February 25, 2016
Slideshows » Arts
By San Antonio Current Staff
Texas boasts many beautiful hidden gems. Here are just a few of our favorite spots that are just off the beaten path.
Jacob's Well
1699 Mount Sharp Road, Wimberley, Texas 78676
A popular swimming spot located northwest of Wimberley, this perennial spring features underwater caves reaching an average depth of 120 feet.
Photo via Facebook (Anthony Mowl)
The Lavender Capital of Texas
Multiple locations, blancochamber.com
Blanco, the Lavender Capital of Texas, is in full bloom during its summertime Lavendar Festival. Plan a visit in June of this year.
Photo via Instagram (allieohkay)
Lost Maples State Park
37221 FM 187, Vanderpool, Texas 78885, tpwd.texas.gov
Lost Maples State Natural Area is a pristine area of hills and canyons on the upper Sabinal River in the Edwards Plateau of Texas. The site is an hour away from Kerrville.
Photo via Facebook (Hanna Campbell)
Fredericksburg Herb Farm
405 Whitney St., Fredericksburg, Texas 78624, (830) 997-8615, fredericksburgherbfarm.com
The Fredericksburg Herb Farm is a quaint retreat featuring homey one-room cottages, a bistro and a day spa.
Photo via Facebook (Fredericksburg Herb Farm)
Hamilton Pool Wildlife Preserve
24300 Hamilton Pool Rd, Dripping Springs, Texas 78620, parks.traviscountytx.gov
Hamilton Pool Preserve is a natural pool that was created when the dome of an underground river collapsed thousands of years ago. A preserve surrounding the pool is located about 23 miles west of Austin.
Photo via Facebook (Hailey Michelle)
Das Peach Haus
1406 US 87, Fredericksburg, Texas 78624, (830) 997-8969, daspeachhaus.com
Founded in 1969 on the grounds of the Wieser family orchards, Das Peach Haus is a premier country store housed in a beautifully restored complex consisting of a 1870 log cabin that adjoins the historic Lone Star Brewery warehouse.
Photo via Facebook (Das Peach Haus)
Luckenbach, Texas
412 Luckenbach Town Loop, Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
Everyone's someone in Luckenbach, an almost ghost-town with a deep-rooted history in outlaw country music. Indeed, Jerry Jeff Walker himself recorded a live album in the Luckenbach dance hall during the summer of 1973.
Photo via Facebook (Luckenbach Texas)
Willow City Loop
Highway 16 to Farm Road 1323 towards Willow City
Photo via Facebook (Texas Hill Country)
Marburger Orchard
559 Kuhlmann Rd, Fredericksburg, Texas 78624, (830) 997-9433, marburgerorchard.com
Photo via Instagram (mgvandewark)
Comfort Little Theater
Junction of I-10 and Highway 87, comfortlittletheater.com
The picturesque city of Comfort is a place of solace for city slickers year round. There are excellent eats at High's Cafe and Store (726 High St.), quirky shopping digs like the Elephant Story (723 High St.) and more. However, lovers of the eccentric should check out showtime at the Comfort Little Theater in the realm of dark-thirty during the last weekend in April and first weekend in May.
Photo via Facebook (Ryan Park)
Regency Bridge
Intersection of Mills County Road 433 and San Saba County Road 137
The Regency Bridge, known simply as the "Swinging Bridge" to locals, is a one-lane suspension bridge over the Colorado River in Texas.
Photo via Instagram (abandonedtexas)
Ye Kendall Inn
128 W. Blanco Road, Boerne, Texas 78006, (830) 249-9954, yekendallinn.com
Settled on a grassy span of five acres overlooking Cibolo Creek and the Boerne Town Square, this inn dating back to 1859 is a national historic landmark. Explore the surrounding city, but remember to grab a drink at the hotel's tavern.
Photo via Facebook (Ye Kendall Inn)
Kreuz Market
619 N. Colorado St., Lockhart, Texas 78644, (512) 398-2361, kreuzmarket.com
We argue that Kreuz Market is, indeed, a beautiful destination in the quiet city of Lockhart. Trek out to this landmark when you can't bare the thought of the unending lines awaiting diners at Austin's Franklin Barbecue.
Photo via Facebook (Kreuz Market)
Garner State Park
234 RR 1050, Concan, Texas 78838, (830) 232-6132, tpwd.texas.gov
It's no mystery why Garner State Park — a lush spot nestled deep inside the Hill Country — is the most popular state park in Texas for overnight camping. An added incentive to visit this destination? You can float 2.9 miles of the Frio River as you wind through 1,774 acres of scenic terrain.
Photo via Facebook (Garner State Park)
Cadillac Ranch
I-40 Frontage Road, Amarillo, Texas 79124
Cadillac Ranch is not a ranch, per-say, but rather a public art installation and sculpture found off the highway in Amarillo. It was created in 1974 by the Ant Farm, an artistically minded group of hippies imported from San Francisco.
Photo via Instagram (Alan R Photography)
Goose Island State Park
202 Palmetto St., Rockport, Tecas 78382, (361) 729-2858, tpwd.texas.gov
You need to snap a photo for posterity with the "Big Tree" when you visit Goose Island State Park, which is located north of the seaside city of Rockport on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Standing at 44 feet and estimated to be over 1,000 years old, it's one of the largest in the nation.
Photo via Instagram (coolbus101)
El Cosmico
802 S. Highland Ave., Marfa, Texas 79843, (432) 729-1950, elcosmico.com
Stay in a vintage trailer, tepee or tent on this desert property, which boasts an incredible view of the night sky and is conveniently located next to the best of Marfa's art galleries, dining and shopping.
Photo via Instagram (elcosmicomarfa)
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
805 N. Capital of Texas Hwy., Austin, Texas 78746, (210) 561-5630, parks.traviscountytx.gov
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve encompasses 227 acres of woodland west of Austin, Texas. The preserve was founded in 1974, and remains untouched by urban developers sprawling out of the big city. (Shocking, right?)
Photo via Instagram (jleach033)
Cueva de Leon
6900 Hueco Tanks Road, El Paso, Texas 79938, (915) 857-1135, tpwd.texas.gov
The Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site offers guided and self-led tours of gorgeous ancient rock imagery, including the Cueva de Leon, the rumored home of a legendary mountain lion.
Photo via Instagram (huecotanksstatepark)
Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge
17552 Farm To Market 14, Tyler, Texas 75706, (903) 858-1008, tigercreek.org
Stop and say hello to some of the most unexpected residents of Tyler, Texas at the Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge, a safe home for abused, neglected and unwanted big cats.
Photo via Instagram (tiger_creek)
Shangri La Botanical Center
2111 W. Park Ave., Orange, Texas 77630, (409) 670-9113, starkculturalavenues.org
This private botanical garden and nature preserve is located in the heart of Orange, the easternmost city in Texas.
Photo via Instagram (stephaniedwyer1)
Palmetto State Park
78 Park Road 11 S., Gonzales, Texas 78629, (830) 672-3266, tpwd.texas.gov
Located in Gonzales County just southeast of Luling, the Palmetto State Park is named for the dwarf palmetto bush that grows abundantly on the park's grounds. Find a wide variety of animals in this haven for wildlife only an hour from Austin and San Antonio.
Photo via Instagram (kdty59)
Copper Breaks State Park
777 State Highway Park Road 62, Quanah, Texas 79252, (940) 839-4331, tpwd.texas.gov
Situated in Hardeman County, Copper Breaks was originally occupied by both the Comanche and Kiowa tribes. Today Copper Breaks is an International Dark Sky Park, and hosts a stargazing programs from April through October.
Photo via Instagram (micahmathews)
Boca Chica Beach
23 miles east on Texas Highway 4 from Brownsville
Boca Chica Beach is a sandy stretch of eight miles found on the Gulf, not far from where the U.S. ends and Mexico begins.
Photo via Facebook (Koffler Pictures)
Love Creek Orchards and The Apple Store
14024 State Highway 16 North, Medina, Texas 78055, (830) 589-2202, shop.lovecreekorchards.com
This charming stone shop in Medina doubles as an orchard house dealing in apple-based foods, especially pie.
Photo via Facebook (Love Creek Orchards and The Apple Store)
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Jacob's Well
1699 Mount Sharp Road, Wimberley, Texas 78676
A popular swimming spot located northwest of Wimberley, this perennial spring features underwater caves reaching an average depth of 120 feet.
Photo via Facebook (Anthony Mowl)
