We’re lucky to call Texas home, but the Hill Country is really the secret garden in the middle of the Lone Star State. The second largest state in the United States, and the largest in the Lower 48, Texas is home to so many incredible American traditions like high school football, country music, and barbecue. Here in the Hill Country, though, we’re admittedly a little bit spoiled when it comes to everything our home has to offer. Here are five things that the Hill Country does better than anywhere else:

5. Barbecue

Let’s start with the obvious choice here. There is nothing in the entire world like Texas barbecue, and it’s a known fact that the Hill Country does it better than anywhere else in the U.S. While folks from Memphis and the Carolinas may prefer their sauces, in the Hill Country, we know that what makes a good cut of meat shine is a low and slow cooking session with only the simplest seasonings.

Don’t think the Hill Country has the best barbecue in the country? Have you been the Franklin Barbecue in Austin, or the trifecta of perfection in Lockhart with Kreuz Market, Chisholm Trail, and Black’s Barbecue?

4. Scenic Drives

There is nothing better than heading out on the long winding roads in the Hill Country, especially after a summer storm. Sure, other places in the country may have one or two excellent drives, but here, nothing beats the Gruene-Fredericksburg-Bandera loop. We can’t forget those quiet, winding roads through the Swiss Alps of Texas, either.

3. Dance Halls

Anyone can go to a bar, but it takes a special set of skills to take enjoy a true Texas dance hall. There is nothing like spending the afternoon at Gruene Hall or twisting and turning across the floor of John T. Floore’s Country Store. Dance halls aren’t just a place to hear amazing, homegrown country music, but they’re also a way to spend time together as a family, which is something that’s increasingly forgotten in today’s world.

2. Swimming Holes

Here’s the thing, we know it gets hot here. However, we know where to find the best swimming holes in the country right in our own backyard. From the ever-popular Hamilton Pool to the Frio River in Garner State Park, there’s a style of swimming hole for everyone. Do you enjoy watching box turtles swim next to you? McKinney Falls is the place for you! There are so many options that are famous across the country, we can’t even choose just one.

1. Wildflowers

Do you remember the first time you came to the top of a hill, looked down the fields, and saw pinks, purples, blues, and yellows? Those fields of wildflowers are unlike anywhere else in the country for a reasons. Not only do they bloom in earnest, making for great bluebonnet photoshoots, but they also stay alive a lot longer than most flowers in the country. There’s nothing like that feeling of seeing the first bluebonnet bloom on the side of the road and knowing that spring and summer are coming.

[adsforwp id="62570"]