Frio River Canyon in the Texas Hill Country

If you have never visited The Texas Hill Country and more specifically the Frio Canyon Area consisting of the towns of Rio Frio, Leakey and Concan Texas, you are definitely missing a gem. The Rio Frio and the Texas Hill Country is a serene getaway for visitors across the country and even world. The Frio Canyon is known for it's many Lodging, Camping Sites, RV sites, Texas Style Real Estate, Home Cooking Restaurants, Antique Stores and many other accommodations. Some may know the area because of the famous Garner State Park or heard about the beautiful white rocks and crystal clear water that encompass the Frio.

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The Frio Canyon Area is also known for it's Rolling Hills & Valleys, Cypress Trees, many species of Birds, Catfish, Beautiful Sunsets and Panoramic Views. Not too far away in Rocksprings is Devil's Sinkhole (Bat Cave) and in Rio Frio resides one of the largest Live Oak Trees in Texas. Thousands come to the Frio every season to tube, kayak, swim, ride, lounge, hunt, fish, hike, shoot videos/pictures, and most importantly- relax.

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Many love the Frio so much, they end up buying a place of their own for retirement or vacation home.

For over 30 years, our family has either lived or been coming to the Frio Area and just within the last few years discovered many areas we never knew existed. One day while feeling adventurous, we ventured down and through HWY 83, Ranch Road/FM 1120 & 1050, CR 350 and CR 348 (River Road) in Leakey, Rio Frio and Concan. During our quest, we were amazed with the numerous beautiful camp and RV sites, lodges, river crossings, real estate, restaurants and stores, country club/golf course and even a helicopter ride! We figured if we never knew of these places after decades of residence, probably many visitors and even locals were also unaware.

The Frio River at Concan is just 90 minutes west of San Antonio and from Austin three hours southwest through the Hill Country to the Frio River crossings at Leakey. Mid-way between Leakey and Concan is historic Rio Frio (Spanish for Cold River) and Texas' famous Garner State Park. The Frio area is a perfect destination for all seasons and offers very affordable accommodations. Also nearby, are the beautiful towns of Utopia, Camp Wood, Vanderpool, Bandera, Medina, Kerrville, and Fredericksburg.

Besides river recreation and hunting, the Frio River Area is busy with Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and big Harley-Davidson motorcycles and every kind of bicycle. It's a great place to ride now or any time of year and one of the most biker friendly areas around.

If you are looking for a new Travel Destination, The Frio Canyon in the Texas Hill Country is definitely a place to consider.

Frio River Canyon in the Texas Hill Country

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Faith Hill "Fireflies" Country Music CD Review

Country music super star Faith Hill has released her first CD in more than three years on the Warner Bros label entitled Fireflies.

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This is her sixth release with each of the previous five being multi-platinum efforts, and nine country music #1's under her belt. Oh and don't forget about her being a multi Grammy Award Winner.

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With a resume like the one just described Hill is clearly one of the biggest, and brightest stars in all of music. Not just country music.

Fireflies is somewhat of a return effort for Hill as she gets back to her country roots after experimenting outside the boundaries of country music on her last outing, Breathe.

I like Fireflies because of it's high production value, and the focus of the collection is once again on Faith's incredible singing voice.

The CD launches with a very vibrant tune in Sunshine & Summertime and from there proceeds to remind us that when Hill is in top form, as she is here, the quality of her voice is second to none.

Overall Fireflies is very easy to listen to and is what I call, must have music. I give it two thumbs up. Even the casual music fan will appreciate and enjoy Hills incredible vocal presentations provided here.

The standout tunes on Fireflies are Sunshine & Summertime [track 1], Like We Never Loved At All [track 7], and Paris [track 14]. My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 5, Stealing Kisses. Very nice!

Release Notes:

Faith Hill originally released Fireflies on August 2, 2005 on the Warner Bros record label.

CD track list follows:

1. Sunshine & Summertime

2. Mississippi Girl

3. Dearly Beloved

4. Ain't Gonna Take It

5. Stealing Kisses

6. Fireflies

7. Like We Never Loved At All

8. I Want You

9. Lucky One

10. Lucky One

11. We've Got Nothing But Love To Prove

12. You Stay With Me

13. Wish For You

14. Paris

Faith Hill "Fireflies" Country Music CD Review

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Austin Texas - Gateway To Hill Country

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Central Texas is Hill Country, a scenic region with amazing natural attractions, quaint country towns and lovely hills and valleys. Austin is the gateway to this fantastic recreational area steeped in history and Southern charm. The Texas Hill Country welcomes more than 5 million tourists each year, and the clear rivers, towering forests and abundant wildflowers are just a few of the reasons they return again and again. From water sports and outdoor activities to shopping and golfing, Texas Hill Country provides a wealth of activities for all ages and interests.

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The Texas Hill Country, just minutes from Austin, is full of natural attractions that provide the outdoor enthusiast with many chances to admire the scenery and recreate in Mother Nature's playground. One of the top attractions is Enchanted Rock, a large natural rock formation more than 400 feet tall. Also top of the list is the Longhorn Caverns, where tours recall the days when outlaws, Native Americans and soldiers used them as shelter. Cool off at Barton Spring Swimming Hole and check out the wildlife at the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch.

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Quaint Southern Texas towns provide a glimpse into the rural heritage of the Texas Hill Country. Villages such as Wimberley, San Marcos, Buda, Burnet and Johnson City are all nestled in the rolling hills and provide tourists with shops brimming with handicrafts and antiques and fine dining in restaurants overlooking the natural beauty of the region. Enjoy Texas history at several museums that instruct and educate visitors on everything from early Native American life to cowboys and ranchers. Visit the towns of Bandera, Dripping Springs and Taylor for true historical attractions.

When folks are looking to get out of Austin for a few hours, they head to Hill Country and participate in just a few of the many things to do in the area. There are lakes and rivers that are perfect for swimming, fishing, sailing, boating or tubing. Staying in a bed and breakfast is a wonderful way to get away for a day or a weekend. Check out historically important architecture in any of the Main Streets in the smaller cities in Hill Country, or hike, bike and camp in any of the national and state parks in the area. Visitors to the area can even take wine tours, guided ranch tours and art gallery tours if that is the kind of recreation they enjoy.

While Hill Country is located in the center of Texas, it's easy to see why the area is considered the heart of this great state. The lush abundance of natural resources and Southern hospitality creates a unique combination of relaxation and rejuvenation. Using Austin as a base to explore this amazing region is a wonderful idea for those seeking to maximize their time in Texas Hill Country.

Austin Texas - Gateway To Hill Country

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Texas Hill Country Ranches

West of Austin and north/northwest of San Antonio lies the Texas Hill Country, true to its namesake with rolling hills and deep valleys. Settled in the 1800s, the Hill Country offers a diverse yet rural population who enjoy living the way things used to be. Many of the early settlers were liberal minded Germans who were fleeing after the Revolution of 1848 and with them they brought Old World tastes and traditions that one can enjoy by pulling into town. Towns like Fredericksburg offer beer gardens, markets and restaurants that celebrate this diverse populace. Their stalwart rock homes of the 1800s pepper the countryside and it's much en vogue in recent years to restore these old settlements. Many of the ranch owners can trace back to these settlers and can be seen working their fields and livestock during the day and enjoying the fine dining in the evenings, true of so many of the small towns that bustle with energy. This energy has supported the establishment of extensive wineries across the region known as the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail, leading the New York Times to rank the Hill Country as the #1 travel destination and comparing it to Tuscany and the south of France. The Texas Hill Country has also been named the fastest growing wine destination by travel site away.com.

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The richness in culture, heritage and Old World charm is unique in that it is only minutes from two of the largest cities in Texas: San Antonio and Austin. In fact, many CEOs and businessmen now call their ranches home and commute to their jobs in the city. Many of the area's most impressive architecture lies in the mansions and compounds built on Hill Country ranches. Local airports and landing strips make it possible for the who's who to live comfortably amongst the grand landscapes and clear, spring-fed rivers. This easy proximity to town is also the reason for the Hill Country and the ranches therein becoming fodder for recreation rather than actual ranching. Streams have been developed into large lakes for fishing and boating, exotics have been imported from Asia and Africa and hunting has become big business.

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The region is exceptional for children and many children's camps have supplied the fantastic memories that feed the urge for many of these CEOs turned ranchers and city dwellers turned country-folk to have made the transition. Second only to Florida for retirees, Texas can thank the Hill Country for providing a safe-haven for everlasting youth, vigor and happiness that can only be found in the beautiful foothills and lush valleys of this spectacular region.

Texas Hill Country Ranches

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Texas Hill Country Guide

For any city dweller living in San Antonio or Austin or even San Marcos and New Braunfels the Texas Hill Country is full of the kind of mystique you find only in films or books.

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Within a short time's drive out of the city's suburbs you are in Central Texas territory your eyes feasting on rolling, rugged hills the kind of which Hollywood cameramen love to let the camera pan upon.

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There are very specific reasons however for the mystique. Has everything you may want of a terrain, and the surrounding hills come with their share of caverns and caves which make it exciting as a day out spent exploring. The Colorado River runs through it as do both the Llano and the Pedemales and then there is the sense of peace that can only be experienced when you are there.

Out of the exotic melange of Spanish, Czech, German, Swiss and Austrian rose a culture which is uniquely Central Texan and separate from Texas' Southern and Southewestern influences. The food, the music, the lifestyle, they all combine to form an experience that accounts for much of the popularity with Texans as well as out-of- Staters.

For those who seek neither much adventure in the Central Texas rolling hills nor much of nature in the Central Texas rivers the Hill Country has another attraction: its thriving wine industry.
The Texas wine industry has become a talking point in quality restaurants across the USA and in the Hill Country you are within striking distance of many of the vineyards which produce the much talked about Texas wine labels.

An exotic, unique culture, hills and rivers and wineries, all combine to raise Texas Hill Country property values in a way that other areas of the US can only dream about.

The sprawling landscape is studded with farms and the inevitable (since we are in Texas) ranches. City dwellers striking out for a day or even a few days' break can find excellent information about the Texas Hill Country here.

Those looking to sample some famed Texas Hill Country wines should check out our Texas Wine Trail guide. Finally for some high quality real estate in the Texas Hill Country just check out our Hill Country listings or do a search on our website.

Texas Hill Country Guide

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Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival

Held every spring, the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival is a celebration of the rapidly expanding food and wine culture to be found in Central Texas. This 501(c)4 non-profit organization was founded in 1986, and their annual festivals have become one of the hottest tickets in town. Held over a four-day span, and featuring a multitude of events scattered throughout the greater Austin area, this festival highlights the cutting edge chefs, writers, food and wine producers who have elevated Texas into the culinary firmament.

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The festival is concentrated in some of downtown Austin's most revered establishments, from the posh haute cuisine of the Four Seasons, to Austin's own Spanish tapas restaurant, Malaga. The events radiate out from this locus, including other Austin institutions such as Central Market, and spreading out into the Hill Country wineries including Fall Creek, Becker and Spicewood. The festival culminates in an all-day fair, often held in San Gabriel Park near Georgetown.

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The events run the gamut from the frenetic heated battles of Iron Chef-style competitions, to Hill Country luncheons held amid the spring wildflowers at one of the participating wineries. Film and food are combined in events held at the Alamo Drafthouse, and music and food are combined in events such as Uncorked and Acoustic, featuring some of the finest talent Austin has to offer playing acoustically while participants enjoy food prepared by Austin's finest food talents. Bat cruises, reserve tastings, winemaker dinners and much more round out the weekend's offerings.

The premier event is the festival's Grand Tasting. Fittingly known as Stars Across Texas, the celebrated chefs featured here are from the hottest restaurants in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, the Hill Country and beyond - all bring their best to this unique event. The chefs and winemakers circulate throughout the event, giving participants the change to mingle and speak with these artisans in a unique milieu. With more restaurants, chefs, chocolatiers, pastry chefs, viticulturists and winemakers present than at any other event, this is truly the crown jewel of the festival.

The Sunday Fair is a less structured, more family-oriented event during which participants can sip and sample their way through a myriad of tents. Vendors include wineries, food artisans and restaurants from Texas and beyond, all proffering their specialties. Renowned chefs provide cooking demonstrations, discussion and panels are held on different food and wine-oriented topics, and since it is Austin, after all, you can count on some of the best live music from some of Austin's favorite musicians.

Throughout the four days of the festival, over thirty individual events are held, highlighting the products of more than one hundred restaurants, and at least sixty wineries. Although most speakers and presenters are Texan, guests are invited from other parts of the country, and the world, to illuminate Texas' impact on food and wine across the globe. The Festival is a affiliated with the prestigious James Beard Foundation, the Texas Department of Agriculture's GO TEXAN program, the Texas Restaurant Association and the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas.

Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival

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Hill Country Ranches

Many people think of Texas as a big desert or a dusty plain but Texas is one of the most diverse states in America. It features one of the largest coast lines of any state, old growth forests in the eastern portion of the state, great plains to the north and mountainous deserts to the west. One of Texas' most treasured features is its Hill Country located in the central part of the state and owning a piece of it is like owning a piece of heaven.

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Hill Country ranches can vary from valleys with bubbling creeks to hilltops grandly displaying the countryside. Some ranches feature cleared pastures for grazing goats and cattle while others are ranch owners choose to keep their properties in a more natural state to attract wildlife.

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Some of the most coveted Hill Country ranches even feature broad, clear limestone rivers such as the Pedernales, Colorado, Frio, Comal or Blanco rivers. These rivers are mostly spring fed from underground aquifers whose waters are filtered through porous limestone which gives these waterways exceptional clarity and create beautiful environments for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking.

Hill Country ranches are renowned for their incredible hunting opportunities. Common wildlife on Hill Country ranches includes whitetail deer, axis deer, turkey and feral hogs. Many ranchers lease their land to give guests the opportunity to hunt for wildlife. The central Texas area is a destination for many deer hunters around the country and hunting ranches can range from brush covered back country to well-groomed forests replete with luxurious hunting lodges.

Ranches in the Central Texas area can range from just 20 acres to over 20,000 acres but they all have common features of rolling limestone hills and broad oaks. Many people see the non-native ash juniper more commonly called a "cedar" as an invasive species on Hill Country ranches but the mature trees have become home to the endangered golden cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo. Protecting these species through conservation easements is one way owners of Central Texas area ranches can gain tax benefits and protect the land from over development. The exploding populations of Austin and San Antonio have dramatically raised the value of Hill Country ranches and also sparked debate on conservation among individual property owners and developers as well as local, state and federal governments.

Owning a ranch in the Hill Country offers a place to escape the stress of everyday life and experience the diversity of scenery, waterfront, flora and wildlife that Central Texas has to offer.

Hill Country Ranches

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Texas Hill Country is a Great Place to Live

There is no place that better demonstrates the rugged individual spirit of America than Texas Hill Country. Its unique climate, limestone hills, mysterious caves, and refreshing tributaries have made it a favored tourist location. It is a melting pot of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Those seeking to live in the Texas hill country region will be pleased with the variety of ways to express themselves as a land owner in this beautiful region.

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Texas Hill Country is warm year round. For fans of outdoor sports, this is the perfect place. While the summers do get hot, they are free of the humidity that plagues much of the rest of the south. This allows you to enjoy the hot sun with a cool breeze, free of the sticky fatigue of the damp air of other locations. If you want to live somewhere that frees you to enjoy the beauty of nature all year long, Texas Hill Country is the place to be.

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Much of Hill Country remains in a beautiful natural state. It is the ideal place to establish a cattle ranch, go hunting, explore rivers and caves, take hiking trips, or any of the other activities a fan of the great outdoors might enjoy. Small towns in the more rural areas maintain the old traditions of America's past.

However, Texas Hill Country is not only for the fans of rural life. Austin and San Antonio are two of the most vibrant cities in America. Austin, Texas is renowned as a cultural center. Its music scene is unique and legendary. South by Southwest is a trendsetting music festival that often launches the careers of major stars. These cities are a melting pot of interesting cultures. San Antonio is home to the world famous Alamo, a symbol of the independent spirit of Texas. Spanish and Central European cultures unite here to form a region specific influence on food, music, language, and tradition. Top colleges and hospitals are within a short drive of any property in the area. The beauty of nature and convenience of the modern city are both close by in this marvelous location.

This legendary region has attracted many wealthy people who have built ranches for retirement. It is considered one of the best places in the country to spend your golden years. Tourism thrives year-round; some consider it the best tourist location in America. The exciting, hip youth culture of Austin and San Antonio also makes it attractive for young people who are looking to relocate to this area.

If you are in pursuit of property, a Texas hill country estate would be a great investment. The property is affordable. Costs of living are lower in this area than in many other parts of the country. The natural experience is unbelievable. You can have the beautiful ranch life under the big Texas sky with convenient access to two major cities. It is a gorgeous merger of the haunting beauty of America's past with the diverse variety of the future. For your next real estate buy, Texas Hill Country is an excellent choice.

Texas Hill Country is a Great Place to Live

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