Things to do when you're in the Liberty Hill area!
Howdy Partner. I'm Len Kubiak, owner and manager of Fort Tumbleweed (the original site of Liberty Hill) and I'll be your trail guide for the next few minutes!
A large number of you have emailed asking about other things to do when in the area. So, I've decided to put together this web page about other stuff to do when in the area! This will be a work in progress, so come back often!
To begin to experience Fort Tumbleweed, you need to plan on spending a minimum of 2 to 4 hours browsing through the shops and walking the grounds.
HISTORICAL ROUTE TO FORT TUMBLEWEED
From a historical perspective, there are numerous sites in the Austin area that bring Texas history alive. Some of these include the State Capital, the State Cemetery, the Bob Bullock Museum, the University of Texas Memorial Museum and the LBJ Library.
Texas State Cemetery Home Page
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library Home Page
University of Texas Memorial Museum Home Page
Texas State Capital Home Page
NEXT STOP-ROUND ROCK
Leave the Austin area and take I35 north to Round Rock.
OLD TOWN ROUND ROCK AND THE CHISHOLM TRAIL
Take the 620 exit off IH35 and go east on HW620 for one block. Turn right at the light and travel slowly...you're on the Old Chisolm Trail where thousands of longhorn cows were driven to market through Georgetown, Slaado, temple and Waco northward to Dodge City
, Kansas.
When you reach Brushy creek, look to the right. Yep...that's the Round Rock that the city of Round Rock is named after. It's also the landmark that cowboys in the old west days used to find a safe crossing across the Brushy. Wagon wheel ruts can still be seen in the rocky stream bed.
Continue for a few hundred yards and enjoy the historical buildings on both sides of the street. These are the remains of old town Round Rock. Continue northward to the light next to the post office.
GRAVESITE OF FAMOUS OUTLAW SAM BASS
To your left about a 1/2 mile down Sam Bass road is the gravesite of Famous Outlaw, Sam Bass. The bank that Sam Bass tried to hold up has been relocated to Fort Tumbleweed (Christmas Store and More).
RETURN TO IH35 AND PROCEED TO GEORGETOWN
To go to Fort Tumbleweed, go east on Sam Bass Road to IH35, go north about 7 miles to reach Georgetown.
In Georgetown, check out the following things to do:
CANDLE FACTORY AND INTERSPACE CAVERN
Visit the Candle Factory (watch for billboard at the edge of town)- See candles being made
Visit Interspace Cavern (same exit as the Candle Factory)- this is a great cavern with lots of living formations and a great light show.
Visit one of the oldest colleges in the country (1840)- (exit on HW 29 and go east approximately 2 miles).
Now head out to Fort Tumbleweed- Turn around and head west on HW 29 across I35, across US183 (Seward Junction) and four more miles to Fort Tumbleweed (on the right). Look for the old log cabins and buildings.
Enter Fort Tumbleweed through any of three entry ways- plenty of parking. Get out and walk the site (you've stepped back a 150 years in time). Be sure and visit the Old Stage Coach Shop- a museum store with more neat stuff than you've ever seen in your life!
If you're a rock hound, the Prospector's Shack Rock Shop is a must.This shop features some great fossils, rocks and minerals and the collection is growing all the time.
The Christmas Store and More shop features a great selection of glassware, old bottles, collectible figurines, art, and a host of other neat stuff.
You can wander around the buildings with big covered porches and enjoy seeing such relics as an old ranch cookstove, a big, free standing corn sheller, wagon wheels, and a variety of other stuff from bygone days.
The OK Coral Old West Shop is another interesting place with a variety of old west saddles, horn mounts, deer antler collections, antique furniture and even a leaping mounted deer.
Return to Austin Via the Hill Country
For the return trip, take HW29 West to Burnet. Stay on HW29 past the HW281 intersection for a few blocks and look for the Pizza place on the left side of the road. Behind it is Fort Croghan, buillt in 1849 and recently restored to what it looked like in the old days. Neat place to visit.
If you've got the time, continue westward on HW 29 to Lake Buchannan and then Inks Lake (look for the turn to the left). A few miles up this road, you'll find Longhorn Cavern, another neat place to visit.
When you're ready, return to Austin via U.S. HW 281 and turn left on HW 71 which takes you back to Austin. If you miss the HW71 exit, you go to San Antonio!
Other Stuff to do when in the area!
One of my favorite places to visit, the
LBJ State Historical Park.
Two nearby state parks with great camping facilities include:
Enchanted Rock State Parkand
Pedernales Falls State Park
For some interesting information about the sculpture park adjacent to the Liberty Hill high school on HW29 near Fort Tumbleweed
Liberty Hill ISD Homepage
Hill Country Flyer
I've attended some great shows at this fabulous place and defended the Round Rock bank against outlaw Sam Bass in a reenactment at this site in 1981!
"I'm going to Luckenbach, Texas ...."
Fredericksburg is rich in Texas history, offers great shopping, restaurants and sightseeing
Fredericksburg's Chamber of Commerce Home Page
Have attended some great peach festivals and rodeos in this area
Stonewall's Chamber of Commerce Home Page
Johnson City's Chamber of Commerce Home Page
A large listing of parks and historical sites
 
 
If you need additional information, contact Len Kubiak at:
E-mail: lenkubiak.geo@yahoo.com
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Historic Liberty Hill Cemetery Listing.
