The Hill Country's scenic beauty is, of course, not to be missed, and there's plenty of it, from green parks tucked within city limits and river and canyon space within a quick drive from your hotel. The Old Tunnel near Fredericksburg may not sound like much, but visit during a summer dusk and see millions of Brazilian free-tailed bats take to the sky.

The Hill Country is very culturally rich as well, of course, and there are many museums devoted to cowboy heritage, perhaps the most significant of these being the Museum of Western Art. The Hill Country's strong German side is celebrated in museums in New Braunfels and Fredericksburg, and a more general American history is uniquely preserved in the National Museum of the Pacific War.

For a little simple fun, though, Hill Country will thrill the kids as well, with the natural oddities of Wonder World Park and the first of the German-themed Schlitterbahn Waterparks.