Family Fun

Photo by Steve Rawls

Texas Beauty in Full Bloom

ENJOY THIS SWEET BLUEBONNET SPRING

By Janis Turk

In a favorite Texas ballad, the late singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith croons, “…We’ll catch some blackbird wing, and we will fly away together on some sweet bluebonnet spring.” Surely Griffith, born outside San Antonio in Seguin, knew just how glorious spring can be in this big beautiful state. For just about everyone enjoys Texas in the springtime—it is the loveliest time of year—and not just because of our wonderful weather, the fun of Fiesta and the fresh promise of Easter joy.

It is because of the natural beauty along every curve of the highways and bends in the byways around San Antonio and the nearby Texas Hill Country. Yes, after the past two colderthan-usual San Antonio winters, Texas’ sweet bluebonnet springtime is back.

WHERE AND WHEN TO SEE WILDFLOWERS

Bluebonnets may come early this year, but there will still be loads of wildflowers along the highways as families drive northwest toward the Texas Hill Country. Nothing like big blue skies, wide-open spaces, fresh air and wildflowers to bring to light the best of Texas. MidMarch to early April can be the best times to see bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush and other wildflowers that create the illusion of cool blue lakes lining Texas highways.

Many folks head to Fredericksburg or the Willow City Loop near Johnson City to see bluebonnet blooms and Indian paintbrush, but the area around Bandera and Boerne offers handsome blossoms as well, and Guadalupe River State Park has four miles of river frontage and 13 miles of hike-and-bike trails that ramble among stands of colorful wildflowers just outside our city. Most years, rangers there offer a guided wildflower walk in the spring and a “The Legend of the Bluebonnet” reading and hike—though often this happens toward the end of March. Still, check out the website and calendar for dates, as the peak of wildflower season happens different weeks each year, depending on the rainfall we have had and any recent freezes.

ON A MISSION TO HIKE, BIKE & KAYAK THIS SPRING

Along the San Antonio River Walk’s Mission Reach, near the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, bluebonnets and other Texas wildflowers adorn hike and bike trails. The Mission Reach is fun to kayak, ride bikes or take easy hikes and long leisurely walks. Kayak rentals, kayak tours and bike share bicycle rentals are available in town. Rent bikes at Blue Star Bike Rentals and BCycle or have a guided kayak trip from Mission Adventure Tours, so even if you miss the height of the wildflower season this spring, you can still have a lovely family outing as you explore the San Antonio River and the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.

Mission San Jose

Photo by Al Rendon

Photo by Rodney Bursiel

click on this:

BCYCLE BIKE RENTALS www.SanAntonio.BCycle.com

BLUE STAR BIKE SHOP www.BlueStarBikeShop.com

FREDERICKSBURG TX ONLINE & THE WILLOW CITY LOOP www.FredericksburgTexasOnline.com/plan-your-trip/ willow-city-loop

GUADALUPE STATE PARK www.TPWD.Texas.gov

LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER www.Wildflower.org

MISSION KAYAK RENTAL & ADVENTURE TOURS www.MAT-Tx.com

SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK www.NPS.org

WILDSEED FARMS www.WildseedFarms.com

Photo courtesy of Fredericksburg CVB Mission Reach Bike Share

HILL COUNTRY BLOSSOMS

The little hamlets of Fredericksburg, Stonewall and Johnson City that rest along the banks of the Pedernales River offer a great place to see wildflowers at their best. Head up U.S. Highway 281 North and then turn left on U.S. Route 290 West in Johnson City, birthplace of President Lyndon B. Johnson. You are bound to see some wildflowers all the way there, and you can pull off the road and safely stop for photos on the way. Remember, some wildflowers are on private land, so be sure not to trespass.

Stop at the LBJ Ranch and Homestead for a nice walk along the Pedernales River at the former President and Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson’s Ranch. It is a good place for a picnic, too.

WILDSEED FARMS OF FREDERICKSBURG

Then, head on towards Fredericksburg and be sure to visit Wildseed Farms. Many people think of this place as a sweet stop to shop and get a bite to eat, but it is really the premier spot for enjoying native Texas wildflowers and beautiful butterflies. For more than 35 years, Wildseed Farms has been growing great fields of wildflowers for the production of seed. In fact, it is the nation’s largest working wildflower farm with more than 200 acres in Fredericksburg alone. Admission is free and families with kids of all ages are welcome. Best of all, it is open seven days a week. Walking trails are perfect places for meandering among the blooms, and fenced fields of seed-production wildflower acreage make for a lovely site. You will see red poppies, bluebonnets, sunflowers and more. You may be tempted to buy wildflower seeds to plant at home, as well as birdfeeders, birdseed, pots and planters, gardening supplies, wildflower-themed décor and more in the gift shop and cafe. There is also a vineyard and wine tastings for adults.

LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER

If you would like to venture a bit further, head back on U.S. Highway 290 East towards Austin and visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Botanic Garden of Texas, with walking trails, butterfly gardens, wildflower fields and a pleasant lunch spot at the Wildflower Cafe. The Wildflower Center’s 284 acres are a mix of cultivated gardens, an arboretum, managed natural areas and wildlands that straddle the Edwards Plateau and Texas Blackland Prairies ecoregions. The Wildflower Center is part of The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Natural Sciences.

STOP AND SMELL THE WILDFLOWERS

No matter which way you turn in Texas this spring, wildflowers and glorious weather are sure to be welcome sights. So, stop and smell the roses—or wildflowers at least. Bring the family along and “catch some blackbird’s wing” and you can “fly away together on some sweet bluebonnet spring.”

WRITER’S BIO

Janis Turk taught university-level English composition, literature, rhetoric and writing skills for decades, and enjoyed a long career as a magazine editor before becoming an award-winning full-time travel writer, guidebook author and photographer.