Hill Country Travel Blog
Texas’ State Gem, the Blue Topaz
Generally speaking, when you mention the word “topaz” it summons in your mind’s eye a gemstone that’s golden in color, roughly the same hue as fresh honey. This is likely because the yellow topaz is the traditional birthstone for the month of November, and is one of the most common colors of the stone to be found. However, topaz occurs in nature in a variety of colors, and in this article we’re going to focus on the blue topaz. It plays an important role in the state of Texas, and is as beautiful as the Hill Country skies!
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Bluebonnets in the Hill Country
The Texas countryside is known for wildflowers, especially thanks to LBJ’s First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. Her passion for colorful carpets of wildflowers drew attention to them, and inspired plantings to beautify roads throughout the state. She’d be proud to know Texas wildflowers will forever be part of her legacy!
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MASON, TEXAS: GEM OF THE HILL COUNTRY
Mason is a pretty town on the northern edge of the Texas Hill Country, serving as the seat of Mason County. It comes by its nickname, “The Gem of the Hill Country,” honestly: it’s the only place on earth you’ll find Texas topaz in nature. Though it comes in a variety of colors, it’s the water-blue version of Texas topaz that was named the state’s official gem in 1969. There’s also an official gem cut for Texas, known as the Lone Star cut; it’s the carving of a five-pointed star into the base of a gemstone. Unsurprisingly, the Texas topaz takes this cut very well!
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Hill Country Holidays with a Dickensian Twist
As the holidays roll around each year, sometime during the hustle and bustle of the season our thoughts turn to what is easily one of the greatest Christmas tales ever told: “A Christmas Carol,” published just six days before Christmas in 1843, penned by legendary British author Charles Dickens.
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LLANO, TEXAS: DEER CAPITAL OF TEXAS
Northwest of Austin, at the northern border of the Texas Hill Country, you’ll find Llano County, named after the river that bisects it. In its center, located on the Llano where Pecan Creek flows into it from the north, lies the county seat, logically enough named Llano. Currently, the town has a population of about 3,400, and its surrounding vicinity is known for the largest density of whitetail deer in the United States, attracting sportsmen and women to the region during hunting season.
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Christmas in comfort
If you hear the words, “Christmas in comfort,” you might imagine something simple. After opening presents with the family, you may look forward to nothing more than kicking back in your robe and slippers, maybe sipping a nice cup of cocoa, perhaps taking in a football game. Just you and your recliner. That certainly sounds like a comfortable Christmas!
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HARPER, TEXAS: HEADWATERS OF THE HILL COUNTRY
At the headwaters of the Pedernales River in western Gillespie County, you’ll find the picturesque Hill Country town of Harper. Like many of its fellow Hill Country towns, it’s a ranching community with deep roots that lead back to its original settlers; indeed, many of its current residents (with a current population of about 1,200) claim those settlers as family.
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Celebrating Songwriters: The Kerrville Folk Festival
Every spring, folk songwriters and those who love the music they create gather at Quiet Valley Ranch just south of Kerrville for the Kerrville Folk Festival, an 18-day celebration of the storytellers in this unique musical genre. In its fifty-plus-year history, the festival has featured headliners and newcomers alike, and it’s become a gathering with a national reputation...so much so that the festival’s population rivals that of Kerrville itself!
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