Culture / Travel

The Hill Country You Don’t Know — Hidden Spots and Surprise Luxury Finds: Your Ultimate Road Trip Guide

BY // 09.06.18

As a born and raised Texan, I like to think of myself as an expert on all things relating to the Lone Star State. Truthfully, though, I’ve barely scratched the surface. The Hill Country, for instance, has always been a bit of a mystery to me.

Where does it start and where does it end? What am I missing out there? A few weeks ago, I set out to see for myself.

As soon as I started doing research for the trip, I was pleasantly surprised. Between vineyards, distilleries, restaurants, and charming shops, the middle of nowhere was looking kind of hip. The area seemed like the perfect place for a relaxing girls’ weekend, so I grabbed my BFF and we headed for the hills.

Friday: Hill Country Road Trip 101

First things first, what to drive? The answer came by way of Buick, which loaned us its new Envision for the weekend. Full disclosure: I drive a 10-year-old Honda Civic. So, this substantially sized SUV, with its panoramic sunroof and techy gadgets, was a definite upgrade.

We packed our things in the trunk, connected our phones to the WiFi and Bluetooth, put Spotify’s “This is Drake” playlist on shuffle, and switched the AC on full blast. We were ready for the long haul.

Our destination — the quaint Sage Hill Inn & Spa in Kyle, Texas — is about 45 minutes south of Austin in the rolling Texas Hill Country. Thanks to Waze, we avoided downtown Austin and its notorious traffic, turning what could have been an endless ride into a mere three-and-a-half hour drive.

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We escaped the Dallas gridlock and as my foot grew heavier on the pedal, the car responded. Surprise! It knows I’ve exceeded the speed limit and scolds me with a pinging sound and a notification projected on the windshield. This is straight out of Black Mirror — but I’m actually kind of into it.

Buick
Buick loaned us a 2019 Envision for the road trip.

I put my friend to work, taking advantage of the car’s built-in WiFi hotspot to do some restaurant research. Despite coming up with a short list of little known country eateries, we did what any good (and hungry) road-trippers would do: stop for fast food.

The place of choice? Raising Cane’s, naturally. That buttery Texas toast has never disappointed. And, well, we were famished.

At around 2 pm, we arrived at our destination. The entrance to Sage Hill Inn & Spa is quintessentially Texas. We drove up a dirt path through unmanicured prairie until we came upon a cluster of adorable houses. We checked in and one of the managers gave us a tour of the property. One of the farmhouse-style buildings holds the dining room, library, and a charming back porch.

Another, smaller house is the Garden Spa. Our room is in yet another farmhouse not far from the main communal spaces. The buildings are surrounded by lush gardens, hiking trails, and adorable nooks perfect for lounging and relaxing.

It’s tempting to spend your entire day at Sage Hill: wandering the property’s hiking trails; taking leisurely dips in the pool. But, we have reservations at Blue Hole Regional Park, a natural area known for its swimming hole.

Travel Tip: These Hill Country swimming holes are a popular thing during the summer. Buy tickets in advance. Originally, we planned to visit Jacob’s Well (another swimming hole) but it was sold out.

We set up shop on the narrow lawn adjacent the creek and watched sunbathers jump off a swing into the water. Little kids and less courageous swimmers (i.e. me) used the ladders on the bank. Despite suffocating August heat, the water is refreshing and cool. The whole scene is quite pretty; the water is that undeniably Texan shade of sheer emerald, punctuated by limestone and the sun-bleached roots of bald cypresses on the bank.

Back at Sage Hill: Here, breakfast and dinner are included with your stay. Call it communal dining. In this respect, the Sage Hill experience feels a bit like a luxe summer camp. This night, we were seated next to two ladies who were celebrating 25 years of friendship! Bestie goals.

The restaurant — open to the public by reservation only — offers a seasonal menu, utilizing fresh produce and herbs from the garden. I ordered a chilled carrot soup with créme fraîche, cauliflower au gratin and a steak and crab salad. For dessert, I opted for a flourless chocolate cake, while my friend chose the crème brûlée. Everything was delicious. We wobbled out of the dining room completely satiated.

Post dinner, we decided to do a little more exploring around town. We drove to Trattoria Lisina, a scenic restaurant on Mandola Vineyard about 15 minutes away. From what we could tell, the drive was pretty. I wish we would’ve gone in daylight.

While we were too full to continue eating, the antipasti e salumi was calling. Practicing incredible restraint, we each grabbed a glass of wine and headed out to the sprawling patio overlooking the vineyard. I made a mental note to return to Hill Country — Trattoria Lisina, in particular — if only for the food.

Saturday: Olive It Here

After breakfast, I explored the hotel grounds and snapped many photos. I spot a flock of wild turkeys — cute! The landscape is beautiful and serene — a world away from the suburban sprawl of Dallas.

Adding to the Zen Texas vibes, here, are the in-house toiletries. All hail from Hummingbird Farms in Hye, Texas, a lavender ranch I first discovered at Indie Beauty Expo. The century-old, family owned farm began growing lavender in 2003, which inspired its line of natural body products. The soaps and lotions smell amazing, and many are aloe-based, making them perfect for sensitive skin.

Our afternoon was dedicated to, of all things, olive oil. We made the half-hour drive to Bella Vista Ranch, Texas’ first olive oil farm. We arrived early for the tour, so the genteel ranch hands gave us a pre-tour wine tasting. (FYI, y’all: Wine tasting is included with all tours.)

Bella Vista
Bella Vista Ranch gives tours every Saturday.

The tour lasted about an hour and a half, and I learned more about olives than I ever hoped to. Growing olives in Texas is a difficult, high-risk game, but Bella Vista has (mostly) figured it out over the years.

The farm first began planting olive trees two decades ago, had its first harvest in 2001, and has been harvesting and pressing fresh olives every autumn since. Now, the ranch is home to more than 1000 trees consisting of 15 varieties (they’re still figuring out what thrives in the Texas climate).

Most of the harvesting is done by hand, and the ranch has an all-female crew of workers. The owner – a sassy California transplant – joked that the workers must have been tricked into thinking this is glamorous work a la “Under The Tuscan Sun.”

After a stroll through the orchard, we returned to the tasting room to try the olive oil. The extra virgin is excellent, lightly floral with a pleasant finish. There are also several varieties of infused oils. Bella Vista presses ingredients like garlic, lime or pepper with the olives to make the flavored oils. The white truffle oil is a necessary souvenir.

On our way back to Sage Hill, we stopped in Wimberley for its many charming shops. I especially recommend Circa Soap Apothecary, which will keep your relaxing weekend vibes in tact well after the vacation is done. Having explored Wimberley’s boutiques, we ducked into Inoz’s Brew & Chew for a drink and a snack.

The restaurant has a mysterious-looking entrance — a large sign hanging above an overgrown pathway. It leads down to a giant patio overlooking the creek. It’s a pretty view and there’s live music. We order a pitcher of margs and some queso. Call this heaven.

After last night’s feast, I’m looking forward to dinner back at Sage Hill. I ordered the salad, perfect for tasting the garden’s homegrown veggies in their purest state. I continued down a healthy path with salmon and swiss chard; The chocolate dessert got an encore.

Perhaps it was the packed day or the bottle of prosecco we shared at dinner, but we’re in bed and asleep by 8:30 pm. Clearly, we’ve leaned into this laid-back lifestyle.

Sunday: Spa Vibes

Our final day required a visit to the Garden Spa at Sage Hill — the perfect way to unwind before hitting the road and heading home. The spa itself is housed in a tiny bungalow in the middle of Sage Hill’s vegetable garden. It’s all very soothing in a farm-fresh way. My hour-long Swedish massage was perfectly relaxing.

While we could have spent the whole day at the spa — next time I’m going for the full body mud masque — it was time to return to big-city life. We packed up the Buick and pointed the GPS toward home.

We wanted to stop in Waco on the way back — I’ve been meaning to try Magnolia Table. But, it is Sunday. And, literally, everything is closed on Sunday. This is Texas, after all.

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