Backroads of the Texas Hill Country: Your Guide to the Most Scenic Adventures

Texas has hill country?  Who knew?  Well, the Lonely Planet guide to Texas, which calls the Hill Country “rightfully one of the state’s biggest tourist draws . . . an area of gently rolling hills and valleys freckled with cacti and cattle ranches, lined with rivers and dotted with peaceful, picturesque little towns.”  And any self-respecting Texan might know as much.  Forty miles west of Austin and fifty north of San Antonio, the Hill Country is within an easy drive of two of the state’s biggest cities, putting back-country quiet and beauty within reach of countless urban dwellers seeking respite.

This book brings the remarkable Hill Country of Texas home to the back roads traveler.  Whether it’s wildflowers you’re drawn to, or dude ranches, natural areas, historic sites, or quaint Texas towns redolent of history, this is your passport to an experience like no other.  Backroads of the Texas Hill Country introduces travelers and armchair tourists alike to the emerging wine country of the Lone Star State, the meticulously preserved culture of East European immigrants, the “cowboy capital of the world” (Bandera), and the childhood home of LBJ at Johnson City.  Follow this irresistible guide into the Hill Country, and find yourself deep in the heart of Texas.

Gary Clark is the weekly nature columnist for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News and a professor at Lone Star College-North Harris. The winner of eight writing awards, he also publishes feature articles in state and national magazines and has written several books, including Backroads of the Texas Hill Country, Texas Wildlife Portfolio, and Portrait of Houston.

Kathy Adams Clark has worked as a professional photographer since 1995. Her photos have been published in many magazines, calendars, and books, including Backroads of the Texas Hill Country and Portrait of Houston. Her images have also appeared with her husband Gary's weekly nature column in the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News. Kathy is a past president of the North American Nature Photography Association. She teaches photography and is a popular speaker at local and national events. Kathy remains a proud native Texan; her family settled in Texas in 1845.