Have you ever been to the Texas Hill Country? How long has it been since you and your significant other slipped away for a few days? Do you make time away a priority? Do you love to visit small towns?
We have not had time away from the kiddos since July 2016! (Insert shocked face here) Oddly enough it was the exact weekend 5 years ago, we took our belated Honeymoon to Washougal, Washington. I always say to “date your spouse,” but with the pandemic and a total home renovation we have had very little time. I decided we needed a cabin in the hill country and ended up in Wimberley, Texas. The cutest town town with beautiful landscape.
I did a little bit of research for things to do, but we really just went with the flow on this trip. Which felt both nice and made me wish I had planned a little more in advance. However, the goal of this trip was to RELAX. Relaxing is typically not in our vocabulary and it was so nice to not have to be in a rush to get anywhere and have conversations without being interrupted by tiny humans. Parents, I promise, your marriage needs a retreat.
We made a few stops along the way: Waco, Round Rock, and finally on to Wimberley. First stop, Bike World. David had been in the process of rebuilding my mountain bike, but we stumbled upon a new bike for me and I am just so grateful, more on that later. Of course we stopped to visit the Silos, and peep the new additions of the smaller shops. Such a great addition, but the coffee at Magnolia Press is the spotlight for me. Great Iced Coffee!
Onward toward the tiny cabin in the hill country! I booked La Luna, El Sol and for being a last minute trip, I am shocked this cabin was even available. It was so perfect. Equipped with a hammock, hot tub, comfortable bedding, and breathtaking views. WOW! Let the relaxing commence. The hosts were absolutely fantastic!
Friday started with a stop for coffee (big surprise here) while we decided which mountain bike trail to hit. There were several in close proximity, but we ended up on Madrone Trail at Canyon Lake… Oh. My. Gosh! This trail was super technical and full of rocks, and definitely pushed me to my limit. After our exciting ride it was time for lunch. This is where I wished I had planned a little better, but I am trying hard to not focus on that. We needed to jump into Canyon Lake, but we were starving. Should have gone for that swim first because finding a swimming hole after that was a big fat FAIL. One tip for visiting Wimberley- there are several swimming holes in the area, but most require reservations due to the pandemic. Friday was sold out weeks in advance, bummer! Cypress Creek was open, but this did not pop up on my initial searches, so we learned about this one too late.
Our dinner reservations more than made up for the lack of a swimming hole. If you visit Texas Hill Country, and I highly suggest you do… Do yourself a favor a make reservations at Tillie’s in Dripping Springs. The place is absolutely stunning, you can read more about the architecture here. WOW! It doesn’t stop with the ambiance- our dinner was one of the best meals I have ever had, and the service was top notch! We started with Focaccia with whipped lemon ricotta spread (OH MY). David had shrimp and grits, but like… fresh grits (SO YUMMY). I had coffee rubbed Teres Major Steak (DELISH). We topped off dinner with an Affogato each (vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso poured over). I don’t think you could go wrong with any of their menu items. A must stop, if you ask me!
We wrapped up our time in Wimberley with some early shopping in the town square! Full of the cutest shops, especially Ceremony Botanical Studio! So many beautiful plants and happy vibes! There is not stop in the Texas Hill Country without lunch at The Salt Lick in Driftwood. So many childhood memories at Salt Lick and it is crazy to see just how much it has grown over the last 30 years!
If you’ve made it to the end of the post, let me encourage you to make time to slip away with your spouse/significant other. We waited far too long, and I cannot stress enough just how nice it was to relax together.