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MAP BY JOE ELBERSON
A Colorful Way to Fiesta
Hit the road this spring for a scenic journey from Austin’s bluebonnet fields to the vibrant spectacle of Fiesta San Antonio.
By Amity Moore Joyce
Texas in the spring—there really is no better season to visit the Lone Star State. But the season comes with a predicament—where to go? As the second largest state in North America, Texas offers quite a bit of land to cover, history to learn and sights to see. The truth is, you need more than one visit to appreciate it all, but for this year’s vacation, combine two major attractions in one colorful, less-than-100-mile road trip. Begin in Austin, situated in the heart of Hill Country, where the wildflower spectacle peaking mid-March to late April rivals any wildflower-rich Monet painting, and conclude with an equally vibrant display at Fiesta San Antonio.
Red, white and blue wildflowers at the state capitol in Austin
ADOBE STOCK
Austin
No road trip is complete without a playlist, and Austin, the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World, is a perfect place to add some new songs to your vacation soundtrack. Spend a few days here, honky-tonking on Sixth Street or taking a sunset bat cruise on Lady Bird Lake. Savor authentic Tex-Mex, dry-rubbed brisket or mini donuts too cute to pass up before heading southwest to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, an ideal introduction to Texas flora.
Walking trail at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
In 1982, former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and actress Helen Hayes established a national wildflower research center in Austin, with the intention of focusing on native plants as a means to preserve and restore natural beauty and biology. While here, walk the quarter-mile Savanna Meadow Trail to view Indian paintbrush and the state’s famous bluebonnets poking their colorful heads out from among the green prairie grasses.
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
Johnson City
About 43 miles west on Highway 290, stretch your legs again, this time at the Texas Vintage Motorcycle Museum. It’s an excellent diversion for people who prefer Indian Motorcycles to Indian paintbrush. And it doesn’t take much time to see the 100 or so bikes collector Gordon Massie has on display, so you can be back on the road toward the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site. The former president grew up in Johnson City, and the area is dotted with his family name and legacy. Stroll the trails at the state park to see bison, longhorns and, of course, plenty of flowers. You can also take a self-guided driving tour of the adjacent LBJ Ranch to see Johnson’s boyhood home, the Johnson settlement and schoolhouse, and the Texas White House.
The town of Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg
Even before you get to Fredericksburg, the heart of Texas wine country, you’ve already passed some vineyards, notably award-winning William Chris Vineyards in Hye. Where gorgeous wildflowers grow, so do fruitful grapevines. This region, the “Napa” of Texas, features more than 75 wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms, but pause at Grape Creek Vineyards for a tour. It is one of the few that sells its wines only direct to consumers. No middleman or distributor here. Another option is Wildseed Farms, a vineyard and also the nation’s largest working wildflower farm. It’s where the best of Hill Country—wines and wildflowers—intersects.
Roughly 8 miles west, Fredericksburg’s Main Street offers incredible local shopping as well as a touch of Deutsch influence, evidence of the early German pioneers who established communities in the Texas Hill Country. Der Lindenbaum German restaurant on East Main Street plates schnitzels, bratwursts, strudels and other German specialties prepared by professional chef Ingrid Hohmann.
Wildflowers along the Willow City Loop
Texas Historical Commission / How Big Is Texas?
Willow City Loop
Bring on the flower power! Depart Fredericksburg by navigating northeast on State Route 16 for approximately 13 miles, then drive east on Ranch Road 1323 for nearly 3 miles. Turn left onto Willow City Loop. Look left and right on this scenic 13-mile drive to see springtime fields dotted with red, blue and white wildflowers. The road rises and falls as it climbs hills and drops toward creeks, offering more than a flat meadow view. Much of the land is privately owned, so, sure, drive slowly, but do not get out to explore or pluck any flowers. Pass back through Fredericksburg and head southeast 10 miles toward Luckenbach.
Don’t miss a chance to visit the dance hall if you’re in Luckenbach.
Luckenbach
Remember that playlist you were working on back in Austin? Hopefully, it holds one of Waylon Jennings’ greatest hits—“Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)”—because you will want to turn up the volume as you drive to what amounts to a country music pilgrimage site. Pull on your boots and scoot on over to the Dance Hall if there’s a band playing while you’re in town.
Blanco
If there’s not, that’s OK because 30 miles southeast via Farm to Market 1888 and River Road, the iconic Twin Sisters Dance Hall in Blanco might. Built in 1879 as a dance hall and community center, the hall has been welcoming neighbors and guests ever since. While in Blanco, check out the Buggy Barn Museum, with its 280-plus collection of buggies, wagons and carriages, including a few used in well-known Westerns like “True Grit.” Plant lovers won’t want to miss walking the lavender fields at Hill Country Lavender Farm, the first commercial lavender farm in Texas.
Fiesta San Antonio is a multiday event
HILL COUNTRY
Fiesta San Antonio!
Less than 50 miles later, arrive in a former capital of Spanish Texas and home of the tenured Fiesta San Antonio. What began as a single parade in 1891 to honor the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto has evolved into a multiday homage to the city’s rich cultural heritage, including Native Americans, Mexicans, African Americans, Germans, Irish and others with roots in the early settlement. Held April 24—May 4 this year, Fiesta unfolds with more than 100 events, including music, food, sports, parades and pageantry. It is one of the largest festivals in the United States and ranks among Texas’s top three.
Performers participating in the Battle of the Flowers Parade
The most anticipated event is the Battle of Flowers Parade, which recalls the 1891 parade during which flowers figured prominently. The parade is the second largest in the country and is entirely planned and directed by women volunteers. It is a riot of color. In fact, all of Fiesta is visually bright, cheery and beautifully over-the-top with flashy costumes, bedecked hats, Fiesta medals, embroidered sashes and full skirts and blouses.
Battle of the Flowers Parade participants
What’s more is that Fiesta is dubbed a “Party With a Purpose,” thanks to all the charitable organizations that develop and run the various events. Each year, they come back with new ideas and are able to fund community events with the money they receive from participating.
Immerse yourself in the festivities, content with such a fabulous conclusion to a springtime road trip.
Contact a knowledgeable AAA Travel Agent to plan a memorable trip to Texas.
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