Surrounding Points of Interest
The FFR's location makes for easy day trips, or even ½ day trips, to
surrounding points of interest. If you want to do a little exploring and
take in some of the local sights, here are some ideas to help you plan
your itinerary:
Johnson City
Just 14 miles north of Blanco, Johnson City is home of the Lyndon B.
Johnson National Historical Park, which features tours of the
birthplace, boyhood home, schoolhouse, ranch house, and burial place of
the 36th president. In season you may also take in the Wildflower Loop.
Ladybird Johnson endeavored to improve the Texas roadsides with
wildflowers and this is where it all started. There are both guided and
self-guided tours of the gorgeous vistas of bluebonnets, Indian
paintbrush, and other wildflower varieties in the springtime.
Wimberley
This is a town know for its market days which take place the first
Saturday of every month from April through December. Vendors set up
their booths and sell everything from antiques to clothing to jellies.
There are a lot of ‘craftsmen’ making their home in Wimberley. We
recommend a stop at Wimberley Glass Works to view a demonstration by
their master glass blower. Wimberley is approximately 24 miles from the
FFR.
Fredericksburg
An hour west of the FFR is the town of Fredericksburg. The city
has a
quaint setting near the Enchanted Rock State Park. It was originally
settled by immigrant families from Germany in 1846 and has retained much
of its traditional German heritage. Fredericksburg offers historic
sites, Hill Country wines and cuisine, arts and antiques, museums,
architecture, scenic beauty, festivals, day spas, shopping, golf and so
much more.
Gruene
Gruene is the German word for "Green" and that is how the local people
pronounce the name of the town, "Green". Gruene has been designated a
Historic Town by the State of Texas and, as their motto goes, “Gently
resisting change since 1862.” Stop into any of the numerous gift and
antique shops on the town square. The General Store is a great place to
grab an ice cream cone. Peak into Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in
Texas and finish your visit with dinner at The Gristmill. Gruene is
approximately 45 miles from the FFR.
New Braunfels
People flock to New Braunfels in the summer months to either cool
themselves with a tubing adventure down the Guadalupe River or to visit
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort, America’s #1 water park according to The
Travel Channel! Other popular sites in this historic German town include
Natural Bridge Caverns, Landa Park, and the Natural Bridge Wildlife
Park. Approximately 40 miles from the FFR.
If you’re missing city life…….
San Antonio
The FFR is 45 minutes north from the city limits of San Antonio.
Venture into the city to stroll on the Riverwalk and see the Alamo. Grab
dinner at the Mexican Market and then catch a Spurs game at the SBC
Center. If you’ve got the kids with you, a day at Fiesta Texas or Sea
World is always fun.
Austin
The State Capital and home of the University of Texas, Austin is known
for its hip and artsy crowd, its music scene and its love for the
outdoors. If you make a trip to Austin, stop in for a tour of the
Capital Building, visit The Bob Bullock State History Museum and be sure
to stay for the bat emergence at dusk – that’s right. Over a million
(yes million) bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge and at dusk
they take off in search for dinner. It really is something to see. The
FFR is about 40 minutes southwest of the Austin area.
Franklin Family Ranch
P.O. Box 1416
Blanco, Texas 78606
830-833-4263
info@ffrretreats.com
