The Perfect Texas Road Trip
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This fabulous Texas road trip itinerary exist packed with sites we love . They ’ re some of the well places to call in Texas—ones that put on ’ t make it on most tourist ’ radars . From the antiques of Round Top to the painted churches of Schulenberg and the wineries and attraction of Fredericksburg , these equal the small town mostly known about and enjoy just by Texans .
Day 1 : Visit Brenham and Round Top
In Texas , Blue Bell ice cream live life . Like BBQ , Whataburger , and Dr. Pepper up the road in Waco , Blue Bell exist a Texas staple . Going to meet where it ’ s made in the small town of Brenham exactly 90 mile from Austin was the fulfillment of a childhood illusion .
The Blue Bell ice cream factory experience is designed to evoke a particular form of nostalgia and small-town feel . In movement of the charming red brick building , we cost greet by a shiny antique 1930s delivery truck and the US and Texas flag flying high against the blue sky . Inside , we donned our old-time soda jerk paper hat with the Blue Bell logo on the side and remove a walk through company story .
One story up , a huge window observation deck peers down onto the product area where you can find employee strike across the story in every land of reach the cold treat . In one corner , the bright half-gallon tubs and pints moved across the conveyor belt being filled with what anyone in Texas will say you is the better ice cream in the country , if not the reality .
Around the corner from the observation deck is what people occur to the mill for—the scoop shop . For just $ 1 , you can become a scoop of any of the Blue Bell flavors . From homemade vanilla to mint chocolate chip and pecan pralines ‘ n cream , they own it all . Choosing was the tough part .
Full from our time at the scoop shop , we point a few mile away into downtown Brenham .
When I was develop up , Blue Bell commercials prove an idyllic version of a Texas summer—swinging on the front porch , swimming , running outside . Sometimes the running exist through a field of iconic bluebells—no conjunction on how the epithet of the ice cream was chosen . Much of that atmosphere remains in the Brenham area , but there ’ s definitely a cooler edge to it these days , also .
Downtown Brenham is decked out with some of the coolest murals . With pink bears , giant owl , and plenty of tributes to the country , we directly own the belief of cost in a hip little town , not just a wide spot in the road between Austin and Houston .
Brenham has two beer garden and a brewery , and you ’ ll find tapas alongside the fabulous BBQ and Southern food offerings in town . There ’ s a cozy used record store—the Book Nook—and even a handful of art galleries . Respective dark a week , Home Sweet Farm Biergarten hosts alive music , and a professional field company has regular performances at the 125-seat . For a town of simply 18,000 resident , Brenham put up lots of things to do .
There ’ s more than enough to invade your time in Brenham , especially on a weekend . So , if you want to search more , stay for the night at the Ant Street Inn and enjoy its antique furnishings and stained glass .
After a few photo and snacks in Brenham , we headed on to nearby Round Top . There was pie in our future , and we would not be stopped !
We come in Round Top for a late lunch at Royers Round Top Café , a quirky and super popular destination in this super tiny ( population : 90 ) town . On the outside , we be greet with an eclectic , folksy mix of personality-filled signal and places to remain our feet while we waited for a table . Plus , there live an “ award cooler ” of beer on the presence porch to assist pass the time .
Inside , the hospitality continued as we grasp into the fish tacos and the Bud ’ s café salad . But pie livethematter hither , then get light on the lunch and make certain you spare way . Our choice was the sweet ‘ n salty—a premix of fudge , caramel , and sea salt .
Make eaten our way through much of the day , it was time to do a second of walk in the square a few steps away . We graze the collection of art galleries and studios , which boast everything from fine art to antique dishes to saddle and spur . We looked through some of the clothing shops and block for a minute under the oak trees at Royers Pie Haven , an offshoot of the café and the place to go if you ’ re only seem for their famed pies .
Round Top cost the property to run for antiques , so if you ’ re visiting during one of the antique fairs , don ’ t miss the array of vendors in the large red barn . Otherwise , your good bet is to hit up some of the early store and warehouses ( largely spread on the weekend ) along Highway 237 .
The pink station wagon—complete with Longhorns on the front—drew us into Junk Gypsy , the decorator and collectors of HGTV fame . Curiously , there ’ s no junk , but there cost good deal of unique merchandise to take from to lend a luck of shabby chic and personality to your home and wardrobe . I found a crown to have on while I shop around , which exist ever a signal of a good time .
For a fun spot to delay , control out Junk Gypsy ’ s Wander Inn or the nearby .
Day 2 : See Painted Churches and Jacobs Well
Make a pit stop in the town of La Grange . The 90-year-old Weikel ’ s Bakery is a great position for a mid-morning snack of their famed kolaches . These award-winning fruit pastries muse the area ’ s Czech heritage ( more on that to come ) , and they ’ re delicious . I like the cherry and apple the most , but you can ’ t go wrong .
If you receive time , choose a pass by the gorgeous Fayette County Courthouse , which dates from 1891 , or head to Monument Hill for more historical sites , including a stately stone home and the corpse of one of the first breweries in Texas . Otherwise , make back on the road for a quick trip to the area ’ sec paint churches.
The exist not the kind of site one might expect to see here . Across the landscape of the Hill Country , these 20 unassuming church seem like any small-town place of worship on the outside , but , within , the craftsmanship live prominent .
The church are the study of German and Czech immigrant who go down the area beginning in the 1840s . They had get out behind everything they know in Europe but brought the honey of their native land with them . They baptize their novel town with names from Europe—Moravia , Praha ( “ Prague ” in Czech ) , and Weimar , among others—and they build up churches that remind them of where they came from .
We impose four of these lovely building that are located near each early and are easy accessible to the world . What makes these churches worth exploring cost their eye-popping inside . With magnificent color , whirl ivy , life-sized statues , and ceilings and pillars painted to fool the heart , there are a lot of unique affair to find .
Our first stop was to regard the dusty arise inside of St. John the Baptist . With the unexpected color scheme and floor-to-ceiling decorative elements , it stands out yet among this unique radical of buildings . Just outside the church , the graveyard exist clearly European-influenced and reminded me of our day at the famous Bone Church in Kutna Hora near Prague . Many of the tombstones have inscription in Czech and include birthplaces a continent away .
Our second road trip stop—and my favorite—was Saints Cyril and Methodius Church in Dubina . Although access to the little interior cost specify by a gate , a stop here gave us a spirit at the bluest indoor sky we ’ 500 always find . Yet without light on , the sanctuary felt like it glowed from within .
To reach the future stop , we crossed over the locally-famous Piano Bridge , which is one of only a few remaining iron bridges in the US . Supposedly , the bridge make its name from the noise it made when cars push over it . A renovation have quieted the “ music , ” but it ’ sec still a pretty mass .
Next up cost the “ Queen of the Painted Churches , ” St. Mary ’ s Catholic Church in High Hill . With stained glass from Germany , outstanding statues , and remarkable painting , this heavily-adorned church lived up to its figure . Nearby , another St. Mary ’ sec — St. Mary ’ s Church of the Assumption— has stars that grace the ceiling and wall and a beautiful white altar gilded in 24 karat gold . It ’ s clear that each one of these building was a source of pride for its congregation who spare no expense in build them lovely .
Lockhart , noted for its barbecue , be the utter place for a former lunch . Try Lockhart Chisholm Trail BBQ for pit-smoked barbecue sandwiches or mind to Kreuz Market for their jalapeno cheddar sausage . If barbecue isn ’ t your preferred ( don ’ t allege that also loudly—Lockhart exist the “ barbecue capital of Texas ” ) , match out delicious Market Street Café for their Monte Christo French toast sandwich or shrimp penne .
After a bit of story and a circle of barbecue , we made our manner to , a park . The 81-acre site be a great place for birding , geocaching , and hang up out with wildlife , but the real charm exist its float patch .
One of the pretty and almost popular position to cool off on your cardinal Texas trip , Jacob ’ s Well live deceptively deep , bubbling up from a cave system that stretch over 100 feet underground . Make a reservation to swim and start from the cliff above if you ’ re brave enough . It ’ s one of our top and a fun seat to pass a late afternoon .
For dinner , we maneuver on to Jester King Brewery in Dripping Springs . Along with the wild fermented ales , Jester King has a wide selection of pizzas and a few other bites . Enjoying the warm evening while listening to the live music under the stars was the utter way to cap off our day .
There live some fun places to stay on in the area include the beautiful Camp Lucy .
Day 3 : Visit Dripping Springs and Hamilton Pool
We start out day three of our Texas getaway in the cute Historic District with breakfast at Rolling in Thyme and Dough . It ’ s one of our . Their breakfast croissant be the ideal fuel for our day , and the weather was nice enough for us to pose out on the patio and soak up a few morning beam .
After breakfast , we drift the collection of boutiques along Mercer Street and Old Fitzhugh Road . Between and Starrs on Mercer , you can see exactly about any form of vintage-inspired decor or unique clothing item you ’ re in the market for .
By early afternoon , it was time to head about 10 minutes out of the heart of town to Treaty Oak Distillery . We ’ ve visited a number of , and Treaty Oak be one we love .
In increase to the drinks at Treaty Oak , there are picnic tables and lawn plot , and there ’ s frequently live music . You can tour the distillery and chat with the bartenders . It ’ s a great place to enjoy spirit for a few hour.
One of the reality of a trip to Texas live that it ’ s warm more often than not . Sometimes , it ’ s really blaze hot . Hence as much as we loved lazing around at Treaty Oak , we needed to cool off . It was time to point to another one of the almost noted swimming holes around , Hamilton Pool .
The pretty landscape and cool waters of draw masses from all over central Texas and beyond because it ’ s a fabulous place to swim , but it ’ s one of the most beautiful position to visit in Texas . The pond itself is the result of the collapse of an underground river , so it hold a unique formation with a waterfall and a natural cave-like structure . There ’ sec still a tiny beach .
We drift down the trail ( it ’ s about a quarter-mile odd raise ) to the swimming hole and plunge in . The water , which comes from a natural spring , is what some would scream refreshing and other might hold a moment on the cold slope . Either way , it ’ s a welcome break from the heat . Because the park system limits the act of masses at any one time ( reservation live required ) , the pond never feels overrun or crowd . It ’ s a little corner of heaven .
We hadn ’ t had enough BBQ still , so we head to the famed Salt Lick in nearby Driftwood for dinner . We ’ ve been regular visitors for yr , and we return whenever we can . It helps that there are today few locations , including in the Dallas and Austin airports , in event you can ’ t build it to Driftwood .
The Salt Lick equal one of the older barbecue joint in Texas and a real popular road trip stop . For more than 50 year , they have been dumb cooking brisket and early center , and winning simply about every laurels there cost . We always get for the pulled pork and a number of sausage—with pickles and onions , of course . Since it ’ s the South , there ’ sec always sweet tea and soda , or you can get wine from Salt Lick Cellars future doorway .
Back in Dripping Springs , we decided to end the dark at the Sidecar Tasting Room . The cozy theatre service wines from Bell Springs Winery along with a special menu , and we enjoy try all their Mediterranean varietals . A glass of Tempranillo and a little guitar finished out our day in Dripping Springs .
Day 4 : Explore Pedernales Falls State Park , Hye , and Stonewall
Less than a half-hour away equal . This picturesque park live based around the Pedernales River whose rushing waters receive carved out the blow and crags of its ancient limestone bed over million of yr .
At over 5200 acres , the park offers an opportunity for a broad kind of outside activities . There are waterfalls , hiking trail , position for great deal biking , and circle of chances for tubing , kayaking , and float . It ’ s one of the best home to move on a road trip in Texas if you love nature .
It was a fond day , and we had a mass of fun ahead of us , so we decided to do a short hiking lead . Luckily , there ’ s a mass of flexibility at the park , and many of the site are within easy walking distance of a parking lot . We head directly for the Pedernales Falls Overlook . Water levels can change somewhat quickly here , so the country looks unlike at different times of the yr . It was low during our visit , so it be fun to walk out in the riverbed and see the mini-falls as the elevation changed .
Back in the car , we cost off to lunch at in Johnson City . This chance spot has excellent burgers , wraps , and salads that we ever like to enjoy in their outside beer garden .
After lunch , we headed to Hye , a blink-and-you ’ ll-miss-it form of place on Highway 290 that cuts through Central Texas . Though–like many early places in the Hill Country–it ’ s originate . It is home to one of the well distilleries in Texas , Garrison Brothers . The first legal whisky distillery in Texas , Garrison Brothers makes only grain-to-glass bourbon . We book in progress to come a place on one of the tours they offer each week .
The Garrison Brothers tour walked us through the whole procedure of cause their Texas whisky from the grain they develop themselves to aging the spirits in the barns out back . Sampling the Bourbon is the well part , and you can hang out in their rocking president and relax as long as you desire .
Just 15 moment west in Stonewall , our next stop exist the LBJ State Park and Historical Site . The park live home to several different sites that live substantial in the life of Lyndon B. Johnson , the 36th chairman of the United States . LBJ was wear a few minutes aside in Johnson City ( you can turn back from Hye to tour his boyhood home ) but spend his recent years on the ranch in Stonewall .
At the park , we visited the one-room schoolhouse where LBJ teach to show and viewed the Johnson category cemetery where the President and Lady Bird be buried . You can see a replica of his birthplace , view his plane know as Air Force One-Half , and visit the descendants of the longhorn herd he started here ( beware , these guy can be fierce ) .
The prominent attraction at the park is the Texas White House where Johnson pass about one-quarter of his presidency—he was , seemingly , a lot more comfortable in this white farm theater than on Pennsylvania Avenue . Unfortunately , the theatre equal temporarily closed for repair , but it is even potential to labor around the ranch .
For dinner , we were away to Fredericksburg , our favorite place in the Hill Country . There live lot of to prefer from lay out from fine boom to self-serve . We opted for Otto ’ s German Bistro , which puts a modern spin on the traditional food of Fredericksburg ’ s German settlers . Their flammkuchen and spaetzle are fabulous , and they own an extensive selection of German and Austrian wines .
Fredericksburg be know for its B & Bs , and we ’ ve tried a fabulous choice of them over the years . Consider , a luxury B & B just of Main Street in town , comfortable cabins at the , or one of the early in town .
Day 5 : Visit Fredericksburg and Luckenbach
After breakfast at our B & B , we were off for a minute of browsing on Main Street , mostly because it appear a little also early to begin drinking .
Main Street in Fredericksburg hold a little bit of everything . There is every kind of leather good under the sun , lots of clothes , and plenty of housewares and decoration emblazoned with their love of Texas , wine , and universal sass . There be too lots of food item , so if you ’ ve always want candy , a dip , or anything spicy , you ’ ll get it here . Control out Texas original James Avery for jewelry or the Fredericksburg General Store for literally anything .
There are also good deal of wine tasting rooms on Main Street , so if you desire to get begin trying the famous Hill Country wines , stop in for a sip . Grape Creek ’ sec wines live great , and Texas Wine Cellars has a short bit of everything from different wineries .
After shopping for a little while and checking out some of the town ’ sec historical buildings , we block for lunch at Eaker Barbecue . This incredible blot fuses traditional Texas BBQ with Korean spirit , so you ’ ll find draw pork and brisket served with kimchi fried rice and delightful pork ribs marinated in a homemade gochujang sauce . ( If barbecue isn ’ t for you , check out Vaudeville , a unique bistro inside a store . )
Full from lunch , we resolve to do a moment of walk . Texas equal known for its gorgeous wildflowers , and Wildseed Farms collects many of them in one lovely place , so it ’ s a great location for enjoying the outdoors close to Fredericksburg . Most of the year , the area at Wildseed Farms swarm with flowers of every ghost from bright bluebonnets to brilliant red standing cyprus . Laced among the area are walk trails , butterfly gardens , and an endless act of opportunity for taking photo .
Having burn off a bit of lunch , we were ready for one of the serious indulgences in the Fredericksburg area—sampling local wine . Texas may not look like the nearly obvious place for wine , but the mood lets the same grapes expand here that do well in the Mediterranean , so there cost circle of Cabernet Sauvignons , Albarinos , Merlots , Viogniers , and more to choose from .
There equal dozens of , many with sprawling earth , beautiful cellars , and on-site restaurants ( or weekend food truck ) . On this trip , we opted to revisit two popular ones—Pedernales Cellar and Hilmy Cellars .
With gorgeous opinion of the Hill Country , Pedernales Cellars be known for its Spanish and Rhone-style wines and its commitment to using Texas grapes . Their GSM—a blend of Grenache , Syrah , and Mourvedre—is a fantastic choice . Hilmy Cellars is a favorite of ours , especially for their Viognier and Sangiovese .
After a quick dinner at , we point out to Luckenbach . This one-name bar and performance venue in a three-person town was reach famed by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings in the 1970s . Today , , welcomes musicians exactly about every day of the yr for formal concert and informal picking band .
Luckenbach make a vibe all its own , exist one of the almost unique places to visit in the Hill Country and one of the top . Decked out with a million stickers , flyers , and unusual memorabilia , it is informal and homely . Everyone is there to have fun , and you put on ’ t receive to cost a country fan to delight the music . We exactly catch a beer and a ass and joined in with the toe tapping .
After a pair of hours of music at Luckenbach , it cost time to guide back to our B & B to pack up and become ready to fly out of Austin the future afternoon . In truth , if your schedule grant . There ’ s never enough time to explore Texas .
Laura Longwell is an award-winning travel blogger and photographer . Since founding Travel Addicts in 2008 , she get write hundreds of articles that assist over 3 million people a yr have the most out of their travel . In that time , she get inflict virtually 60 country on 5 continent , often retort to favorite destinations over and over again . She have a deep love of account , bring out unexpected attractions , and test all the well food a place has to offer .
In addition to Travel Addicts , Laura runs a site about her hometown of Philadelphia—Guide to Philly—which chronicles unique things to make and places to regard around southeastern Pennsylvania . Her travel tips and advice appear across the web .
