Blanco

Blanco, Texas was settled 1853 by a pioneer stockmen who had to fortify homes against hostile Indians. It was named Blanco (Spanish word meaning white) for the Blanco River.

The centerpiece of town square is the Old Blanco County Courthouse, a fine example of Second Empire style architecture. The town was the Blanco County seat from 1858 to 1891, when the county seat was moved to centrally located Johnson City, Texas.

Blanco, Texas is now a popular tourist and resort area in the Texas Hill Country . The town square is joined to the state park by a two-block City Park, with a nature trail featuring a Xeriscape garden.

A sunny climate attracts campers, anglers, and hunters. Hill Country streams offer game fishing. Hunters find white-tailed deer, wild turkey, quail, and dove, during seasons. Antique stores, art galleries, flea markets, restaurants, and artisans occupy the historic buildings around the old courthouse. The courthouse and 37 other Blanco buildings on or near the square are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lavender is a beautiful, hearty and disease resistant plant that has been cultivated for thousands of years by people around the world for its beauty and many varied uses: scents, salves, oils, soaps, shampoos, lotions, teas–even to enhance the flavors of foods and drinks.

Today lavender blooms from May through July throughout Blanco County, the official Lavender Capital of Texas, and is highlighted in the late spring at the Blanco County Lavender Festival.

With over twenty area lavender farms in Blanco County, the towns of Blanco, Johnson City and the surrounding area will be bathed in lavender during the Lavender Festival with the whole county participating in the celebration. Merchants will offer lavender merchandise. Restaurants will serve lavender-flavored dishes and selected vendors. Artists from across the Hill Country will offer lavender-related pleasures and treasures from the finest craftsmen.

Blanco State Park, a 110-acre park, in the scenic Blanco River Valley, lies largely within the city limits. It offers camping, trailer sites, picnicking, screened shelters, group pavilion, fishing, swimming, pedal boats, a children’s play area, rest rooms, and showers. It is located on U.S. 281. There is an admission.

For a Scenic Drive take R.M. 32 from U.S. 281 two miles south of Blanco. Portions of the drive toward San Marcos follow a ridge called “The Devil’s Backbone,” a treat of Hill Country landscapes where white-tailed deer are often seen, especially early or late in the day.

Hill Country Day Trippin’

There’s plenty of opportunities for day trips from the Blanco area.

Enjoy a relaxing drive through the spectacular Texas Hill Country on wide-open roads lined with breath-taking flowers and trees. Relish views only available in the Hill Country. You’ll feel like you’re light years away from a crowded freeway…because you are.

And, you won’t have to pick up and move. No packing and unpacking. While based in Blanco, you can stay as long as you want and experience an abundance of places to go and things to see and do.

Here are a couple of the possibilities:

City/Attraction	Miles	Approximate Drive Time	Click Below for Directions
Johnson City	14 miles	14 min	Directions
Canyon Lake	32 miles	39 min	Directions
Gruene	38 miles	46 min	Directions
Wimberley	24 miles	28 min	Directions
Guadalupe River State Park	37 miles	45 min	Directions
Boerne	39 miles	45 min	Directions
New Braunfels	39 miles	48 min	Directions
Wimberley	24 miles	28 min	Directions
Dripping Springs	25 miles	28 min	Directions
The Alamo (San Antonio)	49 miles	53 min	Directions
Sea World (San Antonio)	61 miles	1 hr 13 min	Directions
Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio)	46 miles	55 min	Directions
River Walk (San Antonio)	50 miles	1 hr 5min	Directions
San Marcos Premium Outlets	39 miles	47min	Directions
Tanger Outlets San Marcos	41 miles	47min	Directions
Texas State Capitol, Austin	50 miles	1 hr 10 min	Directions
Source: Google Maps