SLOW SALLY & CREW

It seems that every time we drive through Texas, the state reveals a whole new side of itself to us. From its sandy beaches and salty coastal air along the Gulf, to its rugged, arid desert and tiny, far-out towns in Big Bend, and its huge sprawling cities, it’s always finding ways to surprise us. This year, we set out to discover yet another side of Texas: Hill Country.

In this post, we share with you how Hill Country made it onto our radar, our hiking adventures and mechanical breakdown in Inks Lake State Park, an unexpected visit to tiny Burnet, our day exploring the cozy town of Marble Falls, and 24 hours enjoying a whole campground to ourselves at Shaffer Bend. We hope that our adventures and misadventures in Hill Country will both entertain you and inspire you to add this unique area to your vanlife bucket list.

Why Texas Hill Country?

I’d never heard of Hill Country until I read a post about the ‘best small towns in Texas’. It turns out that many of these towns are in Hill Country, smack dab in the middle of the state. That was a couple of years ago and I’m not sure why the town of Marble Falls caught my eye; it’s not the most famous of the towns, but I’m willing to bet that it’s because it’s described as a “charming Hill Country town perfect for both outdoor enthusiasts and those hoping to hit up the small-but-lovely downtown”. That’s right up our alley! We flagged it on Google Maps knowing that one year, our route would lead us there. And guess what, this was the year!

Inks Lake State Park

Our Hill Country adventure started in Inks Lake State Park. We chose it for its dog-friendly trails, picturesque campsites along the Colorado River, and proximity to the town of Marble Falls. As we wound our way into the park, we ooh-d and ahh-d at the river views and rocky outcrops. We were excited and relieved to finally arrive after several days of driving. Our relief was short lived when Sally’s rear brake made an awful screeching sound as we pulled into the park office. “Was that us?” I asked Marc. It was. Between the park office and our campsite, the brakes let go almost completely, terrifying us both. We miraculously made it safely to our campsite. We were thankful for that, but disappointed that we would be spending the rest of our afternoon diagnosing the brake problem and researching local mechanics.

By morning, we had booked a next day appointment with Lewis Automotive, arranged a tow with AAA, and taken hot showers in the Park’s sweet new heated bathrooms. With all the admin behind us, we were back in adventure mode and ready to spend the rest of the day exploring the park. At Inks Lake we found more trails than we could possibly hike in a day (over 9 miles to be exact) – all of which were dog-friendly. In just one day of hiking, we found a rushing waterfall, ancient pink rock outcrops, thousands of spike-y paddle cacti, pelicans, herons, deer, and a gorgeous sunset. The cherry on top was that we had the place mostly to ourselves, with no other campers on our loop; one of the many benefits of camping in the off-season.

Burnet

We had no plans to visit the town of Burnet. However, destiny and our failed braking system brought us there. Even before visiting the town, we were impressed by the how friendly and helpful the tow truck driver and mechanic were. The tow truck driver kindly let Walter ride in the cab, even though that meant all four of us squeezing onto his front bench seat. The mechanic at Lewis Automotive gave us the earliest possible appointment with a promise that he’d be done within an hour or two, and encouraged us to check out the town and park while we waited.

Happy to have Sally in capable hands, we headed for the nearby highly rated coffee shop, Unshakable Grounds. It turns out this little coffee shop is right on a historic square that we didn’t know existed. What a fantastic surprise! We sat outside in the sun on their church pew, drinking coffee and eating one of the most delicious scones we’ve tasted, while locals fussed over Walter and came to say hello. We’ve rarely received a warmer welcome.

While waiting for the mechanic to complete the repair, we wandered around the little square, popped into some of the cute little shops, and strolled along the river front park. As we explored, we were struck by how very stereotypically Texas-y this place felt… from the friendly, welcoming locals and strong Texas accents, to the complete domination of the streets by pick-up trucks, and the ubiquity of references to Jesus. Yes, we found Jesus here. He is in the coffee shop, the clothing stores, and even on sign posts.

The few hours required for the repair was the perfect amount of time to spend in this little town. It happens to be the third time that one of Sally’s breakdowns has brought us to a cute, historic place that we would not otherwise have known existed. Thank-you Sally! … ?

Marble Falls

After a rocky and uncertain start to our Hill Country adventure, we finally made it to the town of Marble Falls. It was every bit as cute as we expected and just as Texas-y as Burnet. We left our Walmart “campsite” at day break and headed to Lakeside Park to enjoy homemade breakfast with a view in the van. Lakeside and Johnson Parks overlook the Colorado River, making them ideal for a morning walk. We strolled through the parks and stalked the many ducks, who were all very photogenic.

The volunteers and staff at the Visitor Centre were super friendly. All three of them took and interest in where we were from, offered advice for visiting the town and filled our arms with more pamphlets than we could possibly hope to read. When we asked where we could find the Marble Falls waterfall, we were informed that it is underwater (and has been since the 50s) due to damming and revealed only every few years when the lake is lowered for maintenance. Well, that was a surprise!

Armed with our pamphlets, we set off to the historic downtown to visit the shops and take some photos. Many of the stores were dog-friendly and invited Walter in for pets. The best experience for Walter by far was his visit to the Waggers and Swaggers Pet Boutique, where they filled him with complimentary treats and took his photo, treating him like the star that he is.

We capped off the afternoon with a visit to the Bear King Brewery for a late lunch on their huge, dog-friendly patio. The birria tacos were delicious – they tasted just like in Mexico. Marc and I taste-tested a flight of beer while we were there and left with a 6-pack for later. Our final stop before leaving town was at the Bluebonnet Café, established in 1929 and famous for it’s pies. We were pretty excited about ‘pie happy hour’ and while the pies were tasty, they weren’t as good as Mom’s!

Shaffer Bend LCRA Campground

Our final stop in Hill Country was the Shaffer Bend LCRA Campground. We lucked into having the entire campground to ourselves (seriously – there was not a single other camper there) and a campsite that backed onto the Colorado River. The highlight of this spot for me was the view from the van and the little trail system. For Marc it was finding a 12-pack of un-opened Coca Cola cans on the trail. We call them bush cokes, and he’s been happily drinking them ever since. To each his own.

Recommendations

From what I’ve read, Texas Hill Country is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. It’s no longer ‘off the beaten track’ but it’s not crowded yet either – certainly not in January when we visited. We loved stumbling across this gem and discovering what it has to offer, and we think that you will too. If you’re planning your own visit, I highly recommend giving yourself more than a few days in the area. There are so many picturesque towns, state parks, events, and natural areas to explore.

Stay Tuned

From Shaffer Bend, we pointed Sally directly south for an urban vanlife adventure in San Antonio. Was an urban vanlife adventure in the second biggest city in Texas a good idea? Stay tuned and we’ll let you know!