It doesn't get much better than a road trip through Texas's Hill Country. It has just about everything you'd want: Beautiful countryside, friendly locals, hidden swimming holes, rolling hills and small towns that are just bursting with charm. "Bucolic" doesn't even begin to describe Hill Country. One need only stumble upon the tiny hamlet of Luckenbach, outside Fredericksburg, where live music plays in an outdoor, make-shift theater pretty much 24/7. Here, you'll find old-timers, young folks, moms with kids dancing around, bikers hanging in the shack that's actually a bar, and a guy in the back that lets you take pictures on his massive ox. Driving around Hill Country really is like being in another world. Time moves slower here, the people speak their own language, and life is just a bit sweeter when you're exploring spring-fed rivers, rambling through wooded canyons, and driving past fields of bluebonnets. The Hill Country sunrises and sunsets alone will make you believe in magic.
Start off in Austin, TX where there's loads to see (and tons of delicious places to eat.) Grab a donut and some coffee at Gourdough's - Big. Fat. Donuts for breakfast, and head to local favorites like Top Notch Hamburgers or Franklin's Barbecue for lunch. Then head down to Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon if you need to wash it all down with a cold beer. A few other notable joints in town include Spider House and the Hula Hut, when you're looking for a place with a li'l extra kitsch.
Just thirteen miles south of Fredericksburg is Luckenbach Texas, a very, very special place. This hill country hamlet is an iconic country music venue that looks like a working Old West town. There's a blacksmith shop, post office, on-site bar shack, dance hall and cotton gin. During summer, this place gets busy; I mean packed, with thousands of people. In fact, during music festival season, you'll need to get tickets well in advance if you hope to visit. But, during the off-season, fall and winter, it's a great place to pop down to during a weekend or weekday, grab a beer and listen to whoever's on the stage.
Next, drive to the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre House" (from the movie) in Kingsland. The iconic horror home was actually dismantled after filming and relocated to Kingsland, where it's currently operating as a delicious restaurant called the Grand Central Cafe. It's actually pretty surreal. Not only did the filmmakers use the house for exteriors, but it was used for interior shots as well. Order the "Leatherface Lemonade"... it's a killer cocktail.
Best time to visit Texas Hill Country: The climate in Texas Hill Country is rather hot and humid in the summer, and is pretty much perfect in the fall. Winters can bring chilly temperatures in the evening, but for the most part, the climate of much of Hill Country is classified as a humid subtropical zone, so expect mild to hot temperatures.