Civil War, and then contributed generously to education and the arts in Kerrville.

A stop in Kerrville must include Grape Juice, an unpretentious restaurant I highly recommend.

And if you visit Hill Country over Labor Day….

Neither Doss nor Harper  Texas would merit a stop other than during Labor Day Weekend. They are plunked in the Hill Country like dice on a game board; tiny communities   But at the end of the summer, these two towns summon an almost mystical local presence. The  Doss’ Volunteer Fire Department raises the bulk of its annual budget with free beer at the annual catfish fry with approximately 3000 in attendance. (Donation, please)

Over Labor Day weekend Harper hosts its annual rodeo.

Your just can’t beat fun like this.  Two rodeo high points at the rodeo: calf roping (men and women) and  6-9 year olds riding sheep in the “Mutton Chops” competition.  Rodeo champs of tomorrow.

So, hang your hat in Hill Country for a few days….and enjoy! 

HILL COUNTRY BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Catch the vibe of the Alamo with this NY Times best-selling novel: The Gates of the Alamo
2.  Don’t go without the following: Backroads of the Texas Hill Country 
3. And this companion piece: Texas Hill Country: A Food and Wine Lover’s Paradise

Please share your favorite Hill Country spot  – or book – in the comments below.

See you down the trail,

Jane

© 2016 3 Score & More

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