Natural Beauty: Cypress Creek runs through the center of Wimberley, Texas. The tall cypress trees line the shores and late afternoon light shining through the foliage reveal the beauty of the area. The creek is just steps from the Wimberley downtown square, which is the center of town. Restaurants along Cypress Creek have outdoor dining which faces the creek and scenic surroundings. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Downtown Square: Shops on on side of the downtown square in Wimberley, Texas, shine as the afternoon sunlight skims across the store fronts. The beginning of the Christmas season was evident around downtown during our recent visit. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Bootiful Wimberley: Bootiful Wimberley is an art project that was launched in 2014 by the Wimberley Valley Arts & Cultural Alliance. Today visitors can tour and enjoy 50 boots around the town at various businesses, churches, and other locations. Each boot is unique and is painted to represent aspects of the community. Shown is a boot ‘Eternal Harmony’ by artist Diane Weems representing the music and musicians within Wimberley. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Within the Texas Hill Country is the Wimberley Valley. The heart of that valley is the community of Wimberley, Tex. It is only an hour from Austin, Texas, but is not on a major highway and is not really an area one would travel through to reach other areas of the Hill Country. Wimberley is located so close but so far away from almost anything. That is what makes this community so special.
What Wimberley does have are beautiful, scenic surroundings, two well-known swimming locations in the crystal clear rivers in town, numerous outdoor recreation options, and a quaint downtown square that offers unique locally owned shops, boutiques, galleries, antique stores and restaurants. To visit Wimberley is like a journey back to simpler and slower times and lifestyle.
Wimberley is at the confluence of the Blanco River and Cypress Creek. The Blanco River flows through town as it makes its way down stream and eventually merges with the San Marcos River. Cypress Creek originates at Jacob’s Well (a popular natural swimming location) and flows right through the downtown area of Wimberley. Large, old oak trees can be seen throughout the town and valley along with an abundance of cedar trees and ancient, tall cypress trees seen along the shores of both rivers in town.
Another major attraction is the Wimberley Market Days event which takes place the first Saturday of every month from March through December. Almost 500 vendors set up shop on the 20 acres which are shaded by large oak trees. There are also three stages for musicians to perform at each event. Market Days event is sponsored by the Lions Club and a large team of volunteers that attracts thousands of visitors to town every month.
Wimberley is made up of a host of nationally known authors, artists, and musicians along with ranch owners and workers and various other professions. The location, natural beauty and abundance of recreational activities as well as the prominent arts scene have attracted folks from far and wide to make their home in the area.
It is easy to see how this small town attracts so many visitors from all across the country. It’s so close but so far away!
We visit Texas on a frequent basis primarily to be with Marilyn’s parents who live in the Houston area. However, our RV always takes us through Wimberley on almost every journey because my sister and her husband have lived in Wimberley for over 30 years.
Our recent visit after Thanksgiving allowed us to experience some of the Christmas spirit in the community. We have seen many changes in the community over the years but the overall charm and beauty of Wimberley and the friendly people who live there have remained the same.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Late Light: Another view of the shops on the downtown square near sunset. The buildings on the square are old limestone buildings built decades ago when the area was a ranching community. The ranching history and identity has been preserved as the community grows and evolves. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Blanco River: The Blanco River flows through Wimberley, Texas, a few blocks away from the downtown area. The river is named for the white limestone seen along the banks as well as the river bottom. The river flows through the Texas Hill country before merging with the San Marcos River to the east of Wimberley. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Farmers Market: A Farmers Market cart serves as a decor piece in front of another of the many shops in Wimberley, Texas. This shop is just steps away from the downtown square. The locally owned businesses in the downtown area draw crowds of tourists and locals from the Austin area looking for a retreat to the country. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com