Tall Cowboy Texas Road Trip
With ALL the kids at camp for a week, you’d think we would head to the Bahamas. But nope! The Tall Cowboy and I took the ultimate Texas Road Trip! Saddle up with us!
Nixon, Texas
The Tall Cowboy and I stopped in Nixon, Texas to visit our dear friend Donald Hoffman, a true Texas heritage hero working to preserve history and tell the story of Texas cowboys.
I feel like it’s such a gift to meet someone so passionate about what they do - at 85 years young, his eyes light up when he shares about whatever projects he’s working on!
I mean...how much trouble could he get in?!?
Currently, Mr. Hoffman is curating an exhibit at the Nixon public library about John Wesley Hardin, one of the most dangerous gun-slingers in Texas history. He has developed a series of map stops and points of interest, as well as a video and reading list to educate about this notorious man. After some fajitas and tea, Tall Cowboy and I got to be some of the first to listen in and see the exhibit, which will be open to the public soon!
Nixon ➡️ San Antonio
From Nixon, we headed to SATX, for a quick overnight at the Plaza, a beautiful property close to the Riverwalk, and lots of delicious food - because when you’ve seen the Alamo, what else do you do in San Antonio?!? We found the BEST cocktail - Cowboy Tears - at The Esquire Tavern on the Riverwalk, Tall Cowboy contemplated hijacking a riverboat, and then we had dinner at Mavericks.
San Antonio ➡️ Wimberley
Wimberley is the most beautiful Hill Country town with great shopping, the Blanco River, tons of restaurants and bars and….The Boot Whisperer. Yes, I was Boot Whispered.
The Boot Whisperer may rank in my top ten most fun experiences - she is a collector of vintage, UNWORN boots. She reads your vibe, looks at your bare feet, and picks your boots. The accuracy (and FUN!) is unparalleled! I ended up choosing between a pair of 1970s Larry Mahans and a pair of turquoise Luchhesses but rest assured that they both had the best luck and I’ll be back for the pair I didn’t choose ;)
Want to get Boot Whispered? Here’s Some Tips:
She’s by appointment only - call ahead!
Her payment methods are also vintage: cash only!
Boots are vintage but not used - prices start in the $400s, you provide her with a budget
Be ready for SO much fun!
Tall Cowboy and I also tripped into the most exquisite dinner at Tillie’s in Dripping Springs, Texas. Tillies is a restaurant at Camp Lucy and is in an old Vietnamese Town Hall that was destined to be torn down. A gentleman fell in love with the building and had it brought to Texas and rebuilt in its current location. It’s full of his other treasures as well - patron saint statues, beautiful artisan tilework, and incredible details that make dining there a blessing. The food was simple but absolutely delicious - I am a beet addict (weirdo), so we shared a beet and whipped feta dish, alongside a charred cabbage with apple slaw, and a sourdough app that was tough to beat.
Livin' that #YURTLYFE 😂
In a random series of AirBNB events, I found this wild YURT on a farm in Wimberley that was absolutely stunning - fun, whimsical, amidst chickens and alpaca (wild!) it had gorgeous amenities and lovely folks who did not bother us ONE. TIME. I love when hosts just let you BE. Like, we are surrounded by children every day, can we just hang out with chickens and drink coffee in silence?!? The yurt had a fridge, a walk-in shower, a coffee pot and a portal to see the Hill Country stars. And kickin’ air conditioning. What more could you want?
What could be better than Salt Lick BBQ delivered by the Tall Cowboy?!? 😍 Not a dang thing.
We couldn’t leave without a stop at The Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas for some of the best BBQ around - this literal mile-long institution is SO good and the Tall Cowboy and I camped out on the patio to catch up on work and some download time, add sliced beef sammiches, potato salad, cole slaw, and cold Texas craft beer. YUM.
Wimberley ➡️ Fort Worth
I am a Cowtown-aholic and I’ve been waiting for nearly a year to stay at Hotel Drover. Tall Cowboy and I were blessed to meet up with family for dinner at H3 Ranch at the Stockyards. Then we grabbed a drink in the Drover lobby before enjoying this incredible property nestled in the bricks and cattle drives of historic downtown Fort Worth. I couldn’t stop taking inspo pics. The decor was immaculate and fun, the service impeccable, and we crowned the visit with a trip to Best Hat Co. for some custom straw hats.
Hat shapers at Best Hat Co, doin' what they do! 🤠
The Hotel Drover has incredible shopping as well, including the only Luchesse store that ONLY makes custom boots. If you’re in the market for custom boots, and you’re a lover of the L, this is the place for you. They have volumes of leather, textures, styles, and stitches. I could spend all day looking at the different boots and smelling that incredible leather scent!
Neither of us has ever had custom straws, only felts, so this was such a fun treat to have experts fit us and shape the hats for us. I know most people have opinions on shapes and crowns, but I love letting these artisans shape them how they think best. They’ve been doing it their whole lives, and I love listening to their stories and banter - and NO ONE does it better than Best Hat Co.! Make sure to stop in, grab a cold beer from the fridge, and slap a positive times patch on that new hat when you walk out the door.
It isn’t often that Tall Cowboy and I have time without our kiddos, so that time is sacred. I’m sure we could travel somewhere foreign and worldly, but honestly, Texas has so many good options and it was such a blessing to mix family, friends, and a lot of Texas into one good road trip. Ask us all the questions and let us help you map out your next Texas road trip!
