8 Central Texas Cities You Don't Want to Miss

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When we first received orders to Fort Hood, one of the most positive things people told us was that there was so much to do in the area. They said that even if we didn’t like Killeen, there were so many other places to go and hang out.

And they’re right!

Fort Hood is located in Central Texas, and there are so many possible day trips. From small towns to big cities, there are so many places to explore.

Here are 8 Central Texas cities that you don’t want to miss if you’re stationed at Fort Hood!

Austin

The most popular day trip from Fort Hood is Austin! Everyone loves to head down to the city on the weekends. Concerts, unique swimming holes, shopping, delicious restaurants, and so much more are waiting for you in Texas’s Capital City!

Here are some ideas of things to do in Austin:

go swimming at Barton Springs
watch thousands of bats emerge from under the Congress Ave. bridge
tour the Texas State Capitol
ride bikes through Zilker Park
hike to the lookout on Mount Bonnell
swim at McKinney Falls

McKinney Falls in Austin, Texas — *(Before a swim at McKinney Falls!)*

One of the Central Texas cities you don't want to miss is Austin! — *(Found this mural while exploring South Congress Street.)*

Waco

If I’m being honest, I like Waco more than Austin. To me, the crowd is a little bit older and the city is a little bit quieter, which is more my speed.

Plus, visiting the Silos has been on my bucket list ever since I started watching Fixer Upper. It was the very first thing I checked off when we moved here!

Here are some ideas of things to do in Waco:

visit the Magnolia Silos
see the Waco Mammoth
visit the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum
hike up Jacob’s Ladder at Cameron Park
go to the Dr. Pepper Museum

One of the fossils at Waco Mammoth National Monument. — *(Seeing the Waco Mammoth.)*

Central Texas Cities: Go to Waco to see the Magnolia Silos — *(We visited the Silos several times, but during Christmastime was really special!)*

Fredericksburg

Everyone suggested that we do a weekend getaway to Fredericksburg when we moved to Fort Hood. And while this charming town is worth a visit, I would rather do a day trip than stay overnight for something so close.

The most popular thing to do in Fredericksburg is visit the MANY wineries. Plus, there are so many cute locally-owned restaurants and shops.

Here are some ideas of things to do in Fredericksburg:

take a wine tasting tour
visit the National Museum of the Pacific War
hike to the top of Enchanted Rock
catch a concert in nearby L uckenbach
pick flowers at Wildseed Farms

The Luckenbach post office and general store — (*You won’t regret catching a concert at Luckenbach.)*

Johnson City

Johnson City was home to President Lyndon Johnson and is full of sweet southern charm! We visited the nearby Pedernales State Park and had a great day! However, I regret not spending more time in this pretty little city.

It has a walkable downtown area full of antique stores, restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques. You don’t want to miss this gem when you’re looking for Central Texas cities to visit.

This is how I might spend the day here:

do some shopping downtown
sip some wine at the 290 Wine Castle
take the kids to the Science Mill
visit the Johnson Settlement
explore Pedernales Falls State Park

The beginning of our hike to Pedernales Falls. — *(Don’t miss your chance to explore Pedernales Falls State Park.)*

Marble Falls

We didn’t spend much time in Marble Falls, but I always intended to go back and explore it more. (There’s your sign to do things when you think about them, or else time will get away from you!)

Every time we drove through there, I wanted to stop and swim in the lake. Lake Marble Falls looks absolutely refreshing in the Texas heat. And it seemed like there was someone at every store pulling a boat and getting ready for a fun day on the water!

Here’s what I would do if I spent the day in Marble Falls:

go for a swim
shop in the historic downtown area
hike the trails at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge
eat some pie at the Blue Bonnet Cafe
explore the caves Longhorn Cavern State Park

*(This photo is from TourTexas.com. They have a whole post of things to do in Marble Falls.)*

Brenham

On every trip back home to Florida, we drove through Brenham. It’s such a charming Southern town!

We stopped and visited the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory (yay for $1 ice cream!), but there is so much more to do here.

Here’s how to spend the day in Brenham:

visit the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory
see the blue bonnets in the spring
explore the historic downtown area
see the flying horses antique carousel (one of the last operational wooden carousels in the U.S)
see the birthplace of Texas at Washington on the Brazos

Central Texas Day Trips: visit the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory in Brenham. — *(The girls loved our stop at the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory!)*

Central Texas Day Trips: Eat ice cream in Brenham. — *(And you can’t beat a scoop of ice cream for $1!)*

San Antonio

You can’t visit the area without a trip to San Antonio and one of America’s most famous historic sites: the Alamo! This is one of the Central Texas cities that you definitely don’t want to miss!

We visited this beautiful city multiple times. I learn something new every time I go, and it always leaves me wanting more.

Here’s what you might like in San Antonio:

visit the Alamo
stroll along the Riverwalk
go to the top of the Tower of Americas
see the Saga Light Show on the San Fernando Cathedral
explore the San Antonio Mission Trail

*(The most iconic Central Texas Day Trip is a visit to the Alamo!)*

College Station/Bryan

While College Station is known for being the home to Texas A&M University, there is so much more to this Texas town. We only drove through, but I wish we had taken the time to explore more of this city.

I don’t think I ever met anyone who visited Aggieland that didn’t like it or have a good time. That’s impressive!

Here’s how I would spend my time in College Station/Bryan:

visit the Museum of the American GI
catch a college football game
shop in downtown Bryan
drive through the Aggieland Safari
see Santa’s Wonderland at Christmastime

*(This photo is courtesy of Emblem Properties and they can give you plenty of reasons to not only visit the area, but to buy a beautiful home there!)*

These are just a few of the Central Texas cities that you could visit from Fort Hood. There are so many cute little towns in the area – you could probably hit a few in one day!

We never ran out of things to do at Fort Hood. I only regret not taking the time to do more.