Head for the Hills
25 Things I Love About the Hill Country.
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17. Bet you never thought you'd see the words "Johnson City" and "poached salmon in champagne sauce" in the same sentence. But last October Kay Pratt and Karen Granitz opened the Silver K Café, introducing this hotbed of the barbecued and chicken-fried to the likes of field greens with roasted pecans and goat cheese. Not to worry: The chic but comfortable eatery, housed in a portion of the town's old lumberyard, has plenty of Lone Star flavor. The ever-changing menu features some of LBJ's favorite dishes, like corn pudding and buttermilk pie; local produce when possible; and Texas wines and beers. And the owners promise that the newly hatched weekend music program, directed by Larry Joe Taylor, will be 100 percent Texan. 209 E. Main, Johnson City; 830-868-2911; silverKcafe.com. Lunch daily, dinner Friday and Saturday (entrées $8.95 to $15.95).
18. Approaching the Eagle Eye Observatory at Canyon of the Eagles during a star party is a bit like stumbling into a cult gathering, what with the dim red lights dotting the open field, the enthusiastic chatter about things like zodiacal bands and gegenschein coming from shadowy figures in the dark, and the beams of laser pointers flickering across the sky. But you soon realize that the devotees gathered here are too intelligent and friendly to belong to a cult (although things can turn ugly if you ignore party etiquette and blind somebody with a flashlight). Most of them do, however, belong to the Austin Astronomical Society, which hosts the monthly event. They share their impressive knowledge and their telescopes with anyone who wanders up, offering glimpses of Saturn and its rings, Jupiter and its moons, or the beautiful Orion Nebula. From U.S. 281 in Burnet, take Texas Highway 29 west for four miles, then turn right on Ranch Road 2341, which ends at the entrance to Canyon of the Eagles; 800-977-0081; schedule at austinastro.org or canyonoftheeagles.com. First Saturday of the month, weather permitting.
19. As a frustrated Central Texas gardener whose sole crop is bulletproof rosemary, I revere those who manage to coax abundant produce and flowers from this hardscrabble world of rock, ravenous varmints, droughts, and floods. One of the best places to worship such miracles is Mark and Cathy Itz's McCall Creek Farms Market, outside Blanco. While the Itzes bring in a few goodies from family and friends who farm nearby, like blackberries and plums from Mark's father's farm in Fredericksburg, the vast majority of the produce is grown right on the property. This means picked-that-day freshness—from bouquets of snapdragons in early spring to mid-summer's tomato bonanza (more than a dozen varieties, from tiny currants to hefty Heat Waves) and butternut squash in the fall. And if you eat all your veggies, you're allowed to indulge in Cathy's homemade pies, cobblers, and jams. On U.S. 281, 3.5 miles north of the only light in Blanco; 830-833-0442; mccallcreekfarms.com. Open daily May through December.
20. The Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge wasn't established as your personal outdoor playground. That honor goes to the golden-cheeked warbler, the black-capped vireo, and other lucky Texas critters. But humans can enjoy at least a small chunk of this 19,000-acre patchwork preserve in the dramatic hills northwest of Austin. If you question the necessity of conservation, drive out to the refuge's Doeskin Ranch through the suburban sprawl of North Austin. Then, with that vision burned in your brain, hike the ranch's 2.2-mile Rim Rock Trail—past the clear waters of Doeskin Branch Creek, through native grasses so thick they trip you, and up to one of the highest elevations in the preserve for a warbler's-eye view of the canyons. From the intersection of U.S. 183 and Mopac in Austin, take 183 north for about 10 miles to Cedar Park, turn left on FM 1431 for 26 miles, then right on FM 1174 for 5.5 miles; the entrance to the Doeskin Ranch Public Use Area will be on the right. Event and tour information at friendsofbalcones.org.
21. The monarch butterflies that migrate through Central Texas each fall on their way to the Mexican state of Michoacán are flying somewhere they've never been along a route they've never flown, and they make this three-thousand-mile journey guided by nothing more than instinct and a brain the size of a pinhead. I learned this bit of mind-bending lepidopterology from William Calvert, one of a variety of speakers presented by Walk in the Park, a group that aims to educate folks on the natural wonders of the Hill Country. Catch talks by geologists, botanists, and entomologists like Calvert, or tag along on a field trip, such as birding in Blanco or trekking to nearby dinosaur tracks. Lectures at the LBJ National Historical Park Visitor Center (100 Lady Bird Lane, Johnson City) and the Blanco Community Learning Center Auditorium (814 Eleventh, Blanco). For schedule of lectures and field trips, call 830-868-7303 or go to walkinthepark.org.
22. I was lured into Santos Taquería, in Mason, by the profusion of bougainvillea blossoms cascading down the stucco wall of its sunny patio. But you can't eat bougainvillea (I don't think). You can, however, gorge on Santos' fajita gorditas, handmade on the premises and stuffed with cheese, grilled onions, and strips of poblano pepper, plus chicken, beef, or shrimp. Southeast corner of the square, Mason; 915-347-6140. Lunch only; closed Monday.
23. I'll never own a Hill Country ranch that's been in the family for generations, but I can pretend I do at one of the outposts of Century Ranch Lodging. Luckily for landless dreamers like me, fifth-generation Texan Gene Hall Miller has gussied up three of the old houses on her two spreads and opened them to paying guests. I could choose to live out my Giant fantasies in a one-bedroom cabin or a spacious ranch house on the 2,600-acre Pecan Creek Ranch just north of Llano, where Gene and her husband, Bill, live. But as long as I'm dreaming, I'll pick the lodge at Dutch Mountain Ranch. Situated on 1,245 spectacular acres adjacent to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, this ranch is a piece of the "league and a labor of land" (4,428 acres) awarded to Gene's great-great-grandfather Matthew Moss for service in the Texas Revolution. I liked the remoteness of the lodge, a rambling three-bedroom house that has an attached one-bedroom cottage, both with lots of windows and easygoing decor. But it was the land itself that I fell in love with: spring-fed lakes and a winding stretch of the aptly named Sandy Creek, thickets of ancient elms, and rising from the grassy fields, enormous globs of granite that include a baby version of Enchanted Rock, complete with a view of its mom to the south. And guests have the run of it all, just as if they owned it. Century Ranch Lodging, 915-247-4074; centuryranchlodging.com. Dutch Mountain Lodge, $200 per night for up to four people, $25 each additional person, two-night minimum, all linens included.
24. One Friday night as I strolled High Street in Comfort's historic district, I watched a foursome set up a card table in a parking space just down from the Ingenhuett Hardware Store and proceed to play dominoes. Were these descendants of the town's Freethinking founders? Or were they thinking at all? I mean, it was so cold I don't know why they bothered icing down their beer. But I understood their desire to be here. (Hey, I was out in the cold too.) Something about this part of town, considered one of Texas' best-preserved nineteenth-century business districts, is irresistible. You'll find more than one hundred pre-1910 buildings within strolling distance, like the former Comfort State Bank, with its stout granite pillars; the sweet Otto Brinkmann cottage, built in 1860 and a fine example of the limestone-and-timber construction technique called Fachwerk; and the handsome August Faltin Building, one of seven structures here designed by Alfred Giles. Considering the town's wealth of antiques stores, you might even find a piece of history to take home with you. Comfort Chamber of Commerce, 830-995-3131; a detailed self-guided tour is included in Walking Hill Country Towns, by Diane Capito ($14.95).
25. Having tasted success with their lunch business, cafes in tiny towns from Camp Verde to Waring are venturing cautiously into the dinner trade, opening one night a week and serving a limited menu, typically a choice of grilled steak, chicken, or fish. On a recent Friday night I popped into Mimi's Café, in the 1908 building that was once Comfort's post office. I squeezed in among the locals who were sipping wine or beer and putting away simply prepared but perfectly cooked tuna steaks and tenderloins while guitarist Jay Sims serenaded them with his original tunes. 713 High, Comfort; 830-995-3470. Lunch Tuesday through Saturday, dinner Friday only (entrées $9.95 to $15.95).
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