Hamilton Pool Preserve

Hamilton Pool Preserve - Dripping Springs, TX

Hamilton Pool Preserve is a natural pool that was created when the dome of an underground river collapsed due to massive erosion thousands of years ago. 

The pool is located about 23 miles (37 km) west of Austin, Texas off Highway 71. Since the 1960s, Hamilton Pool has been a popular summer swimming spot for Austin visitors and residents. Hamilton Pool Preserve consists of 232 acres (0.94 km2) of protected natural habitat featuring a jade green pool into which a 50-foot (15 m) waterfall flows. 

The pool is surrounded by large slabs of limestone that rest by the water's edge; large stalactites grow from the ceiling high above. The ceiling and surrounding cliffs of the grotto are home to moss, maidenhair fern and cliff swallows. The Ashe juniper (cedar) uplands of the preserve are home to the endangered golden-cheeked warbler. The natural pool and creek are not chemically treated, so water quality is monitored regularly and swimming is occasionally restricted. Hamilton Pool is part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and is a protected environment. 

Hamilton Pool Preserve is a historic swimming hole which was designated a preserve by the Travis County Commissioner's Court in 1990. Located 3/4 mile upstream from its confluence with the Pedernales River, Hamilton Creek spills out over limestone outcroppings to create a 50 foot waterfall as it plunges into the head of a steep box canyon. 

Hamilton Pool Preserve is a part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP). The BCP is a 30,428-acre system of endangered species habitat owned by Travis County, the City of Austin, The Nature Conservancy, the Lower Colorado River Authority, Travis Audubon Society, as well as privately owned lands. The preserve is home to the Golden-Cheeked Warbler, and a great variety of other birds. The diverse vegetation of Hamilton Pool ranges from semi-arid species in the uplands to riparian species in the canyon. The uplands of the preserve are a juniper and oak savannah with a variety of native grasses and wildflowers. Several rare plant species including canyon mock-orange, red bay (western-most colony of this eastern species), and chatter box orchid are known to occur in the canyon areas along Hamilton Creek.

Hamilton Pool Swimming Hole and waterfalls can be accessed by Hamilton Pool Nature trail . 

Mount Bonnell

Mount Bonnell in Austin

Mount Bonnell is one of Austin’s main attractions for both tourists and residents.  Mount Bonnell sits on about 5 acres and the distance to the top is 0.31 miles. There is no entrance fee and visitors can choose to either climb the stairs or “hike” along the winding trail to the top.

Mount Bonnell rises 775 feet on the eastern bank of the Colorado River, what is now Lake Austin. This Central Texas classic is one of Austin’s oldest tourist attractions, dating all the way back to the 1850s. Today it remains an Austin hotspot, attracting everyone from hikers and bikers to families and lovebirds. Although the actual main hiking path is pretty short, measuring just about 0.3 miles, there is a nearly 200-foot elevation gain from the bottom of the stairs to the top.

Mount Bonnell provides a spectacular vista of Lake Austin, surrounding bluffs and multi-million dollar homes, the 360 bridge and downtown skyline. Climb the stairs or path to reach the highest point in the city, and you can even take a picnic - tables and grills are available. With the mostly mild winters in Central Texas, this sunset is nice to watch almost year-round. It's a great spot for picnicking, too, with rolling hills, the Colorado River, and all of Austin virtually spread out before you. Spread out a blanket or take advantage of the many picnic tables and pavilion that are at the site.

Covert Park at Mount Bonnell can literally take your breath away.  It gives the Beautiful view of Lake Austin and the 360 Bridge, looking north from the top of Mount Bonnell. It is one of the Texas Historical Marker.

Address : Mount Bonnell

3800 Mt. Bonnell Rd., Austin, TX 78731

Texas State Capitol

Texas State Capitol Building

The Texas State Capitol Building, completed in 1888 in Downtown Austin, contains the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and the Office of the Governor. Designed in 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, it was constructed from 1882 to 1888 under the direction of civil engineer Reuben Lindsay Walker. 

Texas State Capitol building facts :

Ø  The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Ø  At the time of its construction, the capitol building was billed as "The Seventh Largest Building in the World."

Ø  The building has nearly four hundred rooms and more than nine hundred windows.

Ø  The interior of the central rotunda features portraits of every person who has served as president of the Republic of Texas or governor of the State of Texas.

Ø  The Texas State Capitol was ranked in, one of the America's Favorite Architecture.

Ø  The Texas State Capitol is 308 feet tall, and taller than the US Capitol in Washington, DC

The capitol building and grounds are located in downtown Austin, with the main entrance facing onto the Congress Avenue Historic District to the south. The northern edge of the grounds lies four blocks south of the University of Texas at Austin.

Texas Bluebonnets

Bluebonnets - State Flower of Texas

A hardy winter annual native to Texas, the Bluebonnet was adopted as the "State Flower of Texas". This is the most commonly seen variety along roadsides and in uncultivated pastures throughout the state. Flowers are densely arranged on a spike with a characteristic ice white terminal tip. 

Best Places to See Texas Bluebonnets in Spring time

Lupinus texensis, the Texas lupine or Texas bluebonnet, is a species of lupine endemic to Texas. With other related species of lupines also called bluebonnets, it is the state flower of Texas.

Best Time to See the Bluebonnets Flowers :  In general Every year in the month of April 1-30, and the bluebonnets typically peak around the 3rd week of April. There’s an approximate two- to four-week window every March and April for catching sight of these wildflowers. Just how long they last and how spectacular their blooms become depends on the preceding winter’s rain and cold.  Some places Bluebonnets look their best from late March to mid April.

Fact to know about Bluebonnets : Believe it or not, the bluebonnet is actually toxic if ingested. Leaves and seeds from the entire Lupinus plant family are poisonous. If you are with kids be careful. 

I took the above photos in roadside of 281 Highway from San Antonio to Johnson City.

Johnson City Texas

Johnson City in Texas

Johnson City is a city in Blanco County, Texas, United States.

Johnson City was the hometown of President Lyndon Johnson and was founded by James Polk Johnson, nephew of Samuel Ealy Johnson, Sr. and uncle to President Johnson. James Polk Johnson donated a 320-acre (130 ha) site on the Pedernales River for the founding of the town in 1879. The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, operated by the National Park Service is located close to Johnson City.

Here I have shared few Sunset snaps which I took there during my stay.

Pedernales Falls State Park

Pedernales Falls State Park in Johnson City

Pedernales Falls State Park is about ten miles east of Johnson City and in some the prettiest Texas hill country. 

This 5212-acre park borders some very scenic stretches of the Pedernales River and has six miles of river frontage and a rugged and picturesque gorgeite known as Pedernales Falls - making it a great park for sight-seeing, hiking, fishing, and swimming. The park is well maintained and the campsites are spacious and nestled in the trees. 

There are also over 21 miles of hiking trails; a quarter mile nature trail; 20 miles of bike trails; a 10 mile equestrian trail; a beach with river swimming; and fishing (primarily catfish) along the banks of the river. 

How To Reach : Pedernales Falls State Park is located 10 miles east of Johnson City. The park is on the Pedernales River, 14 miles southwest of the river's mouth at Lake Travis. And It is located 25 miles away from Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park .

Lake Granite Shoals

 Lake Lyndon B. Johnson in Horseshoe Bay

 Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (more commonly referred to as Lake LBJ and originally named Lake Granite Shoals) is a reservoir on the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country in the United States. 

The reservoir was formed in 1950 by the construction of Granite Shoals Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority. The Colorado River and the Llano River meet in the northern portion of the lake. The towns of Granite Shoals, Kingsland, Horseshoe Bay, Highland Haven, and Sunrise Beach are located on the lake, which is also near Marble Falls.