Texas Hill Country Springtime Road Trip: Austin to San Antonio

Ah, the open road. There's nothing quite like it. Upbeat music blasting on the radio, bare feet on the dashboard, car snacks on point...and, of course, that feeling of freedom that comes with jumping in the car and road-tripping.

I’ve been on lots of breathtaking road trips in my life: Miami to Key West driving on a bridge over the ocean was incredible; Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park with the palm trees and the mountains in the background was awesome; any drive through Tennessee makes me smile.

Texas Hill Country, though, was absolutely created for a springtime road trip. Between the wildflowers, the open road, and the rolling terrain, we were never bored by the scenery, and only wished we had more time to spend taking it all in.

I am so incredibly thankful to have been included in the Chevy Road Show in Central Texas this past weekend. Chevy invited me to Texas to test out one of their crossover vehicles for a family road trip! Unfortunately, my husband couldn’t make it work, so I turned it into a girls’ weekend with one of my sisters and my best friend. We had such a great time exploring San Antonio and the surrounding area, and felt like we just scratched the surface of all the things to do in Texas Hill Country!

Disclosure: The vehicle, accommodations, airfare, and food were all paid for by Chevy. They suggested an itinerary, but let us pick and choose what we wanted to do during our weekend in Texas. All opinions are my own.

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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The Vehicle

Ok, so our first stop upon landing in Austin was the Fair Market where we got to learn more about the vehicle we would be driving. The two crossover vehicles on display were the Chevy Equinox and Chevy Traverse.

Honestly, I don't know a lot about cars. I'm the kind of person that goes to buy a car and asks how many cup holders there are. But it was really eye-opening to see the attention to detail and safety that goes into these vehicles.

(Ok, this is an edit after writing this blog post. I totally didn't mean for this to sound like a commercial for Chevy...I was just honestly so excited by all these features that I didn't even know I needed in a car!)

Spill-Proof Interiors

The material used on the interior of the car is spill-proof and easy to clean. We got to put it to the test by pouring bright red soda on a swatch of the material, and my mouth literally dropped open when the soda simply beaded up and rolled off.

As a mom with 3 very young kids, I am no stranger to spills and accidents. I feel like I spend half my life scrubbing stains out of various materials, so I was pretty excited about this feature. I even wondered aloud if I could decorate my entire home, or at the very least my couches, in this material.

They also casually mentioned that it was dog hair-proof and that almost got me more excited than the spill-proof factor. We have a yellow lab and I am pretty much always covered in a thin layer of dog hair. We also bring our lab on road trips to Wisconsin with us, and one of our biggest struggles has been trying to vacuum up all the dog hair after the trip is over.

As a mom with 3 very young kids, I am no stranger to spills and accidents. I feel like I spend half my life scrubbing stains out of various materials, so I was pretty excited about this feature. I even wondered aloud if I could decorate my entire home, or at the very least my couches, in this material.

They also casually mentioned that it was dog hair proof and that almost got me more excited than the spill-proof factor. We have a yellow lab and I am pretty much always covered in a thin layer of dog hair. We also bring our lab on road trips to Wisconsin with us, and one of our biggest struggles has been trying to vacuum up all the dog hair after the trip is over.

Safety

OK, enough about the interior material. That was pretty cool, but the safety features of the car are even more impressive. Our Equinox was equipped with not just a Rear Vision Camera, but also a bird's-eye view called Surround Vision to help prevent backover accidents.

The car also reminds you if you opened one of the backseat doors before getting in the driver's seat. By the grace of God, I haven't forgotten a child in the backseat when running errands, but I can see how it could happen with "mom brain" and distractions. Rear Seat Reminder is instrumental in avoiding preventable tragedies because we know how quickly the inside of cars can heat up!

Finally, the car was equipped with navigation and On-Star so we never worried about getting lost. Plus, the fact that WiFi is available in the car means you never have to worry about what happens if you get lost or stuck in an area with no reception.

Best Places to Stop on A Texas Hill Country Road Trip

Wow, I really didn't realize I had that much to say about a vehicle! It must be because I have a 2-year-old boy at home who is obsessed with all things transportation-related.

So the wonderful people at Chevy had created a suggested itinerary for us with ideas for stops we could make along our road trip. Before we arrived, we were pretty ambitious about which spots we wanted to include, but once we arrived and finally got on the road, we realized we probably wouldn't have as much time as we thought.

I've typed up some of the best things to do in the area so you can pick and choose what to include on your road trip.

Start in Austin, TX

As I mentioned, we flew in and out of Austin for this road trip. If we had had an extra day on either end, these are some of the Austin sites we would have visited.

Before you head out for your Central Texas road trip, you might want to experience a little bit of Austin! It's the live Music Capital of the World, so if music is your thing, you'll have plenty of options to choose from.

Fill up on some amazing Austin at the local favorite, Torchy's Tacos. I have a friend who currently lives in Austin, and she highly suggested stopping here. It's an original Austin restaurant that serves specialty tacos, and apparently, it's a must-visit! I'll never say no to tacos, so this had to go on my list.

Stretch your legs and walk around Lady Bird Lake. You'll be in the car for long periods of time, so why not take in the Austin skyline while making your way around Lady Bird Lake?

Take a sightseeing tour. Since your time in Austin will be limited, you can hit the highlights of downtown Austin in a short period of time with a 2-hour bicycle tour of the city.

Visit the State Capitol. Austin is the capital of Texas, so go ahead and tour the capital building.

Take a picture in front of the Greetings from Austin mural. You'll find the iconic Austin landmark at 1720 S 1st Street, but it's actually located on Annie Street.

See the Mexican Free-Tailed Bats Take Flight: grab a seat on the grassy hill across from the Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset to watch hundreds of bats take off from under the cave-like bridge.

Dripping Springs

Dripping Springs is just outside of Austin and would make the perfect day trip if you're staying in the city for a few days. This small town has plenty of distilleries and breweries to choose from, great shopping in the historic downtown area, and beautiful natural settings all around.

Jacob's Well is an artesian spring with an extensive underwater cave system and plenty of wildlife that call the area home. During the hot summer months, you can swim here, but it's closed to swimming during the chillier months to help restore wildlife habitats. While you can't swim in the spring during your spring road trip, you can certainly still go hiking in the area.

Another beautiful natural area near Dripping Springs is Pedernales Falls State Park. You can swim in the Pedernales River, hike one of the many trails in the park system, go fishing, or visit the butterfly garden.

Hamilton Pool Preserve

If the weather is hot during your spring road trip, head 20 minutes north of Dripping Springs to Hamilton Pool Preserve, a natural swimming hole with a beautiful overhanging cliff. It's the perfect spot to cool off with a swim, but you can also take a guided hike in the area.

Reservations are required, so be sure to check out all of the information on the website before going.

Johnson City

Another small town along your route, Johnson City is considered the gateway to Texas Hill Country, so you can unofficially kick off your journey here.

Another draw for history buffs is that LBJ Ranch, President Lyndon B. Johnson's childhood home, is located here! You can stop in the general store where the visitor center is located if you're looking for more information!

Wildseed Farms

From Dripping Springs, head about 45 miles west to visit Wildseed Farms

We definitely wanted to see the Texas wildflowers and bluebonnets at Wildseed Farms since the Texas Hill Country is known for its wildflowers and bluebonnets. The entrance here is free, so it was the perfect spot to stretch our legs and grab a snack once we got out of Austin.

Wildseed Farms is actually the largest wildflower farm in the country, and the grounds were breathtaking. From the fields of flowers to the vineyards, from the shops to the Biergarten, there was so much to do on the property, and a great place to see the famous bluebonnets in spring.

It was so peaceful to wander in nature, watching the butterflies flit from flower to flower after being in a car. It was the perfect spot to stop along the way.

Fredricksburg

Wildseed Farms is technically located in Fredricksburg, so once you finish marveling at the spring bloom, you only have a short distance to drive to get to this historic community.

This small town was the cutest blend of German heritage and Texas spunk. Fredricksburg was founded by German immigrants in 1846 just north of the Pedernales River.

It's home to over 30 wineries, so if you plan to spend some time in the area you could spend an entire day wine tasting!

It's also the perfect place to go for shopping with tons of boutiques and souvenir shops that invite you in with a cold beer or a glass of wine. Walk down Main Street and duck in and out of the shops or hit the restaurants for some traditional German food and beer.

P.S. If you're looking to see bluebonnets and wildflowers in the wild, try the Willow City Loop, a 13-mile drive just north of Fredericksburg. It will eventually take you back to Highway 16, where you'll need to head south for the next leg of your journey.

If you get an earlier start than we did, you can pick strawberries at Marburger Orchard. If I had brought my kids with me on this trip, I think this would have been my first stop.

North of Fredericksburg is Enchanted Rock State Natural Area which looked like it had some beautiful hikes. If you're an outdoorsy family, definitely build this into your itinerary.

Stop in Luckenbach

Now it's time to settle in for a scenic drive over rolling hills heading south toward San Antonio. If you're a country music fan, make a pit stop in the tiny town of Luckenbach which inspired the Waylon Jennings song "Luckenbach Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" with guest vocals by Willie Nelson.

Guadalupe River

If you're not in a rush and have plenty of time to spare on your road trip, I would highly recommend going tubing on the Guadalupe River. Since we only had a weekend to complete everything we wanted to see, we ended up having to cut this out of our itinerary.

This is definitely an activity for older children, so if you have babies, toddlers, or preschoolers, you could skip tubing on the river and just enjoy the scenery in Guadalupe River State park.

San Antonio

San Antonio is an excellent place to stop for a few days on your road trip. There is truly so much to do within the city that it could be a vacation destination all on its own. Here are a few suggestions for what to do in San Antonio.

If you plan on spending a bit more time in San Antonio, be sure to get the Go City San Antonio Pass!

Remember the Alamo: The Alamo is free to visit with a timed reservation, or you can take a one-hour guided tour to really dive deep into the history of the battle that took place there.

Check Out the River Walk: The River Walk is the heart of San Antonio, and there are so many different ways to take it in! Grab a margarita at one of the many Mexican restaurants along the way so you can sit, sip, and people-watch. Stroll along the pathways and bridges on foot, or take a hop-on hop-off river boat cruise.

Visit the Spanish Missions: Hike, bike, or drive the Mission Trail to see these UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Better yet, take a guided UNESCO World Heritage Missions Tour that will pick you up and drop you back off at your hotel while giving you insight into the history behind the Missions.

See the Pearl District: We were lucky enough to stay at The Emma, a luxury hotel in the Pearl District of San Antonio. It was one of the most unique properties I've ever visited! We spent part of our time in San Antonio visiting the farmer's market in the Pearl, going out to eat, and grabbing some coffee from a local cafe.

If you have kids: visit the San Antonio Zoo, and the San Antonio Aquarium, or go to LEGOLAND Discover Center!

New Braunfels

On your way back up to Austin, stop in New Braunfels, another Texas city shaped by its German immigrant ancestors. Those with kids should top at Schlitterbahn Water Park, one of the most popular water parks in Texas, while nature lovers can head out to Canyon lake for some boating, fishing, or kayaking.

You can take a guided tour of the Natural Bridge Caverns, or if you prefer to stay inside the city take a walking tour of the art murals in town.

Be sure to stop in Gruene (pronounced "Green"), the historic district of New Braunfels. Gruene Hall is the oldest dance hall in Texas, and somewhere the whole family will enjoy dancing the night away.

Before hitting the road back to Austin, grab a cup of joe at the Gruene Coffee Haus!

After visiting New Braunfels, you can make your way back to Austin to finish your road trip.

I had the best time exploring Texas Hill Country on a girls' trip, and I have no doubt that visiting with kids would be incredible, too! There are so many Texas hill Country attractions to choose from, whether you enjoy a tasting room and vineyards, hiking and biking trails and other outdoor activities, or simply wandering a historic downtown.

There are scenic views everywhere you turn, which means one of my favorite things to do on the trip was to just simply to be in the car taking in the rolling hills and wildflowers.

Whether you plan a quick weekend getaway as we did, or take your time stopping for a few days at each destination along the way, a road trip is truly one of the best ways to see this part of Texas.

Where to Stay in Texas Hill Country

We based ourselves in San Antonio, and Chevy put us up in the Emma, one of the most unique hotels I've ever stayed in. You can read my full review here!
My parents have traveled to San Antonio and stayed at the Drury Plaza San Antonio Riverwalk - and they absolutely LOVED it. In fact, they convinced me to stay there next time I visit!
If you’re looking to stay in Fredericksburg area for a few nights, you can’t go wrong with a Hampton Inn & Suites. We haven’t stayed at this particular one, but we’ve stayed at plenty of others in this hotel chain and always had a good solid experience. Free breakfast!
If you want to see what else is out there in Fredericksburg, check out Booking.com - that’s where I always start when I’m in the planning stages of a trip.

Planning Your Road Trip

There are so many destinations to plot out on your Texas Hill Country Road Trip, and it can get pretty confusing! We love to use Google My Maps to group together destinations that are closer to each other for each day of the trip.
You can color-coordinate your activities by day so you have a visual representation of your itinerary.
If you need more help getting organized, be sure to check out my Family Travel Planner!

Though I wasn’t able to bring my kids on this particular road trip, most of my travel does involve my kids, which makes planning much more important - and sometimes stressful!

I’ve got some great resources and posts to help you get the most out of whatever trip you’re planning.

How to Get the Most Out of a Road Trip with Kids: