Hill Country

BBQ |
October 13, 2015

Where Has All the Hill Country Barbecue Gone?

It’s not extinct, but the Hill Country style of barbecue certainly belongs on the endangered list. Sometimes called the West Texas style, this method of cooking directly over coals–once pervasive–is seen less frequently. Compounding the problem, it appears fewer and fewer people are bothering to learn or carry on the

By Daniel Vaughn

Feature |
January 21, 2013

The Not So Happy Campers

For more than seven decades, Camp Mystic has been one of the prettiest, happiest, and most exclusive destinations in Texas. But after a bitter, multimillion-dollar legal battle, the very thing that the owners cherished—family—may be the force that tears the camp apart for good.

By Mimi Swartz

The Wanderer |
August 22, 2012

Roadside Attraction: Wild Boar Farms

WHAT: Wild Boar Farms, a roadside farm stand worth pulling over for. WHERE: Stonewall, at the northeast corner of Hwy 290 and Luckenbach Road. WHY: For starters, the head farmer’s name is Daniel Bacon. That’s as good a reason as any to patronize this long, wood-paneled structure,

By Jordan Breal

Hunting |
October 31, 2011

Eat, Prey, Love

For decades, a treasured plot of Hill Country land meant one thing to the men in my family: a chance to kill lots of deer. Today, it means something different.

By Rick Bass

Rick Bass |
January 1, 2011

Stuck Truck

The mud was deep and wet and cold and there was nothing to do but dig. And dig. And dig.

By Rick Bass

Travel & Outdoors |
July 31, 2010

Hill Country Map Quest

When it comes to choosing a getaway, the Hill Country doesn’t have to campaign hard for our affections. Its lush expanses of bounding green hills and serpentine rivers stretch over some 25 of the most idyllic counties in the state. And those picturesque towns that cling proudly to their

By Jordan Breal

Street Smarts |
October 31, 2009

Downtown Llano

Handmade crafts, homey cafes, and cowboy couture make this Hill Country hamlet a browser’s paradise.

By Jordan Breal

Feature |
April 30, 2004

Aunt Sister

There was a lot about Rosita Holdsworth Hollar that pegged her as the least likely role model in my family: She was cantankerous and sharp-tongued, something of a loner, and a terrible cook and housekeeper. But there have been many times when her example has been a comfort to me.

By Elizabeth Crook

Feature |
May 31, 1999

Madeleine in the Hill Country

As long as she spends most of her free time on a ranch outside Fredericksburg, Madeleine Stowe may never become, by Hollywood’s definition, a successful actress. And that’s fine with her.

By Alison Macor

Reporter |
August 31, 1997

Winging It

A bat man builds a super cave (holy conservation!).

By Suzy Banks