A great many Texans set off for the Hill Country to enjoy the splendor of the wildflowers over the past couple of months. The blooms light up the hills and roadsides with carpets of vibrant color.
But I want to suggest that you consider the other hill country, composed of a gentler, less dramatic topography—one that also offers wildflowers galore and winding roads but has the advantage of being far less traveled.
You start in the small eastern Central Texas hamlet of Clay, between Brenham and Bryan, on FM 50, heading south. Here, you will encounter the first hill rising off the flatlands into a changing ecosystem. You can see the gentle rise sweep across the land like a stationary wave, from left to right.
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Once you get into Independence, which changed its name from Cole’s Settlement around 1836 to honor Texas’ freedom from Mexico, take a right on FM 390 and stay on that road almost all the way to Burton.
This is a famous scenic drive that passes through the old ghost town of Gay Hill. Wildflowers are often bountiful here. From Burton, continue on U.S. Highway 290 for a few miles and pick up State Highway 237 to Round Top.
Round Top was part of Stephen F. Austin’s original colony. The town took its name from an octagonal tower constructed there in stagecoach days. Since the 1960s it’s been known as a mecca for antique lovers. What I appreciate most about the road from Round Top to La Grange are the white fences that curve along emerald green pastures.
Once you get into La Grange on State Highway 159, you’ll take a left on U.S. Highway 77, climb the big hill and head south out of town, crossing the Colorado River. La Grange is probably best known for the Chicken Ranch brothel, which ZZ Top and reporter Marvin Zindler made famous in the 1970s—or perhaps infamous. It’s long gone, of course.
Just 4 miles down that road, you’ll take a right on County Road 2436. Look to your left and, quite soon, you’ll see the largest lawn mower graveyard you’ve ever seen. That’s Keith’s Lawnmower Repair. I’m not sure it’s a good advertisement for Keith’s skills, but maybe it’s an endorsement of his genius as a seller of new mowers.
This road dead-ends into FM 609, where you’ll take a left. Here, the hills get bigger and the wildflowers more robust.
Watch for a shed painted in the colors of the Texas flag, off to the left. It’s magnificently situated among wildflowers—as if the shed is posing for you.
It won’t be long before you will arrive in Flatonia, which isn’t particularly flat (it was named for pioneer settler F.W. Flato). In Flatonia, pick up State Highway 95 headed south toward Shiner. On this stretch, you’ll enjoy more rural roads, gentle hills and wildflowers, including panoramic views off to the west.
End your drive with a Shiner Bock at the oldest independent brewery in Texas. After a two-hour drive through wildflower country, you’ve earned a bock or two.
