The transformation of red oak leaves from green to a deep crimson each fall coincides with an epidemic in the Hill Country – buck fever. Even the most-experienced hunters feel twinges of nervous excitement as they fan out among hilltops and valleys in an annual quest to bag trophy whitetails or other game.
For many hunters, the odds of success have greatly improved since Nature Blinds established a fabricating operation on the western outskirts of Kerrville.
For those seeking a little (or a lot of) history about beer and brewing in pioneering Texas, Fredericksburg's Jeff Holt is the source – so much so in fact, that this dedicated aficionado of the "cool one" has literally written the book covering this fascinating subject. Entitled Historic Texas Breweries, it's a must-read for one and all with a shared passion for foamy heads and history.
Hear ye! Hear ye! Come one, come all, to the Annual Harvest Moon Celebration in Boerne (BURHN nee). Held every year on the last Saturday in October, the event follows the ancient Celtic tradition, Samhain (SAH win), by some accounts the origin of Halloween, when the summer harvests were celebrated with festivals of food, drink, music and other entertainment.
The fun and excitement of a carnival midway joins a stock show, barbecue and bean cook-offs and bull-riding at the 35th Annual Kerr County Fair in Kerrville on October 24-26. Add a petting zoo, mutton busting, stick horse races, nightly dances and vendors galore, and you'll find something to interest everyone in the family.
You've probably heard it said that if you live in the Hill Country, you live in a desert. Certainly, it's a funny type of desert — the kind that periodically floods. When it comes to precipitation around here, it's feast or famine. If you ask me, I think it's time for a feast.
Warmer weather is here. You have no excuse. Get outside and enjoy nature. And if you get outside to a state park in the Texas Hill Country you cannot ever be bored.
"They're close to urban centers like San Antonio and Austin, and there's something for everyone in every season," explains Tara Humphreys, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Region 3 Interpretive Specialist.
In the tiny community of Concan, Neal's Dining Room is a timeless tradition. This impressive stone building is tucked away in a copse of trees, on a bluff overlooking the scenic Frio River.
Both longtime residents and tourists know that this is the place to go for great, home-cooked food. And they've known it for nearly 90 years now.
Local rancher Tom Neal and wife, Vida Thrift Neal, founded historic Neal's Lodges in 1926.
