Sixty years ago my Oma (grandma) spent a year on exchange from Germany to Texas. 

Through immigrating to Canada and raising children and grandchildren, she and my Opa took many trips down south to visit our Texas family. This year, after hearing many stories from my relatives about their Texas adventures, I finally made it for my first visit, along with my husband John.

We had no idea what to expect, but found that we fell in love just as much as the rest of my family. From the amazing food, friendly people, live music, and scenic countryside drives, Texas made us feel right at home! 

Our first taste of Texas started the night we arrived, with a BBQ feast at Salt Lick in Round Rock. From the parking lot, you could already smell the sweet smoke. As we walked in the door, the sight of all the meat being prepared was incredible! We enjoyed tender brisket, juicy sausage, perfectly smoked turkey, delicious ribs, beans, potato salad, and coleslaw…my mouth is watering just remembering! This all paired exceptionally with the Prickly Pear Mule, local brews, and of course, some good ole sweet tea! 

Boots & Beers in Bastrop 

The next day, our first order of business was getting some cowboy boots. We headed out to the Texas Boot Company in Bastrop where the smell of leather greeted us as soon as we walked in the door. There was an enormous selection, so we found a few pairs that suited us just right! All that boot shopping sure made us thirsty, so we grabbed some beers and lunch at the 602 Brewing Company and wandered through the shops in downtown Bastrop. Then we were ready to continue to Bandera, the Cowboy Capital of the World. 

We stopped in Boerne for dinner at Tre Pizzeria where we had an Italian feast. The glass jars of pickled vegetables created the feeling of being in an Italian home, and every bite we had was perfection! The Tuscan Radiatore Bolognese tasted as authentic as what we have eaten in Italy, and the Roasted Chicken Orecchiette was a delight, with juicy bits of sweet corn complimenting the creamy garlic sauce. The Artisan Pepperoni pizza had the perfect hint of spice from jalapeno, and the Italian Meatball and Wild Mushroom Pizza was also delicious. All the drinks were refreshing, but the winner for all of us was the Frozen Italian Margarita! 

Hill Country Happenings 

Well fed, we continued on to Bandera. Staying at the family ranch, we enjoyed visiting family and making memories. Seeing wild armadillos wandering around, watching cardinals come to the bird bath, saying “hi” to the cattle, and wandering down to the river provided some peaceful time.  

Medina 

A pastime that many before have experienced is sitting in the Medina River to escape the heat of the day. Though water levels were lower than in past years, it was the perfect way to spend an afternoon, soaking in the shade, and sharing drinks and stories. Dinner was a group affair at River Oaks Courts, where we all enjoyed burgers and chicken fried steaks. There was a gorgeous outside patio with stunning gardens filled with butterflies that I would have loved to enjoy more if it weren’t for the heat. 

Arkey Blues Silver Dollar 

Heading down the stairs to Arkey Blues Silver Dollar, we were transported back in time by the wood chips on the floor and the smoky scent of cigarettes. We set up some songs on the jukebox, and after a round of pool and a few rounds of beers, the live music started up. It was time for some two-stepping!  

Then, one block down, we went to Kickback Korner Bar and Grill to watch some more live music. After all the music and beers, it was time for a bite at B-Daddy’s BBQ – another beautiful platter of meat smoked to juicy perfection!  

A night of fun at 11th Street Cowboy Bar 

Live music, beers, dancing, and laughing with new friends made for the best way to wrap up a wonderful stay in Bandera. After church in the morning, followed by yummy Cornbread Salad (our first time eating it!) for lunch, we were off to our next destination. 

Meyer Hotel, Comfort  

The small town of Comfort has a lot to offer, especially with its expansive selection of antique shops. We stayed for a few nights at the lovely Meyer Hotel which was among the great oak trees and greenery along Cypress Creek. An old stagecoach stop, the beautiful stone buildings and the lovely pool were the perfect place for some relaxation. We enjoyed drinking wine on our porch and reclining on the swings down by the creek. The greenery of the area followed us into our suite, with the gorgeous green colors continuing into the modern bathroom that has me planning to redo my bathrooms at home! 

A short stroll down the road from Meyer Hotel is Comfort Pizza, where we stopped by earlier in the day to reserve our pizza. Their dough is “slow-proofed (over a couple days) using heritage wild sourdough yeasts”, so when the dough for the day is all spoken for, they can’t quickly make more. This was some of the best pizza we have had, with fresh, quality ingredients, and it was accompanied perfectly by beer from Altstadt Brewing and a Prickly Pear Cactus Lemonade.  

Antiquing in Comfort 

Wandering the expansive selection at the Comfort Antique Mall had us imagining life and how it was lived back in the day. We originally went to Comfort Coffee at the 8th Street Market for drinks and baked goods, and then spent over an hour exploring all the antiques. It’s not just the perfectly staged area inside, but a large area out back complete with additional buildings filled with gorgeous antiques! At ReDefined they have antiques, wine, and clothes! I spent some time enjoying the comforting atmosphere and found myself the perfect dress for a date night. We stepped into MixHaus Gallery and learned about the “Neon Saloon” pop up exhibit across the street, with some incredible neon signs! It will run until September 22 and is a cool sight to check out!

Luckenbach 

A short drive from Comfort and we found ourselves in Luckenbach on a breezy summer’s day drinking beers and listening to the musician playing sweet melodies and telling stories.  Checking out souvenirs in the old post office we grabbed a tin sign to add to the man cave back home to remind us of this perfect afternoon. 

San Antonio 

After a few slower paced relaxing days, we decided it was time to hit a city…next stop San Antonio, home of the Alamo! Our stay at the Drury Hotel was a great choice with the wonderful rooftop pool with expansive views and the evening drinks and small meal included with the stay. This old bank made for a cool stay. Out in the heat of San Antonio, we decided to do some sightseeing aboard the river cruise. This was the perfect way to get situated, learn a bit about the city, and enjoy soaking up the feel of the river walk. Dinner was an exceptional feast at Corinne, with their Navajo Fry Bread, Handmade Burrata Cheese, Truffled Bucatini, and the Bone-In Ribeye, all complimented by the incredible cocktails. A not-to-miss sight was “The Saga”, a video art show that takes you through the history of San Antonio with colorful images displayed on the front of San Fernando Cathedral accompanied by music. Wandering around the city at night was fun to take in the nightlife, and we finished up with a short walk to check out the Alamo at night before heading to sleep. 

The Alamo 

Having grown up watching “The Alamo” (1960) John was very excited to be able to experience the Alamo and said it was surreal to see in person. We took some photos and grabbed souvenirs for his brother. There was plenty of information about the history over the years, and lots of engaging visual guides. I especially enjoyed the courtyard and the church displays.  

Floating the Comal 

After some time on our own, we met up with my Canadian cousins who had just arrived in town and headed to New Braunfels to float the Comal River. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon (along with everyone else who flocked to the water in the heatwave) before heading to the hotel to wash up for a night out. Tacos from the food truck outside the hotel were a delicious dinner! Cleaned up and with our boots on, it was time to head to Texas’ Oldest Dance Hall – Gruene Hall! With its chicken wire windows and old wooden floor this was an awesome spot to see Texas legend Dale Watson perform, and what a show it was! This was a memorable evening, complete with beers, new friends, and dancing! 

Luxury at Omni Barton Creek – so good you won’t want to leave 

The next part of our trip brought us to Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin. This incredible resort provided stunning views from our room, the restaurants, pools, and spa amenities. We loved staying here so much and weren’t quite ready for it to end so we booked another night! There were plenty of entertainment options especially for families with children, as was evident by the bouncy castles and slip’n’slide set up on the Longhorn Green. Spending the day lounging by the adult-only pool was my favorite, especially with the views; I could not get enough! We spent an afternoon relaxing at the Mokara Spa enjoying the secluded pool, hot tub, sauna, and steam room. The incredible fitness center complete with an indoor pool for laps even had a large indoor track that was great for getting steps in when it was too hot outside. In the evening, the mini golf area under the trees was the perfect place for a fun date, although John would have also enjoyed playing a big round of golf on the gorgeous greens surrounding the resort. With many incredible dining opportunities, we always had great food choices for all our cravings, served up with some more of those perfect views! We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Omni Barton Creek and would have loved to stay even longer, but it was time for the real reason we came to Texas – Family Reunion here we come!   

Family Reunion at The Highland 

Our trip was nearing its end but wouldn’t be complete without the Family Reunion that was the reason we came down. This amazing weekend was spent at The Highland near Dripping Springs, which was the perfect spot for the 30+ extended family members spread across four generations. 

With multiple buildings on the property, there was room for all of us. We spent most of our days hanging out in the pool, playing corn hole or pickleball, and just laughing and creating memories together. On the way to The Highland, we passed by Jester King Brewery and saw the sign for a live band that evening. So, after dinner, some of the youngest generation headed down the road to check out the Band of Heathens. This was one of those perfect summer nights spent with loved ones in a big field under the starry sky, drinks in hand, rocking out to some awesome music!  

Full Circle  

We started our trip with delicious BBQ and so we had to wrap up the trip with that, this time at Terry Black’s BBQ in Austin, a line-up cafeteria style place that was continuously packed with people, and for good reason. The line moved quickly and the meat and sides were absolute perfection! A good platter of BBQ was just what we needed to fill our bellies for the trip back home to the north.  

It was wonderful meeting more of our Texan family, and easy to understand why my Oma fell in love with Texas. So here’s to Texas –  friendly people, great food, including the best BBQ, southern hospitality, live music, and two-stepping! We can’t wait to return, and for now, will wear our boots out to the local rodeo to practice our dance moves. 

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Cover Photo Emilie Crandles