Texas To-Dos: April

The Hill Country (Revel in the bluebonnets)

Assuming we’ve had enough rain and the right combination of temperatures and other factors, blankets of wildflowers beautify the Texas Hill Country this time of the year. You’ll find them flowing west toward the mountains and southeast to the coastal plains.

One of the most bluebonnet-rich drives can be found on the two-lane Willow City Loop, a 13-mile drive off Texas 16 just north of Fredericksburg. In a good year, you’ll see bluebonnets so thick they’ll look like blue rivers in your photos amid the mesquites, live oaks, pecans, and prickly pear. Remember: Picking bluebonnets, while not technically illegal, reflects a lack of respect for Texas’ official flower. Anyway, you aren’t supposed to get out of your car on this private-property road, where there’s a good chance you’ll have to slow down for a cow or two.

From Fredericksburg, take Texas 16 13.3 miles northeast to RM 1323, and turn right. Continue east 2.8 miles to Willow City, and turn left onto the Willow City Loop.

More Texas To-Dos

From the January 2013 issue.

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