Everyone needs to recharge their batteries, and getting back to nature in a Hill Country state park is one of the best ways I can think of to do just that. One of my favorites is located in LBJ country in Blanco County, at Pedernales Falls State Park. Located just nine miles east of Johnson City, Pedernales Falls is 5211 acres of cedar-and-oak-dotted hills that lead down to the Pedernales River, which forms the northern border of the park and then winds back inward.

Advance reservations were not required and guests may have been less than eager, but the historic Red Top Jail in Llano, TX is probably the town’s oldest bed and breakfast accommodation. Local history buff Mike Reagor often begins his guided tours of the jail with the B&B analogy. Reagor, whose family originally settled in the county during the Reconstruction period after the Civil War, has lived in Llano since 1982. He is one of several local volunteers who have studied the history of the jail,

Murry Burnham’s life story is the kind that would earn him the envy of millions of frustrated office workers. What could be better than earning a good living by hunting in the beautiful Texas Hill Country? The Burnham family goes way back in Texas history.

From 50 yards away you could see the long fishing rod bending and bucking like a well-spurred rodeo bronc. As you walked up closer, you began to hear the off-and-on whines of a spinning reel, screaming under pressure. Then you saw the angler's face and you knew instantly -- this was no ordinary fish.

Junction is named for its location at the meeting of the North and South Llano Rivers, and the abundance of springs and streams among the hills around Junction gave rise to the area’s nickname, "The Land of Living Waters." At the same time, the rugged terrain and the vast expanses to the west of Junction have led many to call the town "Front Porch of the West."

It is still night time at the Arnosky family farm. As the first light of day softens the quiet darkness, trucks and cars begin to roll into the parking area. Men and women work their way toward the barn foundation, carrying their own hammers, nail aprons, saws, tape measures, and drills. Voices are heard, mere murmurs at first, then gently rising to a crescendo of eager anticipation.

It would be impossible to write a story of Swedes in the Hill Country without mentioning Sven Magnus Swenson; although he never lived in the Hill Country and spent his later years in New York City, he was the first Swedish immigrant to settle in Texas and the driving force behind much of the Swedish immigration that followed.

When Stan and Susan Dunn were married on a Bed and Breakfast Tour of New England, they decided that one day they wanted to own a bed and breakfast. Their host asked where they were off to and when they answered, "to get married," he went straight to work as they departed. When they returned, there were cards and notes scattered celebrating the new "Dr. and Mrs. Stanley Dunn," a champagne toast waiting for them in a room adorned with the last summer roses from his garden...

Hill Country highways and other Texas highways have made good use of limestone rock asphalt (LRA) from Uvalde County mines for the past century. The Texas Highway Department is one of the chief consumers of LRA; and cities, counties and private projects also require this natural paving material.