Travel Guide: San Marcos - TX
A few weeks ago I decided to get out of town for the weekend to see one of my dear friends in San Marcos. Although I lived in Austin (which is only about 45 minutes away), I never spent much time outside of the city in the texas hill country. Wow, was I impressed by this little town. It's laid back, outdoor life vibe made me want to pack up my stuff and move right in. I briefly wrote about a few things I did while I was there here and here, but today I wanted to share a little travel guide for all of you out there who are looking to visit that area.
When I first decided to visit, I spent time researching things to do on Pinterest and Google. Unfortunately, there wasn't alot available and Roxy had just moved there. The two of us put our heads together over the weekend and found a variety of places to go. We started the weekend by getting some much needed exercise in at Purgatory Creek Trails. If you are able to do the entire trail it's a 9 mile hike! Unfortunately, part of the trail was closed when we visited since there were birds in mating season.
Both of us spend a ton of time being active and the hike was long, but not too strenuous. We saw a ton of different types of scenery from huge boulders to various types of cactus. We even came across some bluebonnets on the trails. There were several lookout points along the way. I wore my favorite pair of rubber boots and DIY cut off shorts. We layered our swimsuits underneath since we were planning to head to the river or lay out on campus. One think I found really helpful was finally purchasing a backpack. It's been eons since I owned one and decided it was time with all the hiking I do to invest in one with enough pockets. I picked out a floral one and it fit enough stuff for two people snack wise, water, changes of clothes and extra batteries for our cell phones.
I carry water with me almost everywhere I go and prefer to use a refillable water bottle. When I'm on a hike, I'm pretty partial at this point to carrying a backpack. I used to wear a cross body, but realized how useful it is to have multiple pockets and the weight of your pack evenly distributed on your back. It also makes it easier to balance if you are going up hill or even climbing. I wore a simple straw hat that kept the sun off my face and a pink bandana since it was pretty warm.
The hike is 9.1 miles if you do the entire thing, unfortunately, they had one of the parts to the trail blocked off for bird mating season. We spent about 3 hours wandering through tall grass and balancing on top of rocks to make our way to a huge area with boulders.
After our hike, it was time to get some good rest and relaxation in. We went on campus and joined the other hundred people with the same thought philosophy swimming in the river that winds through Texas State University. We spent the afternoon laying in the warm sun and just catching up! It was so much fun and really great to have one of my long time pals by my side.
Later that evening we headed over to Tantra Coffeehouse where they made us the yummiest espresso drinks. We sat for hours talking and people watching.
The next morning I headed out for some last minute stops before driving home. I visited the San Marcos River which is just breathtaking and wandered around the downtown area. There are so many charming restaurants and shops downtown. It was bustling with people for a early Sunday afternoon.
All in all, I had a great weekend getting to spend time with one of my dearest friends and nature. It's nice to get away from it all and just be around people you really love! I made sure to wear things that were casual, comfy and could layer easily. This LC Lauren Conrad sage top, creamy lace shorts, and fringe sandals were a staple for me all weekend. I've sourced a few similar items below for you to reference. I mixed and matched a one-piece swimsuit with a casual boater for a laid back feel.
