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If you combine food, friends and fun – topped with great music in a glorious setting, one would have the ingredients for a wonderful weekend May 18-19 in the scenic Texas Hill Country. The locale will be the 12th annual Cherokee Creek Music Festival at Kelcy and Amy Warren’s San Saba County retreat near Cherokee off Hwy 501 nestled among pure waterfalls and wildflowers. This year’s musical lineup will feature alternative country rock band Reckless Kelly of Austin as well as popular ...

In a cozy stone cottage about eight miles outside of Llano, one of the most unique artists in Texas creates mesmerizing masterpieces. Ira Kennedy’s current art is unique and fascinating. You can’t just walk by one of his paintings—they catch your eyes and grab your imagination. Hill Country residents will recognize many of Ira’s subjects, from a longhorn by a creek to fields of bluebonnets to Enchanted Rock. Consider one he just finished: The Road Home. “The classic motif in b ...

There are 254 counties in the State of Texas, in each of those counties a town serves as the county seat. And at the center of them all, stands a courthouse, erected to serve the people of those communities. Texas has more historic courthouses than any other state; there are approximately 234 still standing that are at least 50 years old. Law dictates that counties must build a “convenient building for hold courts”, which included space for courtrooms, office buildings and other rooms s ...

For seven decades, Rocky River Ranch—a secluded camp along the banks of the Blanco River in Wimberley—has helped girls connect with nature, learn leadership, become creative, learn how to solve problems, build self-esteem, become independent, and build lasting friendships. Beth Brookshire Mitchell, co-owner of the Hill Country Wine Shoppe on the Wimberley Square, first attended the camp in 1963 and went for 11 years.

Relax. That’s the top thing to do at the Lost Maples River Lodge, a beautiful getaway centrally located near Concan, Leakey, Utopia and Vanderpool. Lost Maples State Natural Area is up yonder and Garner State Park is down thataway. The lodge has it all. Blending rustic elements with new construction, this 2,000 square-foot home right on the Sabinal River truly reflects the character of the Hill Country in style. This farmhouse was the first one completed by Texas Timber Frames of Boer ...

If you love the outdoors, you will love the western Hill Country. From Concan to Leakey, from Vanderpool to Utopia you will discover the best birding, fishing, golfing, hiking, honky-tonking, paddling, pie-eating, scenic drives, swimming, toobing, and just plain old relaxing. “Toobing?” you ask. “What’s that?” Folks not from Texas know it better as “tubing”—you toss an inner tube in a flowing river, plop down in it, and leisurely float downstream enjoying the coolness of t ...

It’s absolutely impossible not to tap toes, clap hands or use some other means to keep time to the infectious rhythm when the Dixieland All-Stars take the stage. These seven magnificent musicians – George Eychner, Ted Conerly, Jay Thomas, Bobby Black, Rick Phipps, Pierre Porre and Gary Hatch – can quickly get a room rocking and automatically lift the spirits of those fortunate enough to hear their renditions of Dixieland and gospel favorites.

June 14 is Flag Day and June 10-16, 2018 is designated as National Flag Week. On June 14, 1777, the flag of the United States was adopted by Resolution of the Second Continental Congress. Although not an official federal holiday, in 1916 President Woodrow Wilson officially established June 14 as Flag Day and National Flag Day was established by Congress in 1946.

If you love history — especially that of the Old West — you would probably enjoy exploring the many courthouses of Central Texas. Every county seat has one of these buildings, most of which date back to the late 19th century. Much like the Gothic Cathedrals of medieval Europe, construction of these grand edifices represented the collective pride of the community and their hopes for the future. Take the Lampasas County courthouse, finished in 1884. If 20 years earlier, you had visited ...

One interesting, comfortable, and convenient place to stay in Alpine is Alpine Guest Lodging apartments. The place is historic and right in the middle of everything. The lodging was built 100 years ago, according to owner Cathy Wright. At one point they served as a hospital, later as professional offices, and in 2009 became vacation rentals. Cathy and husband Dave Leet bought the lodging in 2016, painted the exterior that year and the interior in 2017.