San Marcos
If it's time for back-to-school shopping, San Marcos will be-a-hoppin'. That's because San Marcos is home to the Tanger Outlet Center and Prime Outlet Center. The outlet center is HUGE and has some great draws, like Eddie Bauer, Crate-n-Barrel, Pottery Barn, Nike -- over 100 brand-name manufacturers. Check out their website for coupons before you head out to do some shopping.
San Marcos is located 40 minutes southwest of Austin - one hour northeast of San Antonio.
At the south end of the outlet centers is Cavender's Boots where you can grab your own set of cowboy boots before hitting the rode home.
San Marcos is not really my idea of "hill country town," but it's where I go when I have a lot of shopping to do and want a bargain.
You can still find some charming parts in San Marcos if you venture off (West of I-35) towards Texas State University (don't confuse this campus with mega-large University of Texas in Austin) and the historic town square (E San Antonio & N. LBJ Drive).
The Hays County Courthouse square was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Many of the buildings and shops surrounding the square have interesting histories and architectures, from Italianate to Greek Revival. The city of San Marcos has a great brochure (.pdf) that details the buildings, architecture and even some stories of bank robberies and a Steve McQueen movie. Download a copy or pick one up when you get there.
Aquarena Center: Family-oriented outing focusing on ecology, history and the archaeology. There are glass-bottom boat rides of the lake and Spanish ruins to explore. There's also an aquarium -- if you can plan it right, there's a 2pm feeding and a Floating Wetlands Boardwalk. This center is run by Texas State University so you know it's going to be educational (Aquarena Springs Drive).
Wonder World: USA's largest earthquake created cave and the most visited cave in Texas. See the Balcones Fault, from the observation tower, which is the eastern boundary to the Texas Hill Country (Wonder World Drive).
Tip: Always check the websites of attractions before you go. You can often find coupons to cut down on the admission prices.
Drive Times
Getting from one place to another takes time in the Hill Country. Texas is a big state and there's a lot of land to traverse. I've put together a drive time grid of how long it takes to get from one place to another.
Roadtrips through the Hill Country
The very thought of a roadtrip sparks energy in the air. As a college student, my best friend and I would stock the car with candy bars, sodas and enough clothing to last a week. We'd head off to Vegas or the mountains or sites yet unknown for an overnight.
