Doeskin Ranch, Near and Dear

Of all the unexpected places to find beauty.

My mother and aunt now live maybe 45 minutes from each other, one in Austin’s suburbia and one on the approach to the Texas Hill Country. Nearly halfway between them, unexpectedly, is one of quick-and-prettiest little city getaways I’ve found yet near Austin, Tx.

In some ways its super Texas. Cacti and rolling hills and whatnot. But there are also unbeatable vistas and ancient-looking-windvanes and fields of wildflowers that explode with color.

How this place remains an unknown commodity is beyond me. It apparently comes to life once a year for a birdwatching festival (two endangered bird species, the Golden-Cheeked Warbler and Black-Capped Vireo, call the Reserve home for parts of the year). Apart from that, I’ve never seen more than one other car in any of Balcones Canyonlands’ parking lots.

Live in Austin? Get out here and hike for a day. It may be the most serene and unspoiled couple miles of trail you can find around this city of 800,000.