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The Hill Country: Deep in the Heart of Texas!

A vacation in the Hill Country region of Texas can be filled with active adventures or laid back cultural experiences. The Hill Country is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Hidden limestone quarries make excellent private swimming holes. Underground rivers trickle along at a snail's pace, inviting a soothing soak when the summer sun burns over head. A day in the Hill Country can include swimming, fishing, bicycling (road and mountain), hiking, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, golf, among many others. If your tastes run to the more relaxed side, the Hill Country is rapidly developing a reputation as a premier wine making region. Whether you want to lose yourself in the Great Outdoors, or see all the cultural attractions, the Hill Country has something for every vacationer.

Austin is much more than just the Texas state capital. Austin bills itself as the "live-music capital of the USA". Home to more than a hundred clubs, amphitheaters, coffee shops, and other venues, Austin is a year-round music festival. Luminaries such as Janis Joplin and Willie Nelson have called Austin home. The most famous of all venues is the Austin City Limits, which has aired a live show on PBS since 1975. The show is taped live from August through February at the KLRU-TV station. Tickets are on a fist-come first-served basis. Another can't-miss Austin attraction is the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. This 178-acre facility was founded by the wife of former president Lyndon Johnson as a research center for plant life. Notable sights include a wildflower-filled meadow and many display gardens on the grounds.

If hiking or rock climbing is your particular method of fun, make a beeline for Enchanted Rock State Natural Area in Fredericksburg. The massive granite rocks look like they belong on the surface of the moon, rather than in the middle of Texas. The rock rises 425 feet in the air, and covers over 600 acres. There are 7 miles of hiking trails, including Summit Trail, a trek that takes you to the top of the rock. Rock climbers love looking for hand holds on the Enchanted Rock Fissure, one of the world's largest granite caves.

More outdoor fun can be found at the Mo Ranch near Hunt. This 425-acre ranch is close to Stonehenge II (a 60% re-creation of the famous monument located near Salisbury, England), and offers hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. A day pass to the ranch includes access to excellent swimming holes and canoeing activities found on the Guadalupe River. For further aquatic adventure, visit Medina Lake, located close to Bandera. The lake has a combination of active areas popular with jet skiers and water skiing enthusiasts, as well as a series of quiet little coves perfect for a quiet swim.

The state that produced such golfing greats as Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Ben Crenshaw, and Tom Kite is a golf paradise. Nowhere is this more evident than a visit to Barton Creek Country Club & Resort, located just west of Austin. The resort has four courses, all rivaling each others as some of the best tests of golf in Texas. The Fazio Foothills Course is considered by many to be the best course in Texas, and has one of the state's most striking finishing holes. The Crenshaw Course was designed to follow the natural lay of the land, thereby making players conform to the course, rather than the other way around. The Palmer Lakeside Course offers incredible views of Lake Travis. The Fazio Canyons Course is routed through deep, spring-fed canyons, and lined with red oaks, sycamores, and rare madrone trees.

The Texas Hill Country has something for everyone. Walk in the footsteps of prehistoric cavemen while visiting the Longhorn Cavern State Park in Burnet. The caves served as the site of a secret gunpowder manufacturer for Confederate armies, and later as an outlaw hideout. Treat your taste buds to a sampling of the latest vintage at Fall Creek Vineyards near Lake Buchanan. Head to Kerrville and check out the Cowboy Artists of America Museum, dedicated to depicting works by western cowboys. Dip your toes in Blue Hole, a watering hole fed by the Cyprus River near Wimberley. The Cyprus-lined river banks add to the ambiance of this scenic marvel. A vacation in the Texas Hill Country is sure to leave vacationers wanting more!