Hill Country Travel Blog
VANDERPOOL, TEXAS: A TWIST OF THE HILL COUNTRY
To the average traveler, smaller towns like Vanderpool are a blink-and-you-miss-it experience. They’re places to merely pass through on the way from Point A to Point B. Those more major points, to the average traveler, are more exciting and interesting, simply because they’re larger and, supposedly, have more to offer. In their minds, places like Vanderpool are just another wide spot in the road. Flyover territory. Nothing much. Here at Backroads Reservations, we celebrate small Hill Country towns like Vanderpool, and we think it's a shame so many travelers tend to overlook them. Like hundreds of small towns and villages across
Read More
UVALDE, TEXAS: HILL COUNTRY CROSSROADS
Dividing lines of both natural and man-made design seem to converge in Uvalde, Texas, the county seat of the county of the same name, located on the southwestern edge of the Texas Hill Country. US Highway 83 runs north to the Canadian border, and south to Mexico, and US Highway 90 traces an east-to-west route from Florida to the Rio Grande. Both roads intersect in Uvalde, literally at a crossroads that links it to the rest of the country. Naturally speaking, you’ve got the lush Hill Country to the northeast, and semi-arid desert land to the west of town. This creates a community of diversity on many levels.
Read More
TARPLEY, TEXAS: A TINY HILL COUNTRY JEWEL
The majority of visitors to central Texas tend to focus on the larger cities along the I-35 corridor, simply because there’s more to do in those major population centers. There are hundreds of venues to choose from, no matter what interests you; the pace is faster; something’s going on no matter the time of day or night. That's well and good for those who crave a packed and busy itinerary, but what about those of us who'd like a relaxed and recharging retreat or romantic getaway? What is there for the stop-and-smell-the-roses kind of people?
Read More
STONEWALL, TEXAS: PEACHES, WINE, AND LBJ
Named after a colorful general, and birthplace to a president of the United States…this small Hill Country town of 550 people has quite a lot of history standing behind it! On top of all that, Stonewall, Texas also occupies a central location on US Highway 290, also known as the Texas Wine Trail. And, as you’ll soon see, grapes aren’t the only fruit for which Stonewall is well known. Here’s a quick look at how Stonewall became the Hill Country gem it is today.
Read More
SEGUIN, TEXAS: REAL TEXAS
The robust and thriving Hill Country town of Seguin (pronounced seh-GEEN) is one of the larger towns in the region, with a current population of around 30,000. Located about 40 miles northeast of central San Antonio, Seguin is also considered a “border town” of the Hill Country, right on its eastern edge. It’s also one of the oldest towns in the Lone Star State, established shortly after the dust settled from the Texas Revolution. Seguin’s history bolsters the town’s claim of being “Real Texas,” and its citizens take great pride in its heritage and influential role in the building of the great state.
Read More
SABINAL, TEXAS: RIVER COUNTRY GATEWAY
The town of Sabinal lies in Uvalde County in the southern Texas Hill Country. Its proximity to the Sabinal, Leona, Nueces, and Frio rivers has earned it the title of the “Gateway to the River Region.” Therefore, it’s no surprise tourism focused on swimming, tubing, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing on those bodies of water is important to Sabinal’s well being. While that’s true today, let’s take a look at the events that brought this pretty Hill Country town to where it is currently.
Read More
LAKEHILLS, TEXAS: HILL COUNTRY PLAYGROUND ON THE LAKE
Many Hill Country communities have common historical threads. Indigenous tribes made it their home for centuries, taking advantage of the resources of the regions of the Medina River Valley and Edwards Plateau. By the mid-1840s, European immigration was in full swing, and German, French, and Belgian people moved to the area to take advantage of its rich farming and ranching land. Many of those farms and ranches are maintained by the descendants of the original settlers.
Read More
KERRVILLE, TEXAS: THE HEART OF THE HILL COUNTRY
Nestled in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Kerrville is one of the largest towns in the region west of the I-35 corridor, with a population right around 24,000. This welcoming town is located on the banks of the Guadalupe River, and boasts healthy industrial and corporate environments, as well as a vibrant creative community.
Read More