Last month we took a trip out to the Texas Hill Country to finally explore the small town of Wimberley. It’s about an hour South of Austin and an hour North of San Antonio, so it makes for a popular day trip destination from either of those bigger cities. It’s small town charm combined with great restaurants, local shops which may have installed products from http://www.upvcshopfronts.co.uk/, and gorgeous river views have really put it on the map. Our family has driven through Wimberley tons of times, in fact we actually got married right outside of Wimberley but we had never properly visited the town. Not only was I looking forward to exploring all the shops of the Square, I really wanted to see Jacob’s Well and Blue Hole Regional Park with my own eyes!
What to do:
Downtown Wimberley
Visit downtown Wimberley – is chock full of boutiques, art galleries and great places to eat. From ice cream shoppes to distilleries, you have something for everyone. During our visit, the town was decked out for fall with gorgeous displays of pumpkins in front of many of the stores and restaurants. It was fun just to stroll around and explore the town. Even filled with tourists, it’s western flair and proximity to the river gives it such a fun, relaxed vibe.
Jacob’s Well
Jacob’s Well Natural Area is an area outside of town where an opening in the creek bed turns into a cave that descends vertically for about 30 feet and then continues down at an angle for another 140 feet – the whole cave system is over a mile long! I would recommend going when the sun is high in the sky to really see the depth of the cave from above. One of the great things about getting to Jacob’s Well is it’s an easy quarter mile hike down to the creek from a big paved parking lot (with portable toilets). While it is an easy walk, you do have to go down several rocky steep stairs, so I would not recommend taking a stroller or wheelchair.
Know Before You Go:
- Jacob’s Well is open for swimming from May 1 – September 30 by online reservation only
- The natural area is currently open to the public from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Reservations are required for water access
- No dogs, glass or alcohol are permitted in the natural area
- Visitors who are hiking do not need a reservation
Tip: Make sure you check water levels on the websites of the attractions you’re planning on going to. We really wanted to check out Blue Hole Regional Park during our time in Wimberley but unfortunately recent rains had the river portion closed off due to flooding.
Pioneer Town
Another little hidden gem of Wimberley is Pioneer Town. A town built as a replica an old 1800’s western town, complete with an opera house, functioning ice cream parlor and cowboy museum. The whole thing is very itchy and perfect for a photo op. And of course kids will love it because you feel like you’ve been transported into a movie. And if you really love it, you can stay in a river front cabin right on the property, at 7a Ranch. Fun Fact: they filmed an episode of Fear the Walking Dead right in Pioneer Town!
Know Before You Go:
- It’s a tiny bit tricky to find at first but the address is 333 Wayside Drive and it’s located next to the 7a Ranch
- Open to foot traffic during daytime hours, seven days a week
- Admission is free
What to eat:
While downtown Wimberley has plenty of great eateries, it can be hard to find a table during the lunch rush. We opted to head a little ways out of town to a spot I had read about online called The Shady Llama. It’s all outdoors and they have, you guessed it, LLAMAS!
Currently The Shady Llama has two different food trucks, BBQ and Tacos, as well as a full bar. We absolutely loved this spot because we were able to take our dog and it was super family friendly. They have a playground, corn hole, and hammock swings; take a look here.
Where to Stay:
There are no shortage of cute Airbnb’s and hotels to stay in within Wimberley. Our trip was last minute, so we ended up staying in Canyon Lake about 25 minutes from Wimberley. We wanted to camp, so we chose a place that came highly recommended to us called Mystic Quarry.
This place was unlike any other campground we have ever stayed at! It definitely seems to be geared more towards younger adults, with beer on tap in the office and lots of games. From bocce ball to giant jenga, fun for kids and adults!
You’ll have to check out the website but they have everything from safari tents and tiny houses to RV spots. Such a cool concept and it’s a place that I can definitely see us coming back to again and again.
