Central Texas offers no shortage of idyllic small towns perfect for taking a spur-of-the-moment road trip. While there are a plethora of well known destinations such as San Antonio, New Braunfels, Fredericksburg, and Waco, there are even more towns that -- while they might not pop to mind immediately -- are certainly worth the trip.
If you are looking for one such town, Kerrville is waiting with open arms.
Located off of Interstate 10 and just under a two hour drive from Austin’s city center on 290 West, Kerrville is a quaint country town you’ll want to spend the day exploring. With a population of just 22,905 and a total area of under 20 square miles, Kerrville packs an astonishing amount of outdoor fun. The tiny town has also raised some Texas giants like jeweler James Avery and Florence Butt, who would go on to found the greatest grocery chain in the world, H.E.B., and musician/politician Kinky Friedman.
Any day trip to Kerrville should focus on the natural beauty of Texas Hill Country and the Guadalupe River. A great place to start your trip is the Riverside Nature Center, which began as a way to save a 9-acre patch of Bluebonnets from inevitable development in the late '80s. Since then, the nature preserve has grown to include exhibits that help visitors understand the changes in natural life from over 140 million years ago to what's still to come.
If you’re looking for a fun and interesting photo op, Kerrville has just the place. Stonehenge II is exactly what you might expect, a full-blown recreation of the original structure in the United Kingdom. While it may not be as exciting as witnessing the strange and historic original, it does provide the complete design of what historians believe it looked like prior to millennia of wear and tear.
Arts and crafts are a big deal in Kerrville, so much so that they host the annual Texas State Arts & Crafts Festival in late May (this year’s festival is May 27-28). The city also gathers every year to celebrate the best in folk music with the Kerrville Folk Festival. This year’s events will take place between May 25th and June 1st and features artists like Dana Cooper, Kenny White, and Johnny Nichols. If you can’t make it to Kerrville during one of their festival days, you can still soak up some of the city’s culture at the Museum of Western Art where cowboys and the Spirit of the West are on full display.
After a long day of soaking up art and nature, Kerrville has a slew of great local restaurants to fill you up before heading home.
When you’re in the mood for the tastes of Texas, Billy Gene’s is there to satisfy the cravings. Burgers, steaks, and Tex-Mex all live under the same roof at this gem, perfect for parties that can never agree on what they want for dinner. For those looking to expand from just steaks and Tex-Mex to include seafood and a killer wine list, Francisco’s Restaurant is just the spot. Located in a beautiful, historic downtown building, this restaurant boasts fine dining that won’t break the bank.
With a focus on art and nature, Kerrville is an idyllic small town to put on your road trip list.
Average Home Price: $299.500 (zillow.com)
Houses on Market: 616 (zillow.com)
DID YOU KNOW?
Kerrville hosted the 2012 Olympic Trials for outdoor shooting sports.
Louise Hays Park has everything a traveling family could want including Guadalupe River access, a large fish statue for funny family photos, and a splash pad for the little ones that puts on a gorgeous light show when the sun goes down.
Kerrville Hills Winery is the perfect place to spend an afternoon sipping Texas made vino with a beautiful hill country backdrop.