If you’re unfamiliar with Enchanted Rock, keep reading for information about this natural wonder located in the heart of beautiful Texas Hill Country.

Technically speaking: A geologist would tell you that Enchanted Rock is a large, pink granite pluton rock formation located in the Llano Uplift, which is about 15 miles north of Fredericksburg, Texas. The granite dome is visible for miles since it stands well above the surrounding plain. It’s 1,825 feet above sea level and covers 640 acres. It’s one of the largest batholiths (an underground rock formation uncovered by erosion) in the U.S.

Enchanted history: Local Indian tribes’ folklore ascribes magical powers to the rock and that’s how it came to be called ‘Enchanted’ Rock. Indians attempted to hide from Anglo settlers by climbing to the top two tiers of the rock, where they were invisible to anyone on the ground below. The Tonkawa Indians, who lived in the area in the sixteenth century, believed that ghost fires raged at the top of the dome, and claimed they heard groaning noises from the dome’s uppermost regions. Geologists believe the ‘groaning’ sounds were caused by the rock contracting after being exposed to the hot Texas sun all day.

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area: In 1970, Enchanted Rock was designated a National Natural Landmark, and in 1984 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The park covers 1,642 acres and facilities include restrooms with showers, picnic tables with fire-rings or grills, and walk-in sites with tent pads. There are no facilities to accommodate any type of vehicular camping. Visitors to the park enjoy hiking, picnicking, camping, rock climbing, bird watching, and star gazing.

Enchanted Rock is just one of the many unique and beautiful features of the Texas landscape. An abundance of recreational land is one of the many reasons to live in Texas. Let Texas Homesites show you land for sale in Texas, and you can begin custom building a home in scenic Texas Hill Country. For more information, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

San Antonio is a great place to live or vacation.  Whether you’re a resident or just staying for a few days, here are five spots you don’t want to miss.

San Antonio River Walk: Located along the banks of the San Antonio River, this shopping haven also offers excellent dining.  If your feet are too tired to shop anymore, enjoy one of the boat tours.  The River Walk is a city park, so there is no charge for admission, although all boat tours and some clubs do charge an admission fee.

San Antonio Zoo: This is no ordinary zoo.  Home to over 3,500 animals, the San Antonio Zoo is one the nation’s largest zoos and is a treat for visitors of all ages.  Walk the grounds or take a ride on the Zoo Train.  The zoo is open every day of the year.

The Alamo: The site of one of the most notorious battles in history and one of Texas’ top tourist destinations, over 2.5 million people visit The Alamo annually.  The Alamo is owned by the State of Texas and operated by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.  Go see where legendary Texas men Davie Crockett, Jim Bowie, and William Barrett Travis died in battle.  The Alamo is open every day of the year except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and admission is free.

Market Square: To experience the rich cultural heritage of San Antonio, don’t miss Market Square.  Family-owned cafes, working artists, and the largest Mexican market north of the Rio Grande draw both visitors and San Antonio natives looking for a unique shopping and dining experience.

Fiesta Texas: This massive theme park is fun for the whole family.  It features the only “floorless” roller coaster in the Southwest, hundreds of rides, live entertainment, and even a water park.  Onsite dining lets you spend the day with the family without worrying about traffic.

If you’re considering a move to San Antonio or the surrounding Texas Hill Country, let Texas Homesites show you available land in Texas.  Now is a great time to buy land in Texas, and Texas Homesites has a variety of home sites in master planned communities as well as golfing communities in Texas.  For more information, find us on Facebook and Twitter today.

If you love spending the night under the stars in Texas, here is a list of places you’ll want to take the time to visit.  Almost all of the land in Texas is privately owned, so state and national parks are usually your best bet for camping.

Enchanted Rock Natural Area: Located north of Fredericksburg in Texas Hill Country, Enchanted Rock features one of the largest natural rock formations in the United States.  Designated as a National Landmark in 1970, Enchanted Rock hosts thousands of visitors annually.  It’s open seven days a week year round except during designated public hunts.  In addition to camping, bird watching, hiking, and rock climbing are popular activities.

Lost Maples State Park: Near Bandera, Texas, the scenery in Lost Maples is perhaps some of the best in the Texas Hill Country, and is especially beautiful in the fall when the foliage begins to change colors.  This park encompasses over 2,000 acres on the Sabinal River and offers year-round outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, and mountain climbing, all of which you can enjoy if you decide to take advantage of the park’s various lodging options.  Primitive camping areas are available, as are campsites with water and electricity.

Inks Lake State Park: Located in Burnet, Texas, this park offers 1,200 acres of recreational facilities adjacent to Inks Lake on the Colorado River.  The water level of Inks Lake is usually unaffected by drought, so this is a great place to enjoy water activities year round.  It’s a wonderful place to camp, and the park has recently opened a few cabins if you prefer something sturdier than a tent.  Other features include seven miles of hiking trails, lighted fishing piers, and wireless Internet access in some areas of the park.

An abundance of recreational land is just one of many reasons to live in Texas.  If you’re considering making the beautiful Texas Hill Country your home, let Texas Homesites show you available land in master planned communities that offer the Texas lifestyle and amenities you want.  For additional information on the Texas real estate market, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

Whether you live in San Antonio or love to vacation there, it’s a wonderful place for families.  The city boasts endless places to go and things to see that the whole family can enjoy.  Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind the next time you’re looking for a fun-filled day.

Visit La Villita: Spanish for “little town,” La Villita was one of San Antonio’s original neighborhoods.  Today it’s populated with art galleries, gift shops, and unique eateries.  It’s a wonderful place to visit with the family, shop, dine, and maybe give the kids a history lesson.

Explore Cascade Caverns: Just outside San Antonio, the caverns offer a unique experience the whole family will love.  Visitors can take a peak beneath the surface of Texas Hill Country, plus see a 100 foot underground waterfall.  The temperature in the cavern remains about 68 degrees all year, so there’s never a bad time to bring the family.

See Shamu: SeaWorld in San Antonio is a spectacle you don’t want to miss.  It features marine life shows and displays, adventure camps, rides, and even a water park.  Located at 10500 SeaWorld Boulevard, the park is open March through December.  Onsite dining lets you stay on the premises as long as you want.

Spend a day at the zoo: The San Antonio Zoo is open every day of the year, so whether you’re in town for a week or just passing through, take the family to see over 3,500 animals that call the zoo home.  The animals are housed in naturalistic exhibits, so the kids will be amazed by what they see and probably learn a little something too.  The zoo is open from 9a.m. – 5p.m., but guests are allowed to stay until 6p.m.

If you’re considering relocating to the San Antonio area, Texas Homesites is your source for Texas real estate information.  It’s an excellent time to buy land in Texas, and home sites in the Texas Hill Country are perfect for custom building a home.  Land is available in master planned communities as well as golfing communities in Texas.  For more information, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

Texas is second only to Alaska in square footage, and second to no one when it comes to fantastic places to visit.  While it could take a lifetime to experience all that Texas has to offer, here are a few suggestions for day trips you will love.

San Marcos outlets: Right off I-35 between San Antonio and Austin, the San Marcos Outlets are a wonderful place to spend a beautiful fall day in Texas.  Get a jump on your Christmas shopping at the variety of stores in one convenient location.

Gladewater Antiques District: If you consider “antique” to be a verb, take a leisurely drive to Gladewater and check out over 15 antique shops and nearly 100 crafters throughout the city.

East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore: The museum features dioramas, films, sound effects, a life-size boomtown scene, and artifacts depicting the discovery of the East Texas oil field.  Guided tours are available with reservations.  The museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Sunday from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

President George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station: A great educational opportunity for the kids, the museum features replicas of Bush’s Camp David and Oval Office.  Hours are Monday – Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. – 5p.m.

Messina HOF Winery in Bryan: Come and take a stroll through the vineyard, sample some wine, learn about wine and food pairings, and relax by the waterfall.  There is no more relaxing way to spend a day.

Austin Hill Country Flyer: The Austin Steam Train’s Hill Country Flyer (temporarily pulled by a diesel locomotive) will take you on a two-hour, 35-mile journey from the Cedar Park station just north of Austin to Burnet through beautiful Texas Hill Country scenery.  After a stop in Burnet for lunch, sightseeing, and shopping, you get back to Austin about 4 or 4:30 p.m.

Whether it’s a day of golf, a visit to a vineyard, or a drive through the rolling hills, you can do it all in Texas.  Now is a great time to buy land in Texas and begin custom building a home.  Texas Homesites is your source for information on the Texas real estate market.  Ask us about Vintage Oaks at the Vineyard, a master planned community between Austin and San Antonio.  You can find us on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

If you’ve been planning your escape to the suburbs for years, now is the time to make your getaway.  If you’re interested in claiming some affordable Texas land for yourself, here are some of the suburbs to consider.

Bryan/College Station, Texas, is the location of a premier master planned community called King Oaks.  It offers the very essence of a peaceful country lifestyle combined with college town excitement! Like stepping back in time, large 1-4 acre homesites are virtually untouched and extremely affordable... giving your family room to spread out amid a setting of masterfully preserved natural beauty.

Cedar Hill, Texas, is home to the Lake Ridge master planned community.  Located at Joe Pool Lake, Lake Ridge offers a peaceful lakeside retreat with rolling hills and a golf course lifestyle close to the urban sophistication of Dallas. Lake Ridge offers incredible hilltop and lake views from which you can see for miles, unlike ANYTHING you've experienced in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

New Braunfels, Texas, offers the charm of a small community and the conveniences of an urban area. Near New Braunfels lies Vintage Oaks at the Vineyard, a master planned community located between San Antonio and Austin.  Vintage Oaks boasts perhaps the best location in Texas.  Near the Tanger Outlet Center in San Marcos, and adjacent to the Dry Comal Creek Vineyard, you can do as much, or as little, as you like.  Also near New Braunfels is Havenwood at Hunters Crossing. This master planned community provides the perfect setting to plant your family's legacy. Havenwood offers spacious multi-acre wooded homesites surrounded by the beauty of the Texas Hill Country. Havenwood offers a prime location with easy access to the excitement of both Austin and San Antonio.

If you can’t resist the allure of the suburbs and affordable Texas living, now is an excellent time to buy land in Texas.  Texas Homesites can help you navigate the Texas real estate market.  For more information on land for sale in Texas or golfing communities in Texas, find us on Facebook and Twitter today.

One of the hidden gems of the state of Texas is its state parks.  If you spent the summer indoors with the air conditioner, take advantage of the cooler fall weather and explore some of the best land in Texas.  Here are some not to be missed state parks in Texas:

Cooper Lake State Park: Located in northeast Texas on over 3,000 acres, the park consists of two units: Doctors’ Creek, located in Delta County, and South Sulphur, in northern Hopkins County.  The rolling hills of the park offer breathtaking views of Cooper Lake.

Guadalupe River State Park: Located in Spring Branch, Texas, this park has four miles of river frontage and recently opened a 5.3-mile equestrian trail that is also open to mountain biking.

Lockhart State Park:  Lockhart features a nine-hole golf course, the only staff-operated course in the Texas State Park System.

Palmetto State Park: Named for the tropical dwarf palmetto plant that is found there, this state park is located in Gonzales County, northwest of Gonzales and southwest of Luling.  Activities include camping, picnicking, hiking, fishing, pedal boat and canoe rentals, swimming, tubing, and canoeing.

Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway: Opened in July of 1981, Lake Mineral Wells State Park is located along Rock Creek, a large tributary of the Brazos River.  The area was an early home to several Native American tribes, including the Comanche, and is a wonderful place to camp, hike, ride horses, or sit back and watch for whitetail deer.

Tyler State Park: Located in East Texas, Tyler is a quiet retreat that surrounds a clear lake.  Activities are endless, including 14 miles of trails for hiking and biking, year-round fishing, and camping.

Now is the time to buy land in Texas.  The beautiful land is just one of the many reasons to live in Texas.  Take advantage of affordable Texas living by custom building a home in a master planned community, and begin reaping the benefits of owning land.  For all your Texas real estate needs, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter.

In Texas, autumn is an ideal time to be outdoors and the perfect chance to add color to your landscaping with trees from bright yellows to fiery reds.  Fall planted lawns, shrubs, perennials, and trees enjoy the warm soil and cooler air temperatures.  Here are three tips on fall additions to your landscape.

Add some mums and asters for color and interest.  These perennials can provide instant interest now and establish themselves for future years of enjoyment.  Mums are an excellent choice.  Their blooms last for weeks, not days, and one plant boasts an overabundance of blooms.  In addition to perennials, add some pansies or other annuals that flourish in the cooler weather, like ornamental kale.

Add a tree or flowering shrubs.  Many trees and shrubs are at their best in the fall season for providing color, and they seamlessly blend into the scenery in the Texas Hill Country.  In addition, these trees appreciate a fall planting to establish roots in your landscape and will reward you with years of enjoyment.  Make sure they’re in the ground in time to establish a good root system, which should not be too difficult in Texas.

Finally, adding a light layer of mulch provides some protection for plants for the winter season while adding color and texture to the fall landscape.  In summer, mulch helps retain soil moisture, but it’s just as useful when the temperature drops for protecting shallow-rooted plants.

Land in Texas is perhaps the state’s best natural resource, and affordable Texas living is attracting new land buyers.  If you’re interested in land for sale in Texas, Texas Homesites is an excellent source of information on Texas real estate, including master planned communities in Texas.  Find us on Facebook and Twitter today.

History of Austin Music Scene

Early Years

Austin's musical heritage dates to the early 1930s. A venue known as Threadgill's hosted several artists over the years, including Janis Joplin. Other venues sprang up in the city in the 1940s, such as Victory Grill, presenting love big bands and jazz and blues acts including B.B. King and early performances by Ike and Tina Turner. In the 1960s, live country music became a staple in Austin thanks to the popularity of acts such as Willie Nelson.

All Genres Welcome

The 1970s saw all genres of music finding a home in Austin including Better Midler and Bruce Springsteen. It became common for area bars, clubs and restaurants to feature everything from rock and country to jazz and blues. By the 1980s and 1990s, the city had become a beacon for new and emerging artists to find receptive audiences. In 1976, PBS debuted the show Austin City Limits to showcase area talent in just about every genre from rock and country to bluegrass and zydeco.

Live Music Found Everywhere

Today, Austin remains a haven for new and emerging artists thanks to encouragement from groups such as The Austin Music Foundation that offer assistance to independent artists. The Austin Music Office helps area acts find venues to play their music live. Speaking of live music, you won't have any trouble finding live music in the city. Bars, restaurants, clubs, diners and comedy clubs are just some of the venues offering live music at least some of the time in Austin. The city itself encourages new artists. Additionally, there is no shortage of fans willing to show their appreciation.

Whether you are custom building a home or planning to use your Texas land for other purposes, Texas Homesites is your source for affordable Texas land in Austin and other communities in Texas. Look for us on Facebook and Twitter today.

• The McNay (6000 North New Braunfels) - Paintings, sculptures and other forms of art highlight this San Antonio jewel considered by some to be the finest art museum in the state. Featured artists includes Matisse, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Picasso and O'Keefe.

• San Antonio Children's Museum (305 East Houston Street) - This is one museum where children are encouraged to be seen and heard. Popular permanent attractions include Reading Adventures, H20 Heroes Clubhouse, the Tooth Booth and the Texas Treasures Cave. Looking for a fun, unique birthday your child? The museum hosts birthday parties for free!

• San Antonio Art League Museum (130 King William Street) - Looking to sample local art? This museum is the place for you. Many of the exhibits reflect the history of the area. A popular exhibit is a series of competition portraits from the 1920s paying tribute to Texas wildflowers.

• San Antonio Museum of Art (200 West Jones Avenue) - SAMA houses what many consider to be the best collection of art found in South Texas or arguably anywhere in Texas. Permanent Greek, Spanish, Asian and Latin exhibits are a big draw. Traveling exhibits pop-up throughout the year.

• Witte Museum (3801 Broadway) - Another "kid-friendly" museum. Cultural exhibits are deigned for both adults and children to enjoy. The HEB Science Treehouse is a favorite spot for kids. Don't forget to check out the "backyard" exhibit featuring log cabins and houses Texans once called home.

• Buckhorn Saloon and Museum (318 East Houston Street) - Talk about more bang for your buck. This museum is actually five in one. Featured museums include: Fins, Horns, Feathers, the Hall of Texas History Wax Museum and several special and temporary exhibits that change throughout the year.

San Antonio museums are just the tip of the iceberg when listing reasons to live in Texas. Affordable Texas real estate is nestled in many communities in Texas with appealing features and amenities. Look for Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter to see what others are saying about us.