SMALL-TOWN CHARM

FIVE HIDDEN GEMS IN TEXAS

BY CHRISTINA GARCIA

Summer is almost over, but there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the outdoors. Escape the ordinary and stroll or feast your way through these historic Texas towns on a day trip or weekend jaunt you won’t soon forget.

GRANBURY

About an hour southwest of Fort Worth, the city of Granbury offers a relaxing place to enjoy an attractive borough. Enjoy shopping, dining, and live music in the Historic Granbury Square, then explore the surprising Granbury City Beach for outdoor recreation just minutes away, right on Granbury Lake. Those with kiddos shouldn’t miss the chance to venture 20 minutes south and visit the Dinosaur Valley State Park. (Book passes online in advance. Weekends fill quickly.) For a “wilder” adventure, take a safari through Fossil Rim State Park and see the fierce yet gentle exotic wildlife up close.

COMFORT

Settled by German “Freethinkers” in the mid-1800s, the tiny unincorporated town of Comfort, Texas, is now a fetching and under-the-radar Hill Country getaway. About 40 minutes west of San Antonio, the quiet hamlet has attracted attention from “French Cowboys” Franklin Dusserre and Dylan Petrich, a pair sprucing up a few charming and historic boutique hotels. The two have helped refine the rustic Camp Comfort at the site of the old Turn Verein bowling alley on Cypress Creek, elaborating a similar vision of tasteful upgrades at the nearby Meyer Hotel.

Hotel Giles, a historic stone structure designed by Alfred Giles, a prominent 19th-century architect with work across Texas, is another magnificent option for travelers, with a sparkling lobby and outdoor courtyard open to the public in a continuation of the communal spirit Comfort’s founders might have approved of.

Stroll High Street, turn down the cross streets between Fifth and Eighth, and enjoy browsing antiques and sipping coffee at The 8th Street Market, then continue to the Comfort Antique Mall and peruse the well-curated selection. Grab lunch on the patio of the local Comfort Pizza and then stop by a wine-tasting room or brewery for an afternoon drink. Head to the nearby Joshua Springs Park and Preserve or James Kiehl River Bend Park for hiking, birding, and swimming.

JEFFERSON

If haunted houses give you a thrill, then be sure to look for the lady in white at The Grove in Jefferson, Texas, about two and a half hours east of Dallas. Ghost tours are said to be a big draw in the area. Otherwise, this unique city in Marion County might call to you for more relaxing reasons. Known as the Bed & Breakfast Capital of Texas, this scenic area offers more than just a few captivating cottages and even mansions to loll away the hours in. Visit The Excelsior House Hotel, the oldest hotel in Texas, the Kennedy Manor, or lounge on the wrap-around porches at The Carriage House, to name a few fantastic options, then enjoy some of the comfort food around town. Once you have settled in, step back in time with some nostalgic shopping at the Jefferson General Store or brush up on some local history at the Jefferson Historical Museum. Nearby Caddo Lake and Lake o’ the Pines make excellent outdoor areas for fun and play.

MISSION AND ALAMO

If food is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about travel, then we have an irresistible reason for you to venture down to the city of Mission in the Rio Grande Valley. Ana Liz Pulido of Ana Liz Taqueria won Best Chef in the 2024 James Beard Awards, the only Texas chef to take home a prize this year. Her from-scratch corn and flour tortillas have earned rave reviews, and her small menu boasts house-smoked meats. Birders should sightsee at the World Birding Center. For a shopping adventure and spectacular local dancing event in the Land of Two Summers, cruise 20 minutes east to La Pulga de Alamo, a flea market, on a weekend afternoon. After going viral on TikTok, the market recently attracted international attention with videos of some of the flamboyant, famous dancers at the event.

SALADO

When the weather is hot in historic Salado, Texas, families flock to the beautiful Salado Springs. Water from a crystal clear and refreshing creek runs just beneath Main Street, near the historic Stagecoach Inn motor court entrance, in the peaceful Sirena Park. This small recreation area lends the Bell County town the look of a beach community, drawing bathers toward it in their swimsuits.

Visitors also picnic, lounge on the banks, and even tube a short distance down the picturesque stream. Every Saturday through the end of September, you can follow that route to Barrow Brewing Company, where a weekly farmer’s market brings together dealers of all kinds. Laura Ramirez of Boutique Artesanal Colibri shares gorgeous, hand- painted hats decorated by artists from Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guanajuato. Her wares, and those of many other local makers, are also available across Main Street at boutiques like The Shoppes on Main and Sofi’s. Check out Grace Jones, a store named for the late World War II pilot turned fashion model who settled in Salado. With plenty of antiques, galleries, a glass-blowing studio, and live music on the weekend, Salado aims to please.