Roadtrip | Wimberley TX

Will and I have found our sanctuary!  Two weekends in a row, we have visited Wimberley: an adorable small town with a magical aura that's pulsating in the heart of Texas Hill Country and located just 45 minutes southwest of Austin.

 Like any small town, Wimberley has a main street that's neatly lined with shops, cafes, restaurants and is bustling with people, music and cars.  But part of the magic here is that River St has been idyllically nestled into the natural landscape, beneath massive live-oak trees and beside Cypress Creek: a haven that bustles in a different way.

This lush bank is so clean and so bursting with life, that if you stand still enough, you can almost feel it rising and falling as it breaths beneath your feet.  It's the perfect depiction of Eden and you feel truly in heaven just standing there - surrounded by greenery, birdsong, splashing fish, swimming children, grazing deer and the live music that comes from the patio at Ino'z and ricochets off the giant Montezuma cypress trunks growing out of the water...  The water that's so crystal clear, you see the sky reflected vividly in it and forget momentarily which way is up as you inhale the cleanest, freshest air you've probably ever inhaled.  My soul felt completely at peace while I stood on the waters' edge.  I felt cleansed by its tranquility and certain of the absence of negativity.  There's probably never been a negative thought along the bank of Cypress Creek - or if there has, it didn't linger long.

The locals and shop owners in Wimberley are incredibly friendly and accommodating.  Just like most towns in Texas's Hill Country, tourism is the main source of income; with hundreds flocking in for the weekend or driving by on their way to nearby rivers, lakes or hill trails.  But I have found, from personal experience (having visited quite a few said TX Hill towns), that no other town is as delighted to welcome outsiders as this one.

Understandably proud of their tiny town, locals in Wimberley seem genuinely happy to tell visitors all about it and show them firsthand the things that make it unique.  I'm convinced, after several interactions, that Wimberley must be where the famous 'old-school hippies' of Austin migrated to when Austin started expanding and 'selling out.'  General chit-chat over lunch with people sitting near us was of energy, vibrations, power of thought and eco-consciousness.  But the greater magic is that these locals have somehow managed to capture the harmony, acceptance and serenity that flows from the creek and infuse it into every inch of this magical town: a rumour I've heard about how Austin used to be and a reason why so many moved to Austin in the first place!  I even found two ladies that may actually have the answers on life and a generosity & goodwill that simply oozed from them unlike any interaction I've ever had, leaving me with a hole in my chest after walking away and yearning for a guru of my own.

If these locals aren't careful, Wimberley might be the next place everyone looks at moving to. Will and I are certainly in love, but unlike the friendly locals, I'm feeling somewhat possessive! It's my favourite small Texas town, with amazing food, organic coffee, enlightenment, generosity, magic and the secret to life -  get your own!