Tourism Bouncing Back

With domestic travel on the rise, the tourism and hospitality industries still have a journey ahead to full recovery.

The rolling Texas Hill Country bursts with color every spring with almost 5,000 varieties of wildflowers. Texas is the fifth largest wine producer in the country, and the hill country is home to over 100 wineries and vineyards, and hundreds of barbecue restaurants, live music venues, and museums.

The Prairie and Lakes region is full of interesting finds, from historic downtown Grapevine to the Texas Motor Speedway to the iconic Fort Worth Stockyards, and some of the state’s best urban delicacies, all in one (big) spot. There’s an unforgettable experience at every turn.

Within the South Texas Plains of Texas, is a blending of cuisine and historic sites, influenced by a confluence of flavors and landmarks dating back hundreds of years, like the Alamo, Mission Trails in San Antonio, and the iconic Riverwalk. The King Ranch, which is larger than the state of Rhode Island, is the country’s largest ranch and also one of the largest in the world.

The Texas Gulf Coast is 350 miles of selfie-worthy sand dunes, coastal towns, and seaside adventures, bordered by barrier islands stretching from Galveston to South Padre Island. Texas’ Gulf Coast is also a resting place for more than 600 bird species, more than any other state.

Nature enthusiasts will enjoy the East Texas Piney Woods, home of the Big Thicket National Preserve and Caddo Lake, with its maze of slow-moving bayous, wetlands, and backwaters, on nearly 27,000 acres. It’s a haven for canoeing, fishing, and nature photography.

For more, visit TravelTexas.com, focused on enhancing and extending local economic development efforts by marketing Texas as a premier travel destination in domestic and international markets, generating travel to Texas destinations.

Hamilton, TX Houses Acres Of Fun To Explore

The city of Hamilton, TX, is conveniently located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 281 and Texas State Highway 36. Seated along the Edwards Plateau, where the Hill Country embraces the grassy plains.

Hamilton is centrally located, only 100 miles north of Austin, south of Dallas/Fort Worth, and east of Abilene. Close proximity to these metro areas ensures a consistent flow of recreational, industrial, agricultural, and commercial traffic, as travelers venture from one part of the state to another. Enticed to stop for unique shopping and dining opportunities, Hamilton has changed from a stop-along-the-way to a Hill Country destination.

Hamilton, TX
The newest downtown project in Hamilton, TX includes a new hamburger stand and eating area, scheduled to open February 2023. As a designated Texas Main Street community, Hamilton has access to state resources and technical expertise, including architects and preservation experts to assist during throughout your project. / (Credits: Woody’s and downtown renderings provided by Jamie Crawley, Architect, Texas Main Street Program, Texas Historical Commission)

In addition to direct highway access, the Hamilton Municipal Airport is the largest in the region, supporting private jets, providing self-service fuel and a courtesy car available 24 hours a day. Most weekends, you can find gliders leaving the airport, so pilots, students, and guests can take in the beautiful Hill Country scenery from an alternative perspective.

Hamilton is the county seat, allowing the historically preserved and updated Hamilton County Courthouse to provide governmental services daily to a population of 8,000. The courthouse is the center of downtown, supplying the perfect location for numerous community events and festivals.    

The Texas Historical Commission designated the 18-county area of Central Texas as the Texas Brazos Trail Region. Hamilton is featured on the trail because of its rich architectural history. Many of the buildings downtown feature original limestone facades, and a rare bowstring iron bridge leads pedestrians to nature trails for walking and running. The beautiful and spacious Pecan Creek Park spreads across numerous acres, providing baseball, softball, playgrounds, and disc golf. City Lake provides water-based recreation for kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, and much more.

Hamilton is known as the “Dove Capital of Texas,” which is a strong statement. Extensive wildlife such as turkeys, doves, whitetail deer, and more, are just a few additional reasons why individuals visit Hamilton. Those that prefer photography keep busy year-round with breathtaking fields of bluebonnets, endless sunflowers, world-record longhorns, and exquisite sunsets.