Settling in and early exploration

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mary, mom of the Linton household. We have 3 kids: 2 girls, ages 5.5, 4 (as of a week ago), and a boy, 7 months old. We just moved from NW Austin to Dripping Springs, in part to be closer to my parents, who have lived out here since 2009. 

The crazy whirlwind of the move is over, and we are starting to settle down and gradually venture out to explore our new environs. 

We have been on a mission to explore the local scene during our free time. We like what we've seen so far:

Parks:

Pedernales Falls State Park

Founder's Park

Dr. Pound Homestead

Charro Ranch Park

Dripping Springs Sportsplex - there is a nice, shaded playscape (no swings, but everything else), lots of picnic tables, jogging trail, sand volleyball court and bathrooms open 6AM - 10PM, plus soccer and baseball fields... maybe a football field, too--I'll have to notice next time I'm there. The bathrooms are part of concessions stand buildings.

Shops:

Texas Hill Country Olive Co. - Date night

Restaurants:

Homespun Kitchen and Bar - Delicious locally grown food AND a backyard with picnic tables and a playscape. Small, and may need to expand to accommodate its expanding clientele. A couple of guys play guitar in the front on the weekends. Really cute place; I'm sure we'll be back.

Rolling in Thyme and Dough - Adorable bakery/bistro with herb and vegetable gardens on site, space for live music. A little bit of indoor seating and a lot of outdoor seating. Seems packed pretty often, I suspect the fare is terrific across the board. I bought a carrot cake there; it was a big hit with my family, who tend to be more pie and cobbler lovers than cake folks.

Coffee Shops:

Mazama Coffee on Mercer. Hey, they have cold brew! That's a big deal for my husband. Nice patio, cozy indoor seating and something called a "flex room" for people 18+. There seemed to be several telecommuters there when Rachel and Ian and I visited. Yet, we did not sense the snarky vibe that you sometimes get in a cool coffee shop, especially as a mom with young kids. And the coffee, kids' cocoa and blueberry muffin were all good. Thumbs up, so far!

Roadtrips:

Gruene - We drove down RR12, which took us through scenic Wimberley. Wimberley reminded us of Santa Fe or Ruidoso, New Mexico. Small town, lots of artists, touristy but genuinely adorable. Greune is kind of like that, too, but also like a smaller version of Fredericksburg (small German town, plenty of antiques, bier gartens and country music. And tubing on the emerald-green Guadalupe River.)

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much deliciousness in this town, both in food and atmosphere.

On my list of things to check out, in no particular order:

Stanley's Farmhouse Pizza / Jester King Brewery on Fitzhugh

The Big Drip Ice Cream Parlor

Wednesday Farmer's Market - 3-7PM

Wimberley, TX

Blanco, TX 

San Marcos, TX - Glass bottom boat tours

This is by no means an exhaustive list. There's tons to do out here. I love that I don't have to cross a city to get to any of it, either. (Though I did love living in Austin, too.)

Until next time...