Customer Reviews

Backroads of the Texas Hill Country: Your Guide to the Most Scenic Adventures

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was convinced to purchase this book by all the positive reviews, but I was very disappointed when it arrived. I guess this is what many people want from a "backroads" book, but to me, "backroads" doesn't mean the main highways. I love to explore the actual backroads of the Texas Hill Country, and there are so many that I thought I could pick up some good suggestions from this book. But the authors never leave a main highway, and the routes discussed are all the main, popular, well-traveled routes that don't require a book for exploration. Never once does the book even leave a primary, paved highway, which is no way to see the Texas Hill Country. The photography is very nice, but the sights that are photographed are all very commonplace and frequently visited. This looked more like an excuse to showcase the authors' photography than a book about the interesting backroads of central Texas, and the seldom-seen delights that they contain. I just wish they had titled it more accurately: "Selected Highways of the Texas Hill Country: A Photographic Essay".

The Texas Hill Country is one of my favorite places. I've been visiting there for a number of years and I haven't scratched the surface yet. It's always a pleasure to return and, when I return again soon, I will bring this fine guide. Combined with the MAPSCO "Roads of Texas", you can get lost in the countryside but still find your back to your homebase before dark. It's a big area to explore so you need good guides like these two books.

I haven't finished reading this book yet but I have skimmed through most of the sections. It's a good overview of the major areas with suggested sites of interest. I like the way the author describes the drives between points with suggestions like, "Best to take this road in the morning with the sun behind you as opposed to late afternoon with the setting sun blazing in your face." Useful information, well thought out.

As a photographer myself, I immediately studied the photos from cover to cover. Many of the photos are of places that have a fond familiarity to me. I do have one problem with the photo presentation of this book. That is the lack of photos of people. The Hill Country has live music and dancing, year-round festivals celebrating everything you can imagine and large cities as well as smaller towns full of interesting people engaging in interesting activities. The pictures here are almost all devoid of humanity. Even the photos of the Riverwalk in San Antonio have no people on the streets. That is sort of disconcerting and the main reason I can't give this book more than 4 stars.

Once your interest in the Hill Country gets you there, you should visit some of the bookshops in the area towns. There are various local histories and guidebooks that are informative. In addition, there is a highway map of the area available locally that shows areas of historical interest and landmarks. This map is highly recommended for your meanderings.

Backroads of the Texas Hill Country is a wonderful travel guide, but it is so much more. It is packed with the old and the new, the rich history of Texas and the great views, diners, shops and more that are ready to be explored in the here and now.

The book is organized into six distinct regions with several scenic journeys within each region. The maps show you where to drive, but the photos and the text tell you what has been there before you and what is waiting for you now.

I'll be honest. Being a big fan of Kathy Adams Clark's photography, I bought the book for the photos. But, I knew all along that I would inevitably be lost in the prose that Gary Clark weaves into all of the books that he and Kathy have done. This one was no exception.

Having been born and raised in Texas, I thought I knew our history well, but I learned plenty of eye-opening bits of history about my State and its people as well as some interesting geology to explain some of that history. I have never cared for history books. I've always found them to be dry and boring - just the facts ma'am. This is not so when written by Gary. Texas comes alive in this book and every little journey is sprinkled with the true spirit of Texas and Texans - Big, Bold, Proud and Humble at the same time, Generous, Hospitable and the list goes on.

The photographs, as expected, are absolutely stunning. I found myself staring at some and wishing I was on the other side of the camera seeing this beautiful vista or butterfly or quaint old building. A favorite is of the San Antonio Riverwalk. The brightly colored umbrellas lining one side of the meandering walk grab the viewer's eyes and demand attention. They lead the eye down the path ending in a curve and leave the viewer wondering just what is around that bend. Kathy has a special talent for knowing when to zoom in and show us the gritty detail in the shadows of that mission wall and when to step back and divulge the vastness of Texas with a wide landscape of the rolling hills.

This book is well worth the price of admission. It is a great read, has many wonderful photographs and will be a well cherished reference book for your travels in the great State of Texas.

This book helped to open my eyes to all that central Texas has to offer. It's great for planning weekend get-aways, short family vacations or mini road trips. All should pick up this book to add a little adventure into their lives and come to see all what central Texas has hidden.

I liked this book so much I purchased three additional copies at Amazon to give as gifts for my three grown children at Christmas. This book feels like Texas! It is chocked full of travel information, history, geology, nature, and beautiful pictures. In short it makes you want to jump in your car and take a jaunt around the Texas hill country. Gary and Kathy do a great job of making you feel like you are there with them. Gary's writing style is easy to follow and packed full of great insights into why the places he is describing are interesting and why you should experience them for yourself.

My biggest problem with the book is that I live so far from the hill country (in Houston), that it will take me a long time to accomplish the goal of retracing the routes so accurately described in the book. Not only that, but I have to visit them over and over at different times of the year and in different seasons to truly enjoy and experience it all.

Gary and Kathy are seasoned hill country travelers and they do a great job of trying to make the reader one too. It's the next best thing to being there!

I whole-heartily recommend this book to anyone who loves Texas. Especially to those who plan to travel the hill country either for a weekend or a full-scale vacation. If you don't love Texas before you begin your journey, I'm sure you will by the time you end it.

Great book! The photos are so good they are distracting. You begin to read the text and then you loose focus into the photos. I am a professional motorcycle tour operator and I am using this book as a reference in the planning of my tours to the Texas Hill Country. I have a trip schedule there in May and this book has really help my plan my routes.

We have recently moved to houston and are looking for some more 'natural' places to visit - I saw this book and on the comments made about it I purchased it! I am really pleased with it - the photography is fantastic just on its own. Would recommend.

I orderded this book for my husband who is a keen motorcyclest, we were dissapointed at first as package arrived soaking wet as though dropped in a bucket of water. But as usual the folks at Amazon came through and replaced our package in the nick of time for fathers day. the book is very well written and has some wonderfull scenic photographs from all around Texas. You do not need to have a motorcycle to buy this book. it is a beautiful coffee table book and you can use it just as well for traveling by car or campervan.

I'm an adopted Texan and have a number of solid Texas travel books, but this splendid oversize guide has become my favorite. Bursting with gorgeous photos that capture the life of things, and brimming with engaging history, surprises, and gentle humor, I can't think of a more charming road resource for roaming the Lone Star State's beautiful hills. The two native Texans behind it -- Gary Clark and Kathy Adams Clark -- crafted the perfect guide for my Spring Break trip!

We bought this book before we toured the "Hill Country". I already new my route and just used it to get a little more flavor for the areas that we traveled. Not a book for backroad travels because it is all on main roads. It was what we expected but does contain much more of the Hill Country than we realized. You will need to zero in on more info for areas as this book is just a general guide of the area. The pictures do portray the area that it represents and is like being there in person. Would purchase again if needed.