Provence meets Texas

With the electric blues of Texas bluebonnets, rich reds of Indian paintbrush and mustard yellow of coreopsis scattered across Texas Hill Country, it doesn’t take much to entice travelers to keep driving or peddling. The view changes with each roll and curve of the road—especially in April, the peak month for wildflowers.

Domestic crops add their own beauty to the mix and extend road trip season. In the past eight to 10 years, a growing number of vineyards and lavender fields have joined the area’s peach and wildflower seed farms. Grapes and heat-loving lavender grow with tenacity in the rugged landscape. They bring picturesque scenes of Provence, France, to this region west of Austin and north of San Antonio.

“There are now 16 to 20 lavender farms in Texas,” says Billy Johnson of LLL Farms, about nine miles outside Fredericksburg. They sell at the local farmer’s market and open for a cut-your-own weekend in mid-June.

The hot climate brews extra-concentrated oil, and its heady scent wafts through the farms that are concentrated between Fredericksburg, Johnson City and Blanco. Eight of those farms comprise the Lavender Trail, hosted by Blanco, the proclaimed epicenter of Texas lavender, June 14-15. In addition to farm visits that weekend, the Lavender Market at Blanco’s historic courthouse offers everything from expected soaps and delicate wreaths to surprises such as the popular lavender lemonade.

At Becker Vineyard, hints of lavender lace salmon quiche, salads, grilled chicken breasts coated in honey, lemon scones and dark chocolate Pots de Crème on breakfast, lunch and dinner menus for its 10th annual Lavender Festival. At their biggest event of the year, visitors can buy their own lavender plants, learn how to cook or bake with the herb and shop for indulgences with a twist (think lavender soap scented with chocolate).

Mostly, though, it’s the atmosphere that draws thousands of mostly city residents: purple fields, wines to sample on a shady veranda, and live music most Saturdays throughout the summer.

“It’s a great retreat,” says Michael Page at Becker Vineyards. “You’re out in the country with the beauty of the landscape.”

And while many places do mimic the famed fields of France, there are usually enough Lone Stars, hints of cowboy décor, log cabins or hunting trophies to keep the area distinctly Texas.

–Lisa Meyers McClintick, RED Travel Writer