Texas bluebonnets are a favorite spring flower in the area, and this road trip is a great way to see them.
Texas bluebonnets are more than just the state flower of Texas; they are also one of the most beautiful wildflowers around. Bluebonnets normally start blooming in March and peak in mid-to-late April. While that is the best time to view the blooms, they can be seen in some places into May.
Bluebonnets grow well in degraded soil so they often thrive in heavily grazed fields or on roadsides. That's why they grow so well in many areas of Texas. This road trip, originally published by the daytripper.com, is a nice loop and a great way to spend a day taking in the beauty of these seasonal blooms.
Burnet, TX
This loop starts off in Burnet, where there are not only rolling hills upon hills of beautiful bluebonnets, there is also an awesome bluebonnet statue in town since Burnet is an official Bluebonnet Co-Capital of Texas.
Yes, "co-capital" means there's more than one. What can we say? Apparently, bluebonnets are everyone's claim to fame!
Image courtesy of Roadarch.com
Llano, TX
Head west on 29 to get to Llano, the second stop on the loop—and the other official Bluebonnet Co-Capital of Texas.
This photo of Llano is courtesy of Tripadvisor
Willow City, TX
Next, head south on Highway 16, then turn left onto Willow City Loop. This section of the tour is a scenic loop in its own right and passes through private property (so don't get out of the car here—seriously, it's trespassing). The Willow City Loop's 13-miles covers Willow City Loop and Farm Road 1323 (make the right here toward Willow City) and makes its way back to Highway 16. While this loop is gorgeous, it is also very popular and often sees incredible traffic backups.
Image courtesy of Fredericksburgtexas-online
Fredericksburg, TX
Continue south on Highway 16 to get to the fourth stop on the loop—Fredericksburg, Texas. This quaint town has lots of tourist destinations, including restaurants and wineries, and beautiful wildflower viewing to boot.
Courtesy of Full Moon Inn
Johnson City, TX
From Fredericksburg, US 290 East will take you through the 290 Wine Trail to Johnson City. In addition to the wineries, Johnson City also features many tourist destinations, such as the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park.
Image courtesy of Trover
Marble Falls, TX
Next, take US 281 north to the final stop, Marble Falls. This town has beautiful bluebonnets on display, as well as the fabulous Bluebonnet Cafe, popular for its Pie Happy Hour. There is also the Turkey Bend recreation area, which sits along the Colorado River and offers great bluebonnet coverage. Continuing north on US 281 will take you back up to Burnet.
Image courtesy of JasonRWeingart.com
Outside of this loop, there are other areas of Texas where the beautiful bluebonnets are bountiful, including Ennis, Poteet, Terlingua, and Kingsland. Brenham also makes many lists for best places for viewing bluebonnets, but reports this year say that many of the fields were mowed down too early and killed off the flowers.
Did you head out this year on a drive to see the bluebonnets? Let us know in the comments!
