Mandy Spivey

The 10th Annual Blanco Lavender Festival: Celebrating the Purple Herb

Written by Mandy Spivey | June 16, 2014

This past weekend was the 10th annual Blanco Lavender Festival, and I’m still reeling.

Tent after tent of lavender products; from soap to fresh lavender, from ice cream to ceramics — everything was a slight shade of purple.

If you are a fan of the heavenly herb, Blanco is a Hill Country town that you should know about. The Lavender Capital of Texas is home to some of the more fruitful and abundant lavender farms around.

Every year the free festival is put on by the Blanco Chamber of Commerce, and seeks to showcase the lovely purple zest in all of its varieties. Vendors make their way down to the square to set up and share their version of lavender products.

Oasis Texas Brewing Company: Session Beers on Lake Travis

Written by Mandy Spivey | June 12, 2014

High atop the third floor patio overlooking scenic Lake Travis sits Oasis Texas Brewing Company, an up-and-coming brewery that is right in our own backyard.

In the same space that Billy’s Brew & Que used to smoke up and serve some of the area’s best barbeque, OTBC now seeks to offer some of the best summer beers to Texans.

The name of the game here is session beer, light yet satisfying brews with a lower alcohol content and plenty of room for a dash of creativity in the brewing process. This is where the brewers step in, each offering their own unique set of brewing abilities to bring life to these new lakeside refreshments.

Twisted X Brewing Company: Tex Mex Beers from the Hill Country

Written by Mandy Spivey | June 11, 2014

There’s a new style of craft beer on the horizon and it’s being brewed right here in the Texas Hill Country.

While the traits of “Tex Mex” can be used to describe countless infamous restaurants in the heart of Texas, there’s only one brewery that can say they serve drinks with a distinctly Tex Mex flair.

Think jalapeno-infused pilsners and lagers aged in locally-sourced tequila barrels and you’ll have a better idea of the sorts of flavors owners Shane Bordeau and Jim Sampson intend to showcase to fellow craft drinkers all over Central Texas.

The Best Sandwich in Lake Travis: Noble Sandwich Co.

Written by Mandy Spivey | June 9, 2014

What’s your favorite sandwich?

I like to think a person’s choice of sandwich says something about themselves.

Some sandwiches are serious and some are light, but whatever your favorite toppings or choice of bread — the sandwich is undeniably one of lunch’s best food offerings.

In the Lake Travis area, there have been a dearth of delis and sandwich shops to experience, so when I found out about Noble Sandwich Co., just up the road off Ranch Road 620, I had to see what all of the hype was about.

Hamilton Pool Preserve: The History and Beauty of a Texas Hill Country Swimming Hole

Written by Mandy Spivey | June 6, 2014

Tucked away among lush ferns and babbling brooks in Dripping Springs sits beautiful and historical Hamilton Pool Preserve.

This Texas Hill Country swimming hole has a back story as colorful as its surroundings are beautiful. Many Austinites fall in love with the idyllic waterfalls and natural rock formations found along the paths and pool at Hamilton Pool.

It’s easy to spend a Saturday afternoon in the sun on the quaint shores of the pool, where you can relax and take in some of Central Texas’ most varied wildlife species. Take a hike around the green, lush plant communities that are so popular to the area to see what all of the hype is about.

Mandy Spivey

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