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Visit Bandera, TX
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photo courtesy of http://www.banderacowboycapital.com/
Bandera, Texas, the Cowboy Capital, is in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Many people, including my fellow Texans, tend to overlook this area as the place to go for family travel. We tend to think that bigger and further away are better. Just as we are thinking of that next trip to New York, the New York Times, in its article from June 1, 2008 called "31 Places to Go this Summer" named the Texas Hill Country as their top pick. Yes, #1!
So, what is there to do in Bandera, Texas, that makes it a worthwhile stop on your Texas Hill Country tour? Bandera is called the “Cowboy Capital of the World” for a reason. Bandera is splattered with Dude Ranches that are open and welcome to visitors. There are rodeos and horseback riding, and even plenty of local, live cowboy music and honky tonks, in places such as the Bandera Saloon (www.banderasaloon.com). Main street boasts countless boutiques and shops for the shopaholic, and an easy-to-do historic walking tour for the culture fanatic (www.banderacowboycapital.com/ThingsToDo/HistoricalTours/pagen.html). One restaurant downtown in the historic area that comes highly recommended for good 'ole food (and a fascinating display of John Wayne photos) is Old Spanish Trail (O.S.T. on their sign), serving up country eats.
One of the best places to visit in Bandera would have to be the river. Free on weekdays, the river hosts plenty of tubing hotspots, wading for the little ones, or swimming for those with the know-how. Cool off from summer heat after your walking tour at the river and contemplate the mixed cultural heritage and background that made Bandera a noteworthy stop on your Hill Country tour.
