A Long Weekend Road Trip Through the Hill Country

Three days, two small towns and a cooler full of snacks. Our favorite kind of trip. Last April we tossed a duffel bag in the back of the car, left Austin on a Friday morning and pointed ourselves west into the Texas Hill Country with no hotel reservations after the first night and no plan beyond a loose loop. Here’s our route and where we stopped, plus the things I’d tell a friend before they go. Spoiler: you will eat more pie than you planned, and you will not regret a single slice.

Before you go

The Hill Country is at its best in spring, roughly from late March through April, when the wildflowers are blooming and the afternoons are warm but not yet brutal. Fall is lovely too, with cooler mornings and fewer crowds. Summer works if you plan your days around swimming holes, but be ready for heat.

We packed light: a few changes of clothes, swimsuits, sturdy sandals, sun hats and a small first aid kit. The cooler held sandwiches, fruit, cheese, crackers, a bag of trail mix and plenty of water. Cell service can be patchy on the back roads, so I downloaded offline maps before we left and kept a paper state map in the glove box, just in case.

Our rough loop looked like this:

• Friday: Austin west along the back roads, wildflower stops, overnight in a small German-heritage town
• Saturday: Morning in town, afternoon at a spring-fed swimming hole, overnight in a riverside cabin
• Sunday: Slow drive home with a long lunch and that pie

Day one: wildflowers

Spring roadsides were covered in bluebonnets. We pulled over every ten minutes. I’m not exaggerating. Within an hour of leaving the city, the shoulders of the farm roads turned blue and purple, with splashes of red Indian paintbrush and yellow coreopsis mixed in. My daughter kept a tally of every kind of flower she could name and ran out of room on her page.

A few manners for wildflower season: pull completely off the road where it is safe, watch for traffic and other photographers, and don’t trample the flowers to get the perfect shot. Many of the best patches are on private ranch land, so stay on the public right-of-way and never climb a fence. Also, check the ground before you sit. Fire ants love bluebonnet patches as much as we do.

We reached our first town by late afternoon and checked into a little bed-and-breakfast in a restored limestone house with a wide front porch. Dinner was at a family-run beer garden called the Linden Hall Biergarten, where we shared sausages, potato salad and soft pretzels at a long wooden table under live oaks strung with lights. The kids played tag on the lawn while we watched the sky go pink.

Day two: swimming holes

Cold spring water on a hot afternoon. Go on a weekday to avoid crowds. We broke that rule by going on a Saturday, and we paid for it with a long line at the gate, but it was still worth every minute. Our morning started slowly, with coffee and kolaches from a tiny bakery, a walk along the main street and a peek into an antique shop where I very nearly bought a cast-iron skillet the size of a hubcap.

By noon we were at the swimming hole, a spring-fed pool tucked under limestone bluffs and cypress trees. The water stays cool year-round, which feels shocking for about ten seconds and then feels like the best idea anyone ever had. We spread out a blanket in the shade, ate our cooler lunch and took turns jumping in.

Swimming hole tips

• Many popular spots require reservations on weekends, so check ahead
• Bring water shoes; the limestone can be slippery and sharp
• Pack out everything you bring in, including fruit peels
• Pay attention to posted water levels and any closures after heavy rain
• Keep an eye on kids at all times, even in shallow areas

The best trips are close to home and slow on purpose.

Jess

That night we stayed in a small cabin right on the river. There was a screened porch, a hammock and absolutely nothing to do except listen to the water. My husband grilled burgers, the kids caught fireflies in a jar and let them go, and I fell asleep reading on the porch before 10. Honestly, that may have been my favorite part of the whole weekend.

Day three: the best pie in Texas

Sunday was for the slow drive home and the most important stop of the trip. Somewhere along a winding highway sits a little roadside café called Miss Ada’s Pie Kitchen, with mismatched chairs, a hand-painted sign and a glass case that should probably be illegal. We had been told by three separate friends that we had to stop. They were right.

We ordered four slices to share: coconut cream, buttermilk, chocolate meringue and a peach pie made with local fruit. The peach was the clear winner, with a flaky lard crust and fruit that tasted like summer arrived early. The kind woman behind the counter told us the recipe came from her grandmother and that she bakes about forty pies every Saturday night. We bought a whole one to take home, and it did not survive until Tuesday.

After lunch we wandered a nearby peach orchard stand and a lavender farm before heading back toward Austin. The kids slept in the back seat. I watched the bluebonnets roll by one more time and made a mental note to come back next spring.

Snacks for the road

Our cooler deserves a quick shout-out, because it kept everyone happy between stops. I packed turkey and cheddar sandwiches on soft rolls, a bag of grapes, sliced apples with peanut butter cups for dipping, cheese sticks, crackers, a big tub of homemade trail mix and a few treats for the kids. We froze water bottles the night before so they doubled as ice packs and gave us cold water all afternoon. A roll of paper towels, a trash bag and wet wipes rounded it out. Simple, cheap and a lot more relaxing than hunting for lunch in a town with one café.

What we spent and what I’d change

For a family of four, the whole weekend came to about $780. The bed-and-breakfast was $185, the river cabin $210, and the rest went to gas, the swimming hole entry, meals out and an unreasonable amount of pie. Packing a cooler for lunches saved us easily $100.

Next time, I’d book the swimming hole for a Friday instead of a Saturday and add one more night so we’re not rushing on Sunday. I’d also leave more room in the schedule for unplanned stops. Some of our best moments came from pulling off at a random farm stand or a country church with a perfect field of flowers out front.

Key takeaway: Plan the route, the first night and the swimming hole reservation. Leave everything else open for the surprises.

Slow down and look around

We don’t need to fly across the country to have an adventure. Some of our happiest family memories come from a tank of gas, a cooler of sandwiches and a few hours of open road. The Hill Country reminded me that slowing down is the whole point. Pull over for the flowers. Jump in the cold water. Order the extra slice.

If you have a favorite small town, swimming hole or pie stop within a few hours of home, tell me about it. I’m already planning our fall trip, and I’d love a few more places to add to the list.