If you haven’t toured the largest state in the country, then it’s about time to saddle up and plan a trip to Texas. Specifically southern Texas, a region that world-class foodies guarantee has the most mouth-watering barbeque west of the Mississippi.
Our Visit

Texas Hill Country area is located in the south-central region of the Lone Star State and surprisingly isn’t at all like the flat, open expanses of western Texas. When we arrived in spring, its lush green rolling hills were covered with wildflowers, like the bluebonnet, the official state flower.

Texans are proud of their heritage, and museums can be found throughout this part of the state. This year marks the 175th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo and Texas independence, so no trip would be complete without a visit to San Antonio and its famous River Walk. State pride also extends to their involvement in World War II. In south Texas you can tour the USS Texas battleship, the USS Lexington aircraft carrier, or visit the National Museum of the Pacific War.

RV Parks

RVing is popular in the southern region, and spacious parks and campgrounds can be found virtually anywhere you want to travel in the area. Many of these spots are popular with snowbirds, which begin a mass exodus from the cold, snowy northern states every fall and spend winters in the more favorable climates here. While these long-term sites are generally booked in advance, we had no problem finding plenty of available space for short-term stays.

We picked Johnson City as the site of our base camp. We parked our motorhome at Miller Creek RV Resort and toured the region with our towed vehicle. Johnson City was named in honor of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, who had a home there. The Johnson boyhood home, the LBJ Ranch, and the original ranch that his grandfather and great uncle began their cattle drives from are located here, and the public is welcome. Just to the south of Johnson City is Blanco. Moviegoers may recognize the historical Blanco downtown area. The historical Blanco Courthouse was used for the remake of John Wayne’s True Grit. One place highly recommended by the locals was the Bluebonnet Café in Marble Falls. The Bluebonnet Café is known for its pies, and we were not disappointed.

Heading West

Heading west from Johnson City on Highway 290 will take you past numerous wineries and fruit ranches on your scenic drive to the German heritage town of Fredericksburg. This is the birthplace of Admiral Nimitz and the National Museum of the Pacific War, which includes the Nimitz Museum, the George H. W. Bush Gallery, and a Pacific Combat Zone. The museum itself features extensive interpretive exhibits depicting the conflict, from Japan’s initial forays in 1936 up through Hiroshima and the rebuilding of Japan.

Inside you’ll discover aircraft, such as the B-25 from the historic Doolittle Raid, torpedo bombers, fighters, a Japanese submarine, and many vehicles, weapons, and equipment from the island hopping campaign. A compartment door from the USS Arizona is also on display, as well as one of only three remaining PT boats. In addition to the various museums and memorial gardens, a Japanese beachhead defensive position has been re-constructed. On several select weekends, special reenactments are held at this site, where U.S. forces “assault” the beach with tanks and tracked landing craft and even torch the pillbox with a live flamethrower.