Hill Country: Discovering the Secrets of the Texas Hill Country

This is a very good guide to the beautiful Texas Hill Country. I must confess, I love the Hill Country; the German Heritage, the breathtaking vista's, the small town way of life; just great. This guide is quite thorough, and it is obvious the authors have indeed spent some serious time in the Hill Country. The one thing i never like about these guides are that they are rarely objective, it's all positive and i mean like I said i love the Hill Country, but you dont get a real objective view of what the authors REALLY thought of the town, it all like a chamber of commerce brosure of the town. Ill use Fredricksburg as an example, the guide goes on and on about Fredricksburg, and I love Fredricksburg, but really it's not blessed with lots of natural beauty, not like Bourne or Wimberly or even Llano and if you dont really like antique stores and War War II history, you going to be bored out of your mind, you should be told that, not to take away from Fredricksburg, I personally really like the place, but the guide just acts like everyone will be thrilled with the town, which i am, but not everybody likes what i like..that's a minor qualm with a very good book. If you have never been to the Hill Country, dont miss, New Braunsfels, Wimberly, Fredricksburg, LBJ Ranch, the Devils Backbone, and Enchanted Rock..those all are a must and it can all be done in a weekend..oh and dont you dare miss Shlitterbaan, I dont care how old you are.

I truly enjoyed the book and wish I had bought it earlier as I visit Fredericksburg, San Antonio, Boerne, etc. every year doing family research. The shopping in Fredericksburg is superb but changes so quickly that a book would need to be updated every year to keep up with the changes! BUT, as a book of this type is bought more often for the historical, cultural and natural beauties of the region, shopping is generally not the most important aspect of the trip. I have been to and through many of the places listed in Llano, Gillespie, Kendall, and Blanco Counties but this is a much more interesting way of doing the trip. I recommend this to anyone who wishes to see the small towns and historical sites of the region.

If you enjoy driving through the Texas Hill Country, this book has plenty of roads mapped out, starting from Austin, Fredericksburg, and San Antonio. Every scalping, shoot-out, ghost town, abandoned schoolhouse and old church along the way is described with its own history. If you're looking for Oatmeal, TX or Nameless, TX, or just the best bbq out there, this is your book.