Things to Do

Spend Mother’s Day the Right Way… in the Texas Hill Country!

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Tony Maples Photography

 

May is a great month to celebrate anything, but first and foremost is Mom! Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8, and what better way to celebrate with her than to spend a day together in the Texas Hill Country!

A Sunday Drive

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Photo: tpw.texas.gov

The wildflowers are at their most colorful at this time of year, and a Sunday drive through Burnet, Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Lampasas, Llano, and San Saba will take you through vineyards, orchards of peaches and pecans, and small German-settled towns with everything from old fashioned general stores to funky little roadhouses! Cruise calmly along as Indian paintbrushes, bluebonnets, daisies, and more dot the countryside.

Speaking of Vineyards

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Photo: pinterest.com

Several great wineries peddle their award-winning wine wares in the Texas Hill Country, and if you didn’t know this… where have you been?! The Hill Country is now known as the second largest AVA (American Viticulture Area) in the country, and with 46 stunning wineries (yes, some even look like you would imagine from the movies!), Mom can not only be celebrated just one day of the year, but 46 of them if you like! (just kidding, all 365 works best.) A wine tour, tastings and several special events can be taken in on Mother’s Day in the Texas Hill Country, so why not visit www.texaswinetrail.com to learn more and maybe plot your route!

Fuel Your Body & Soul…And Your Stomach

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Photo: medinarivervalley.com

Easily one of the best places to find anything from barbecue joints (mmm… beef brisket, and pork ribs) to chicken fried steak, home-cooking, Cajun cooking, and some great Greek, can be found in the Texas Hill Country. Mom will love a meal cooked over mesquite coals for up to 10 hours (just about the amount of time she was in labor with you…remember?!) not to mention homemade pickles, macaroni and potato salad, and just maybe she’ll top it off with a Shiner beer. The gang’s all here in the Hill Country, making sure Mom has a ball!

Take Her For a Spin (Around a Dance Floor)

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Photo: faigley.dwrl.utexas.edu

You’ve heard her stories about the “good old days” when Mom would cut a rug with the best of them, so why not take her out so she can show you what it takes to two-step?! But don’t just visit any old dance hall… try to make a trip to THE dance hall: Gruene Hall, that is. In the town of New Braunfels, in the historic district of Gruene, sits the oldest dance hall in Texas (yes, in Texas!) But don’t let the word “oldest” fool you. This place is hoppin’ and their website will prove it to you! Gruene Hall has not only a physical address but an internet address, and that’s saying something for staying power. The bar in front is a local hangout and dance hall in back is a favorite concert venue for families, cowgirls and mom’s alike. If you want to learn more before you tour, visit theme online at gruenehall.com.

Jam Together (Not the Preserve Kind)

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Photo: txrdr.com

The Lone Star Jam takes place Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8, so if Mom’s not content with cutting the rug to just one band, why not take her out to listen to 20?! This Texas music festival features the likes of Kevin Fowler, The Turnpike Troubadours, William Clark Green, Cody Johnson and so much more! An affair to remember (not the movie your mom and grandma made you watch with them when you were 10) this is sure to help Mom kick the tires and light the fires for a fantastic Mother’s Day in the Texas Hill Country!

Savor the Day with a Spa Getaway

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Photo: canyonlakeranch.us

After a long day of road-tripping, eating some of the best food the Texas Hill Country has to offer, and dancing the day away, maybe Mom would simply love a trip to the spa to help her unwind, relax and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow! San Antonio and Austin have numerous spa locales and experiences to soothe and refresh in a city setting – although she’ll be so relaxed she wouldn’t know it while she’s there! And if a tour through the countryside is the prelude she needs to unwind, there are several great spa locations throughout the Hill Country, including Fredericksburg, Boerne, Bee Cave, Horseshoe Bay, and Kyle. Mom will be so relaxed, she’ll forget about that time you dented her car when you were 16. Happy Mother’s Day from the Texas Hill Country!