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11 reasons to escape the Austin bustle with a day trip to Dripping Springs

JUST WEST OF WEIRD

Treaty Oak Distilling Facebook

As a Dripping Springs native, I like to think I know it pretty well. The town has come a long way from being known as the place “just west of weird," exploding in recent years into a suburb of Austin (though many would frown upon that designation). If you’re driving on Highway 290, viewing the Dripping Springs water tower with its “Gateway to the Hill Country” motto in bold letters serves as a personal welcome for residents and newcomers alike.

Despite the rapid recent growth in the Austin area, Dripping Springs still has many of the small-town features that its local residents — and transplants — all love. Many of the culinary staples I enjoyed as a teenager are still thriving, years after the COVID-19 pandemic threatened local businesses statewide. The annual April Founders Day Festival has been a must-see for families for decades.

With Austin's festival season officially in full swing (you know, the one that lasts eight months), anyone looking to escape the busyness or find a new day trip spot should consider these 11 places to visit in Dripping Springs.

Where to Eat

Homespun Kitchen & Bar
Homespun is a farm-to-table American restaurant with European influences that serves brunch, lunch, and dinner with live music and kid-friendly spaces. Chef Michael St. Germain is behind all menu choices, applying his experience from San Francisco restaurants and bringing critical acclaim for his burgers, according to the restaurant's website. With weekday specials, fresh-made desserts and over 300 whiskeys to choose from, there’s a little something for everyone to enjoy. Reserve at homespunkitchenandbar.com.

Oak Creek Cafe
Who can say no to some good Southern comfort food? Oak Creek Cafe has been operating at the corner of Sportplex Drive and Highway 290 for several years. Must-try menu items include the chicken fried steaks, biscuits and gravy, and mushroom Swiss burger. The cafe regularly posts photos of its large plates of comfort food on Facebook, and Google reviewers love it as a breakfast spot above all.

Rolling in Thyme & Dough
A personal favorite: Rolling in Thyme & Dough’s original Highway 290 location is in the center of Dripping Springs, offering delicious pastries, breakfast, and lunch options. Fan favorites include the smoky chipotle breakfast sandwich, the TX two-step sandwich for lunch, and any of the freshly-baked pastries. They also have weekly BYOB bistro nights on Wednesdays in the spring, utilizing fresh ingredients from the Dripping Springs Farmers Market.

Mazama Coffee Co
Since its founding in 2012, Dripping Springs’ first independent coffee shop has been caffeinating the town for over a decade. They micro-roast their own beans from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, and Brazil. They also have a bakery to provide customers with well-loved baked goods and lunch. Mazama’s was named the Best Coffee Shop of Dripping Springs from 2018-2021, according to their site.

The Great British Baking Company
This cozy food spot is a newer addition to Mercer Street. The Great British Baking Company adds to the growing food culture in town with their homemade sticky toffee pudding, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, and rotating soups. All of their menu items are made right behind the checkout counter in their open kitchen. Don’t forget to browse their selection of imported British goods, and make sure to take home a parfait or chocolate mousse in a jar.

What to Do

Dripping Springs Chocolate Company
The Wilson family created their chocolate business as a way to support local economies in Nicaragua after a family mission trip. In their mission statement, they aim to create the best chocolate while “improv[ing] the lives of the farmers and communities that grow the cacao.” They’ve since expanded their initial chocolate offerings to spice rubs, dessert and hot cocoa mixes, and chocolate-covered snacks.

The Sated Sheep
As a self-described “psychologist-turned-fiber-junkie,” this yarn shop owner has created her own community surrounding fiber crafts and a love of knitting. Allison’s shop has been a must-see for any visitors looking to pick up a new hobby, or wanting to grab a glass of wine and watch other knitters or crocheters create works of art. The shop offers affordable classes for any skill level, private lessons, and workshops for special events.

Vintage Soul
If you’ve never met Julie Crawford, you’re missing out on one of the most bubbly and welcoming personalities in Dripping Springs. Whether you’re in her Mercer Street shop or watching her weekly “Try-on Tuesday” Instagram stories, Julie makes everyone feel confident in her clothes and accessories. And let’s be honest, everyone loves information about true garment sizing before you try it on or buy online.

Starrs on Mercer
Two sisters with zero retail experience collaborated in 2015 to build a bustling “modern day department store” on Mercer Street. Born out of a love for shopping and convenience, Starrs on Mercer is a one-stop shop for women’s, men’s, and baby clothing, plus accessories, and gifts. The Starr sisters have since opened a travel agency, Starrs On The Go, to expand their endeavors.

Treaty Oak Distilling
You can’t write about Dripping Springs without including some popular distilleries. When it was founded in 2006, Treaty Oak says it was only the fourth distillery operating in the state. The distillery sits on a 28-acre property on Fitzhugh Road with plenty of space for children to explore while you sit back and enjoy a hand-crafted cocktail. Tours of the distillery are available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and classes are available on select Saturdays every month.

Desert Door Distillery
What was once a barren plot of land on Darden Hill Road has now developed into the only sotol distillery in the United States. Desert Door hosts a range of live music weekly, offers tours on weekends, and also has a rental space for private events. With a variety of cocktails and tacos made by James Beard award winner Jesse Griffiths and Spoke Hollow Steward, it’s definitely a go-to for any day trip itinerary.

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Charming Austin suburb is the fastest-growing city in the country, plus more top stories

hot headlines

Editor’s note: It’s that time again — time to check in with our top stories. From Georgetown to Brenham, and of course inside Austin proper, here are five articles that captured our collective attention over the past seven days.

1. Charming Austin suburb is the fastest-growing city in the country, with neighbors close behind. Georgetown had a 14.4-percent population increase from 2021 to 2022, bringing the city's total population to more than 86,500 residents.

2. Austin dethroned from top spot in new ranking of top summer travel destinations for 2023. Some Austinites are happy to hear the summer will be less crowded, but tourist revenue may suffer.

3. Lengendary Texas ranch resort makes waves on the market with $15 million price tag. It's a stretch to call it rustic, but this resort for sale includes horse stables, wildflowers, and an organic farm.

4. This is how big Austin apartments get for $1,500 a month. Unsurprisingly, it's not as much square footage as you can get elsewhere in Texas, but it's still not even close to Manhattan.

5. Here are the top 7 things to do in Austin this holiday weekend. The Memorial Day weekend brings chances to try great barbecue, take a walk with faeries, and hear lots of live music.

Dip your toes into these 7 Austin pools with passes, snacks, and summer events

Wet Hot Austin Summer

Memorial Day is here, which means so are the days of sitting in a lounge chair and sweating while looking unreasonably fabulous. Whether it's to beat the summer heat or to show off a new swimsuit, Austinites may have more options than they think to take a swim at the many pools around town. Even if you haven't committed to an overnight stay, most hotels offer day passes, and some even offer other deals or poolside programming.

One great way to find passes not just to pools around town, but also to spas and other hotel amenities, is to browse ResortPass. (Not sponsored, just cool.) There are 26 Austin options on the site right now.

But we wanted to let you know what's going on beyond the pass — who will set you up for a great meal, who lets you drink out of a coconut, and whose views (or lack thereof) provide the best ambiance for your day off. Some of our choices aren't even on the platform.

Go grab your sandals, and save us a towel.

Greater Austin YMCA
Let's start with the less glamorous before we break out the poolside fashion. The YMCA is a family staple for a reason, and if your goal is just to get in the water regularly throughout the summer, especially with kids, it's a great place to start. There are "interactive hours" at the outdoor pools (more fun than swimming laps) at the East Communities, Hays Communities, Northwest Family, Southwest Family, and Springs Family YMCAs, as well as the YMCA at Camp Moody. The Y is semi-affordable; It would probably be cheaper to visit a hotel pool once or twice, but a Y membership includes a month of access, guest passes, and much more, and may replace your gym membership for the summer. $69 per month, with age and household discounts. austinymca.org

Hotel Van Zandt
If your pool visit doesn't include spritz and giggles, why are you even there? Hotel Van Zandt is opening up its stylish rooftop pool for the "Spritz & Giggles Poolside Happy Hour & Sunset Swim" event series. Every Monday through Thursday, visitors can enjoy $8 frozen Aperol spritzes, $8 specialty cocktails, and a special pool menu with items like a refreshing green salad, pork belly al pastor tacos, and a spicy fried chicken sandwich. Geraldine's, the main restaurant, is right inside for even better drinks, expanded bites, and sometimes live music. Starting at $48 per day for adults, $15 for kids. hotelvanzandt.com

Carpenter Hotel
If one day at the Carpenter Hotel pool is just not enough, the hotel has now added monthly passes. In addition to unlimited access to the secluded pool in the Zilker neighborhood, a pass gets a $30 discount for the new monthly BBQ Pool Parties (bringing attendance down to $25). That will include a great spread of less commonly seen barbecue items like grilled bay scallops, mushroom skewers, elotes, deviled potato salad, and more. Monthly pass holders also get to bring one child under 8 for free. $40 daily, $200 monthly. Both Monday through Thursday. carpenterhotel.com

South Congress Hotel
The South Congress Hotel is right in the middle of where many Austinites want to be on a summer day, if it weren't so dang hot. This rooftop pool solves that problem in style, with daily pool passes every day of the week, as well as cabana rentals. Café No Sé supplies poolside drinks and snacks, and downstairs, Austin's Best New Restaurant Maie Day offers a hearty meal after a day of napping in the sun. Cabanas can be rented for four people and include self-parking, bottled water, and a bottle of champagne or bucket of High Noon. Days for $40 and cabanas for $300 on weekdays; days for $75 and cabanas for $400 on weekends. southcongresshotel.com

Hotel Viata
Hotel Viata is a bit of a sleeper hotel among Austin boutiques, as it's located a little beyond West Lake Hills. Still, if you want a taste of Italy, the drive to this retreat will be worth it. Not to mention, with the extra room these downtown hotels can't offer, a pool pass includes access to a hot tub, fire pits, and great views of the hills around the city. Pool passes are available, but if you want to see it for free before you spend, wait for June 10; The hotel invites guests 21 and up to check out the pool for free at the "Summer Festa in Piscina" party, with a "Taste of Italy" add-on ($55) for Aperol Spritz, limoncello lemon drops, and negronis all day. $45 per day for adults, $25 for children. resortpass.com

Wax Myrtle's
This rooftop bar and pool is known for its never-ending events calendar, and of course that energy extends to poolside entertainment. There will be live music on the weekends, plus live DJ sets on Saturday nights, alongside whatever other programming happens to be going on inside. Even if it's a do-nothing day, these large, over-the-top drinks will give you a delicious challenge. The "Boot Scootin Fruity" mixes rum, an aperitivo, hibiscus, and lime in a cowboy hat punch bowl ($90); the luxe "Mojito 75" combines Moët & Chandon with rum and mojito must-haves in a disco ball ($230); and an unnamed cocktail is worth trying just to enjoy it from a real coconut. Starting at $15 for adults, $10 for children, and more for daybeds and cabanas. waxmyrtles.com

Austin Motel
Perhaps one of the best known pools in Austin for its retro vibes, fun events, and accessibility to on-foot wanderers is the Austin Motel. This is a great, less expensive choice that's probably more fun for casual pool revelers who would feel a little put out by having to dress up and behave in a more luxe hotel setting. There are also frequent poolside events at this motel, like the free "Bounce Motel" series with live DJs, or the body-positive "Chunky Dunk." The pool is offers daily passes every day, even when there's nothing on the calendar. $25 on weekdays, $45 on weekends, or $600 in three-and-a-half-month "waves." austinmotel.com

Carpenter Hotel pool

Photo by Andrea Calo

Austinites don't need to stay at a hotel to be invited to the pool. (Pictured: The Carpenter Hotel)

6 Austin museums are offering free admission for military families all summer long

spread the museum love

Half a dozen Austin museums are honoring active-duty military personnel and their families with free admission through the Blue Star Museums initiative, May 20 through September 4, 2023.

Established by the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the U.S. Department of Defense, the Blue Star Museums program annually provides military families free access to 2,000 museums nationwide throughout the summer. The program begins yearly on Armed Forces Day in May and ends on Labor Day.

Free admission is extended to personnel currently serving in the U.S Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard (including those in the Reserve), and all National Guardsman. Members of the U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps and NOAA Commissioned Corps are also included in the program.

Those who qualify can use their military ID to bring up to five family members – including relatives of those currently deployed. More information about qualifications can be found here.

There is no limit on the number of participating museums that qualifying families may visit. Admission for non-active military veterans, however, is not included.

According to the National Endowment for the Arts website, the initiative was created to help "improve the quality of life for active duty military families" with a specific focus on children. The site states two million have had a parent deployed since 2001.

"Blue Star Museums was created to show support for military families who have faced multiple deployments and the challenges of reintegration," the website says. "This program offers these families a chance to visit museums this summer when many will have limited resources and limited time to be together."

Among Austin's participating museums, the Blanton Museum of Art recently held its grand opening celebration to debut their new grounds, complete with a new large mural by Cuban-American artist Carmen Herrera.

“As a museum that has long been at the forefront of collecting work by artists of Latin American descent, as well as the place where Ellsworth Kelly realized his last great work of art, entering the collection at this moment marks a high point in my long career," Herrera said.

Here's a look at all the museums in Austin that participate in the Blue Star Museums initiative.

For those looking to take a drive around Central Texas, the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum and Taylor's Moody Museum are also participants in the Blue Star Museums initiative.

More information about Blue Star Museums and a full list of participants can be found on arts.gov.

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