My Favorite San Antonio and Texas Hill Country Vacation Destinations

Among the great things about living in San Antonio, Texas are the endless vacation possibilities right out your back door.  The military encourages us to “embrace the local culture”, which I always thought was excellent advice.  Having been stationed in San Antonio at Lackland Air Force Base twice, I did a lot of exploring.  I loved it so much I decided to retire here. 

I now have over 8 total years living in San Antonio.  The summers are extremely hot, but with relatively low humidity.  Nevertheless, I discourage friends and relatives from visiting in the summer.  My favorite time for Texas travel is October through April, but particularly November and March.  When I have visitors, I never miss a chance to revisit the attractions in San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country.  I never get tired of them! 

I feel pretty strongly that I cannot let any of my visiting guests leave San Antonio without visiting the Riverwalk and the Alamo. You can walk along the Riverwalk for miles, a portion of which is rich with restaurants and hotels. You can find diversity in cuisine, so you can surely find something to satisfy everyone in your party. I have eaten at The Original Mexican Restaurant many times. If you’re looking for Texas classics, you can try Texas Land and Cattle steakhouse, County Line barbecue, or Landry’s seafood. For something more familiar, you could try the Hard Rock Café or Joe’s Crab Shack. For more of an international flair there are many Mexican restaurants, a few great Italian restaurants, and an Irish Pub. For fine dining, you could try Paesano’s.

I highly recommend the Riverwalk boat tour. The driver-guides are very entertaining, and you learn a lot of history of the downtown area. They usually take photos before you get on the boat, which are ready when you get off. I was pleased with the photos and bought them at least once.

The Alamo is near the Rivercenter Mall. The IMAX is inside the mall, and always runs a reenactment film of the battle. The Alamo is behind the mall, and is a very short walk. You can stand immediately in front of the Alamo and get great pictures. The Alamo grounds are also quite picturesque. I’m sure lots of engagement portraits are shot there. There are exhibits inside the mission, which is operated with donations. There are usually live outdoor mini lectures on the grounds, often by someone in a period costume.

There are two Trolley tours, one of which goes to the other San Antonio missions. You can hop off at any of them. Just make sure to clarify with the driver how often another trolley comes through.

If you’re planning a trip to San Antonio, check the schedule for the beautiful and historic Majestic Theater, which is downtown, and my absolute favorite of all the theaters I’ve been to. They host the Broadway Series, the San Antonio Symphony and Pops, and numerous concerts throughout the year.

Most of my favorite Texas Hill Country destinations are one to two hours drive from my house. Usually when I have visitors, I will try to get at least a few days at my Silverleaf timeshare on Canyon Lake, which puts us much closer for day trips. If you have a timeshare and are signed up for one of the trade programs such as RCI, consider staying at Canyon Lake.

There are so many quaint Texas towns with historic downtown areas. I’m actually not much of a shopper in my day to day life, but I enjoy browsing when I am on vacation. Many of the shops are quite unusual. There are lots of shops with antique furniture and other items in the Hill Country.

To find information on Gruene, Texas in tour books, you may have to look up New Braunfels. Gruene is pronounced like the color green. It was a German settlement. The small downtown area has preserved the historic flavor. The quaint specialty shops are in restored period houses. Several of the shops are reminiscent of the old time “General Store”. There are a few nice Bed and Breakfasts too.

Gruene is one of the most popular spots for tubing. Go to one of the tubing businesses and rent your large tire inner tube for floating down the Guadalupe River. At the end of the line, hop the bus back. Count me out. There’s not a sunscreen foolproof enough for me even consider tubing.

The highlight of Gruene for me is Gruene Hall, which is the oldest dance hall in Texas, and where the dance sequences of Michael, with John Travolta, were filmed. Gruene Hall is a great place to catch live music. Check their schedule online. Music includes blues bands, rockabilly, Americana, folk, and more. There is always an afternoon band on Saturdays and Sundays. Shoppers and day trippers freely come and go, sitting at the long benched tables. You can sit for a song, a set, or the whole afternoon. Families and children are welcome. Usually the afternoon performances do not have a cover charge. Drop a tip in the bucket if you enjoy the music.

There is an evening band seven days a week. A check of a recent schedule reveals cover charges on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays of $12 to $15, and Tuesdays $4. There are about 4 to 6 ticketed events per month in the summer months. Ticketed events and cover charges are usually good indicators of a popular act, and a very crowded Hall. After seeing Merle Haggard, with everyone packed in and standing the whole night, I tend to favor the bands and nights with no cover, especially the afternoon performances.

My favorite place to eat in Gruene is the Grist Mill. It is indeed in an old mill. There are plenty of tables inside with super high ceilings, as well as outside bench tables along the river. Everything I’ve tried is great. I especially love the spinach salad, cold baked potato salad, onion rings, and pork ribs. For some reason the ribs are not on the menu, you just have to know and ask for them.

The third weekend of the month, November through February, tourists and day trippers flock to Gruene for Market Days. Vendors are artisans and craftsmen from all over Texas.

Nearby New Braunfels is another Texas town with that hometown feel. Main Street is lined with interesting shops, including antique shops and an old fashioned hardware store with hardwood floors. Slightly off of Main Street, near the railroad tracks is Huisache Grill, one of my favorite restaurants, in a renovated old train station. They have a diverse menu, being particularly known for their Chicken Tortilla Soup, and great wine list. My favorite is the Penne Pasta Grill and the Three Salad Sampler.

If you visit New Braunfels in December, make sure to mark the first Thursday for Wassailfest. New Braunfels closes the streets to vehicles, and most of the shops prepare wassail, variations on hot mulled cider. Vote on your favorite and browse the shops. This event is high on my list of favorite things to do at Christmas.

Fredericksburg is home to the Nimitz Pacific War Museum. A small part of the museum is in the old Nimitz family hotel on Main Street. The main building is a couple blocks away, on the street behind Main. The building looks deceptively small, but don’t be fooled! If you tend to try to see and read everything when you go to museums, plan to take advantage of the “24 hour ticket” feature. Tickets are advertized as being good for 24 hours, but when you buy your ticket, they tell you that you can return anytime the next day. There are also several areas with outdoor exhibits, a couple of which are open to everyone (no ticket required).

If you want to take in as much of the Nimitz exhibits as possible, and do some browsing in the shops, consider staying overnight in one of the Bed & Breakfasts in the downtown area, or one of the nearby Sunday Houses. A Sunday house is basically a guest house associated with some of the historic Fredericksburg homes. I stayed in one that had a small kitchen with an old wood stove and a refrigerator, a living room and two bedrooms. It was beautifully furnished and decorated with period pieces. I’ve also stayed at the lovely Inn on the Creek, near the old Nimitz hotel. The Inn has turned over management since then, but the new management invited me in to look around. It has been updated with some modern amenities.

Fredericksburg probably has the largest Main Street shopping district with that quaint “yester year” feel. Shops are diverse, with many unique offerings. There are quite a few antique shops with furniture and collectibles. If you like to take home souvenir items such as tee shirts, several shops cater to those items. I enjoy browsing the old fashioned “Five and Dime”. I always find interesting items and good deals. My favorite shops are a couple that have dips, salsas, preserved fruits, and pickled vegetables. You can taste virtually anything. One of the shops is open air, the other is inside one of the buildings.

Downtown Fredericksburg has many restaurants.  I like Wheelers, which serves breakfast and lunch, with items like chicken and dumplings and beans and cornbread.  Silver Creek Restaurant is my favorite, and has outdoor seating as well as indoors in the two story historic home.  They usually have live music outside.  My sister got an excellent steak there, and I had fantastic penné with Salmon and scallops with a near lethal amount of butter. 

I enjoy the Fredericksburg Brewing Company for their small but diverse menu. There are numerous German restaurants in Fredericksburg, many of which have outdoor biergartens . My favorite German restaurant is probably Der Lindenbaum. If some members of your party have a taste for German food, but others do not, your best bet is Rathskeller.

Wimberley is another quaint small Texas town with interesting shops and restaurants, many of which surround Wimberley Square. I’ve eaten at a couple the restaurants on the square.

Cypress Creek Café is on the left as you enter the square. I used to try to go early enough for breakfast and have migas there, but they are under new management and no longer open for breakfast. Their new menu is huge, but I haven’t had a chance to try them yet. There’s the old fashioned diner-styled Wimberley Café in the center of the square, which may now be the only restaurant in the Wimberley Square area to serve breakfast. Thankfully they have my favorite, migas! Across the street is Ino’z Brew & Chew, with tables out back, with a view of Cypress Creek. I love to spend time back there. It’s beautiful and peaceful.

Wimberley has Market Days the first Saturday of each month, April through December. Otherwise, there are enough unique and interesting shops to keep you busy for at least a half a day. One of my favorites is Kiss the Cook, which has common and uncommon kitchenware and gadgets.

Just outside Wimberley is the Central Texas Bonasi Exhibit, Jade Gardens. It is run by a husband and wife team. I really enjoyed looking at the creations, most of which are for sell. There are definitely bonsai trees that cost several hundred dollars, but there are also many affordable trees, as low as $20.

Consider taking RM 32, known as the Devil’s Backbone, a scenic 24 mile drive from Wimberley west to Blanco. You could enjoy most of the drive, and connect with 281 to Johnson City.

Johnson City is the boyhood home of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, and now home to the LBJ National Historical Park. The Visitor Center has a gift shop, two small theaters, and an exhibit area. Don’t miss either of the 30 minute films, one on President Johnson, and one on Lady Bird. The films are excellent and the theaters quite comfortable. Head across the street for Ranger-conducted tours of the Johnson family home, which are every half hour.

Before heading to Stonewall to the LBJ State Park, have lunch in Johnson City. I can personally vouch for two restaurants. I have dined at the Hill Country Cupboard multiple times. Located at the intersection of highways 281 and 290, it’s like a diner or a truck stop in décor and food. Choose from pork chops, barbecue, hamburger steak, sandwiches, and burgers. For something really different, try the fried green tomatoes.

More recently I decided to try something new and went to the Silver K Café on Main Street. The lunch menu features 6 salads and a dozen sandwiches. There are two hot entrees, Chicken Fried Steak and Pecan Crusted Chicken. Silver K advertizes a Saturday Breakfast Buffet and Saturday evening Sample Fine Dining menu.

The Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site is about 14 miles from Johnson City, in Stonewall. This is the LBJ ranch, and site of “the Texas White House”. The State Park occupies over 700 acres. The State Park Visitor Center also has a small theater, with another good movie about the Johnsons, Ranch, and the Texas White House. There are exhibits and other buildings of interest near the Visitor Center and Gift Shop. The real attraction however is the Ranch tour, which falls under the authority of the LBJ National Park Service.

I have visited the Ranch a half dozen times, and have always taken the bus tour conducted by the Park Rangers. The Park is now running a trial of self guided driving tours. The attractions are the same. Park guests can view the one room school house where young Lyndon B. Johnson attended before the family moved into Johnson City. Next on the tour is the reconstructed “dog trot” house where President Johnson was born. Nearby is the Johnson Family Cemetery where President Johnson, Lady Bird and the President’s siblings are buried. President Johnson’s office in the Texas White House is now opened to the public. Some of the Johnson vehicles are on display near the house. Allow at least 2 hours to see all of the attractions on the tour, and enjoy the beauty of the land and the wildlife.

For more information, see my hub, Texas Hill Country-- Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and State Park- with Photos & Videos.

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