Once the world is back to normal, we’ll be out to explore the beauty of Central Texas! Rosie and Steph corralled some of their favorite spots for day trips in the area, i.e. a drive of only an hour or two outside of Austin, in honor of National “Rocky Road” Ice Cream Day.

Rosie’s pick: Fredericksburg

About an hour and half away from Austin (and reaching the edge of our viewing area), Fredericksburg is known for its fabulous wine country! There are also exciting spots that are starting to pop up around the main area: Hye, for example, is growing quickly and boasts great wineries combined with true small-town ranching culture. (Rosie and Steph love staying at the Hye-Way Haus!)

In Fredericksburg, it’s peach season! Varietals change throughout the summer, so the peaches you eat in June are actually different than the ones you’ll get in August. Vogel Orchard is a great stop for your peach fix, and they’re starting to pick blackberries and plums, too.

Make sure, when you stop by Fredericksburg, that give a nod to the local German heritage with a beer and a bratwurst at The Auslander, Friedhelm’s Bavarian Inn or Otto’s German Bistro.

Rosie’s pick: Bastrop

Nature lovers, rejoice: Bastrop is gloriously forested. Beautiful, quaint and quiet — it’s a great way to get out from the lights and noise of the city! Check out Bastrop State Park, which has awesome hiking trails. Rosie spent a day at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa last year, which is set right on the Colorado River. One word: serene!

Steph’s Pick: Round Top

Round Top is one of Steph’s favorite spots to visit for the day or for a weekend!  With so many small town things to do and places to pop into, here are a few of her favorites…

If you’ve missed goin junkin’ out in Round Top – here’s some good news!  You can join in on the Round Top Summer Pop up happening June 4-6, 2020.  For more information and a list of participating vendors go to ExploreRoundTop.com

Rosie’s pick: Taylor

Go get you some BBQ! Louie Mueller (pronounced Miller, according to everything we hear) Barbecue shot into the limelight after making snagging Texas Monthly’s #4 spot on their “50 Best Barbecue Joints…In The World!” article. Louie Mueller is temporarily closed, but you can order their BBQ on Goldbelly right now.

Taylor itself it a great little capsule of small-town Texas. Sit outside and sip a while at The Texas Beer Company, which has a great taproom and patio area, right on Taylor’s main street. There are some great antique stores right around the beer company, too — make sure you take a stroll through and keep your eyes peeled for good deals!

Rosie’s pick: Salado

Any time there’s a shoot up at Salado Glassworks for the show, Rosie is thrilled. It’s a fantastic place for a day date or to take the kids: the experienced glass-blowers will let you walk in and watch what they’re working on! You can also book a time to make your own custom piece, where they’ll walk you through the process of creating mugs, flowers, ornaments and more.

Afterward, just head across the street to the Salado Lone Star Winery with Chupacabra Craft Beer, or the Barrow Brewing Company across the road.

Our last suggestion here is based purely on Google reviews, but the pictures online look pretty darn cute: do some shopping at Thingaderas (and tell us what you find)! It looks like a great place for the shabby chic lover in your life.