This Is Why We Call It The Hill Country

When I was young, I thought the hills of Austin were mountains.  It wasn’t until I left Texas for the first time in 1980, when Mark and I went to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, that I realized what a mountain really looks like.  So, even though we don’t have mountains we do have hills - a lot of hills.

Mark and I started walking a few months ago around our RV resort.  This is a nice area on about 75 acres with very few RV sites.

We have a couple of routes picked out that Mark has GPS’s so that we walk 3 - 3 1/2 miles.  Typically, we don’t walk together.

One of my favorite walks is “up the hill” to the water tower.  We’re having to get up earlier and earlier to get out before the brutal heat and humidity make it almost impossible to be outside.  Right now, we start walking about 6:15.

We have beautiful sunrises (and sunsets too). 

Sunrise off our front deck.

I leave the house and walk down the road toward the entrance to our resort.

 

Someone spent a lot of time outlining this 

flowerbed in the shape of Texas.

Along the way there are plenty of flowers and even a fig tree to look at. 

Little figs just getting started.

Vervain (Verbina)

Mexican Hat

The gate opens at 7:30 but can be opened manually if you know where the hidden button is, or opens automatically if a car drives up to it.

I turn around at the gate and keep going.  Past the office/clubhouse. 

There are critters to see. 

After passing the pool and exercise building, the road starts heading up.

 

It’s a little steep but not too bad.  After a little while the road turns right and goes up a little more steeply. 

Up to the Inn on the Hill.

 

The Inn is a beautiful house that the past owners built.  Their plan was to have a cooking school.  Their plans fell through and the house was never used for that purpose.  There is an apartment on one end, a huge open area with a large kitchen and living room in the middle and two private bedrooms with baths on the other end.  Both bedrooms are very large.  There is another kitchen on this end also.

The only way to get a reservation at the Inn is if you are a family member or friend of someone who lives here. 

A little way past the Inn the road makes a sharp left and gets even steeper.

 

Finally, with the water tower in sight you know the up-hill struggle is almost over. 

The water tower is in the upper right hand corner.

You turn around to start back down and the view will take your breath away.

Unfortunately, my little camera doesn’t really capture how beautiful the Hill Country is.

See that house on the next hill?  If you’re interested, it’s for sale for $1.7 million. 

The house is on the right side of the hill.

After enjoying the view, while catching my breath, I start back down.  

Going down is a lot easier on the heart but a lot harder on the knees!  That little red dot is Mark going up the last leg to the water tower. 

There are 52 RV lots.  There are no RV sites up the hill.  All the sites are in the lower, flat area.

I walk back to the gate, turn around, then have a decision to make.  Back up the hill or around the RV resort?

I make my decision next time.