Kerrville

With a population of about 25,000, Kerrville is larger than the other Hill Country towns described here. Now a popular retirement and tourist area, it was founded in the 1840s by Joshua Brown, a shingle maker attracted by the area's many cypress trees (and a friend of Maj. James Kerr, who never actually saw the town and county named after him). A rough-and-tumble camp surrounded by more civilized German towns, Kerrville soon became a ranching center for longhorn cattle and, more unusually, for Angora goats, eventually turning out the most mohair in the United States. After it was lauded in the 1920s for its healthful climate, Kerrville began to draw youth camps, sanitariums, and artists. The area surrounding the town has in the last 20 years seen a construction boom of weekend houses for people living as far away as Houston or Dallas. Kerrville has not been able to keep up with the increase in traffic created by these visitors, so traffic jams sometimes occur. Try to plan your trip such that you arrive in Kerrville during the week.

What to See & Do

It's a good idea to make your first stop the Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2108 Sidney Baker, Kerrville, TX 78028 (tel. 800/221-7958 or 830/792-3535; www.kerrvilletexascvb.com), where you can get a map of the area as well as of the historic downtown district. Open weekdays 8:30am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 3pm, Sunday 10am to 3pm.

Tip: If you're planning to come to Kerrville around Memorial Day weekend, when the huge, 18-day Kerrville Folk Festival kicks off and the Official Texas State Arts and Crafts Fair is held, book far in advance.

For your second stop, head to the restored downtown, flanked by the Guadalupe River and a pleasant park. Its historic buildings, most of them concentrated on Earl Garrett and Water streets, host a variety of restaurants and shops, many selling antiques and/or country cutesy knickknacks. Among the most impressive structures is the mansion built of native stone by Alfred Giles for pioneer rancher and banker Capt. Charles Schreiner. It's now home to the Hill Country Museum, 226 Earl Garrett St. (tel. 830/896-8633; www.kerrdowntown.com/hillcountrymuseum), open Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm; admission is $5 adults, $2 students. Highlights include a collection of antique ball gowns. Those interested in updating their own wardrobe of party clothes might consider visiting Schreiner's, 736 Water St. (tel. 830/896-1212), established in 1869 and continuously operating since then as a general merchandise store. The 1935 post office now hosts the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center, 228 Earl Garrett St. (tel. 830/895-2911; www.kacckerrville.com), where local artists and artisans strut -- and sell -- their stuff.

You'll need to drive about 3 1/2 miles north of town to visit the headquarters of James Avery Craftsman, Harper Road (tel. 830/895-1122), where you can watch artisans work on silver and gold jewelry designs, many of which incorporate Christian symbols. Naturally, there's an adjoining retail shop.

Whether or not you think you like Western art, the Museum of Western Art (formerly the Cowboy Artists of America Museum), 1550 Bandera Hwy. (tel. 830/896-2553; www.museumofwesternart.org), is not to be missed. Lying just outside the main part of town, the high-quality collection is housed in a striking Southwestern structure. Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 1 to 5pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day; closed Monday the rest of the year; $5 adults, $3.50 seniors, $2 ages 15 to 18 and students, $1 ages 6 to 14. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the nearby Kerrville-Schreiner Park, 2385 Bandera Hwy. (tel. 830/257-5392; www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/kerrvill), a 500-acre green space boasting 7 miles of hiking trails, as well as swimming and boating on the Guadalupe River.

A Bit of Old England in the Old West -- Several attractions, some endearingly offbeat, plus beautiful vistas along the Guadalupe River, warrant a detour west of Kerrville. Drive 5 miles from the center of town on Highway 27 West to reach tiny Ingram. Take Highway 39 West to the second traffic light downtown. After about a quarter mile, you'll see a sign for the Historic Old Ingram Loop, once a cowboy cattle driving route and now home to rows of antiques shops, crafts boutiques, and art galleries and studios. Back on Highway 39, continue another few blocks to the Hill Country Arts Foundation (tel. 800/459-4223 or 830/367-5121; www.hcaf.com), a complex comprising two theaters, an art gallery, and studios where arts-and-crafts classes are held. Every summer since 1948, a series of musicals has been offered on the outdoor stage. Continue 7 miles west on Highway 39 to the junction of FM 1340, where you'll find Hunt, which pretty much consists of a combination general store, bar, and restaurant that would look right at home in any Western. Now head west on FM 1340 for about a quarter mile. Surprise: There's a replica of Stonehenge sitting out in the middle of a field. It's not as large as the original, but this being Texas, it's not exactly diminutive, either. A couple of reproduction Easter Island heads fill out the ancient mystery sculpture group commissioned by Al Shepherd, a wealthy eccentric who died in the mid-1990s.

A Nearby Ranch

You'll need a reservation to visit the Y.O. Ranch, 32 miles from Kerrville, off Highway 41, Mt. Home, TX 78058 (tel. 800/YO-RANCH or 830/640-3222; www.yoranch.com). Originally comprising 550,000 acres purchased by Charles Schreiner in 1880, the Y.O. Ranch is now a 40,000-acre working ranch known for its exotic wildlife (1 1/2- to 2-hr. tours cost $28 per person) and Texas longhorn cattle. Daily activities include everything from organized hunts -- not a good idea for those taking the wildlife tours to contemplate--to horseback rides and hayrides. A variety of overnight accommodations are available, too.

Where to Stay

The Y.O. Ranch Resort Hotel and Conference Center, 2033 Sidney Baker, Kerrville, TX 78028 (tel. 877/YO-RESORT or 830/257-4440; www.yoresort.com) -- not near the Y.O. Ranch , but in Kerrville itself -- offers large and attractive Western-style quarters. Its Branding Iron dining room features big steaks as well as continental fare, and the gift shop has a terrific selection of creative Western-theme goods. Double rooms range from $79 to $119, depending on the season.

Inn of the Hills Resort, 1001 Junction Hwy., Kerrville, TX 78028 (tel. 800/292-5690 or 830/895-5000; www.innofthehills.com), looks like a motel from the outside, but it has the best facilities in town, including tennis courts, three swimming pools, a putting green, two restaurants, a popular pub, and free access to the excellent health club next door. Rates for double rooms range seasonally from $80 to $95.

The River Run Bed and Breakfast Inn, 120 Francisco Lemos St., Kerrville, TX 78028 (tel. 800/460-7170 or 830/896-8353), was built in the late 20th century, but its native limestone and sloping tin roof hearken back to 19th-century German Hill Country architecture. A welcoming front porch, proximity to the Guadalupe River, rooms done in Texas country style, and big down-home breakfasts make you feel you're in a remote rural retreat, but whirlpool tubs and TVs with (in the suites) VCRs remind you you're actually near the civilized center of town. Room rates are $100 to $105; suites cost $139.

Where to Dine

The setting--a beautifully restored 1915 depot with a lovely patio out back -- is not the only thing outstanding about Rails, 615 Schreiner (tel. 830/257-3877), which serves some of the best food in the Hill Country. Everything, from the creative salads and Italian panini sandwiches to a small selection of hearty entrees, is made with the freshest ingredients, many bought locally. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, and prices are moderate. In warm weather, there's live classic jazz on the patio from Thursday to Saturday.

The name is Italian, but the menu is eclectic, with lots of nods toward Mexico, at Francisco's, 201 Earl Garrett St. (tel. 830/257-2995), housed in the 1890s Weston building. A downtown business crowd samples soup and salad combos at lunchtime; many return on weekend evenings for such mix-it-up entrees as cilantro lime shrimp or teriyaki chipotle chicken. Francisco's is open for lunch Monday through Saturday, dinner Thursday through Saturday. Prices range from moderate to expensive.

If you missed the pie at Love Creek, you can enjoy a slice at Adams Apple, 225 Earl Garret (tel. 830/896-1277). A variety of inexpensive soups, salads, and sandwiches -- including peanut better and Love Creek jelly -- are available for lunch Monday through Saturday, but you're likely to have a hard time leaving without a slice of that pie or maybe a fresh-baked triple-chocolate cookie.