Sunday, March 1, 2009

Inks Lake State Park





Bluebonnets In Texas


Field of Bluebonnets near Brenham, Texas


There is no place more beautiful than Central Texas in the springtime! That's a fact. The highways and byways are loaded with wild flowers. The most prolific and the one that's guaranteed to take your breath away is the bluebonnet. It's the state flower of Texas and it fills up the fields and roadsides so thickly that at times you think you are seeing a lake of blue.



You will find bluebonnets all over Texas mid-March until mid-April, maybe early May. The one place where you will find them in more abundance than anywhere else, is the Hill Country of Texas. Could be the hub of the Hill Country is Austin. Whether you are coming or going from Austin, you're almost promised lots of bluebonnets; however, when you get out into the countryside around Austin you will be in for a spectaular experience.

The Highland Lakes area is just to the northwest of Austin and includes places such as Marble Falls, Burnet, Kingsland and Lake Buchanan. This is picturesque country and usually has lots of bluebonnets.


The Llano/Fredericksburg area is west/northwest of Austin and is home to some of the most spectacular bluebonnet displays. this area includes Llano, Fredericksburg and Stonewall. The LBJ State Park is located near Stonewall and almost always has a good wildflower display. The wildflowers of Texas were Lady Bird Johnson's passion and she did much to ensure that the Texas highways would be awash with color.

The Mason County area is northwest of Austin. It's a rural area with many backroads, stone fences and stone houses. They can make for great backdrops for the bluebonnets. This area includes the town of Mason and Fredonia.

The Washington County and Brazos River area is east of Austin. It includes the towns of Brenham (home of Bluebell Ice Cream,) Chapell Hill, Hemstead and Navasota. The area around Brenham and the Brazos River are often called the best wildflower scenic drives anywhere in Texas.

The LaGrange area is southeast of Austin. It includes the towns of Bastrop, Schulenburg, La grange and Fayetteville. South of La Grange in the vicinity of Hwy 77 you will no doubt find some excellent wildflowers. You will also find the "Painted Churches" trail in this area. Beautiful old churches with ceilings and walls painted many years ago by immigrant artists. A beautiful sight to see.

Yoakum and DeWitt County is east of San Antonio and April is the best time for viewing wildflowers in that area.


I'm giving you all of this information with the hope that you will gas up your car, hitch up your camper, strap that camera around your neck, and hit the backroads of Texas during the Spring. You're guaranteed to see wildflowers. Of course, the great abundance of flowers depends upon the amount of rain the area has received during the winter months. There is a Wildflower Hotline at the State Capitol. You can get it by contacting the state tourism department. And, right in the middle of all those bluebonnets in the Hill Country sits the charming Inks Lake State Park. More about that tomorrow. It's late. I need my sleep.




Lip-licking, longhorn in field of Bluebonnets near Brenham, Texas

1 comment:

  1. My favorite bluebonnet pictures can be found on your blog! My Shannon told me about the "Painted Churches" trail. We need to go see her Mom and let her take us around to all the churches and cemeteries there. Shannon said some of her family is buried nearby.

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