Okay, so last time I had us on the way to Wimberley, Texas, where we were going to have a brief vacation. I had talked a little bit about how the town became a resort community, and I also hinted that Wimberley had secret weapon that kept the proverbial wolf from the equally proverbial door. And, I promise, I’ll get to what weapon was...in a little while.
Right now, I just need to get us into town.
It so happened that it was my turn to drive when we finally got to Wimberley. Instead of just coming down the freeway, we had decided to go a somewhat more rural route. So we’d spent the last forty minutes or so zigging and zagging about the “farm to market” roads that led through the countryside and finally to town. (1)
And here comes a hint about Wimberley’s secret weapon. The farm to market (“FM” for short) roads took us past many a working ranch and farm, but also, not infrequently, past huge homes...mansions, really...set off under under the trees, and barely visible from the road.
That should give you something to consider.
Anyway, we finally exited the maze of lanes and FMs, and there we were, in the town itself. I then remembered that the heart of the town, Wimberley Square, is actually a triangle. One on side is Old Kyle Road, on the other is Ranch Road Road 12, and the final side of the triangle is provided by FM 3237. Within and around this triangle are dozens and dozens...and dozens!...of shops, galleries, restaurants, and so on. Don’t get me wrong. There is lots of other retail in town beyond this particular area. But, the Triangular Square is where visitors want to begin.
We found a parking lot at the very tip of the triangle, near The Wimberley Cafe and “Sip! On the Square” --the former is an excellent diner-style restaurant, while the latter is, yes, another of our much visited coffee shops (you can see their webpages here https://www.wimberleycafe.com/ and here https://www.siponthesquare.com/.)
Then, we took stock. What did we want to do first? Iced coffee from Sip! and a walk around? A little shopping and find the hotel? We checked the time. It was afternoon. So we decided lunch was the first order of business. And we had a place wanted to go--Creekhouse Restaurant and Bar (the website is here: https://creekhousewtx.com/).
About the images. Three today, the first is Martha at the Creekhouse. This is actually from our 2021 trip to Wimberley, but the restaurant is largely the same.
Creekhouse is probably our favorite restaurant (for larger meals, anyway) in Wimberlely. It is rather an amazing place. First, the location is interesting. It is literally “on the creek.” I forgot to mention that the town is located at the point where the Cypress Creek intersects with the Blanco River. The good news is that this increases the town’s charm and gives it a set of lovely, winding, natural green belts. There are trails along some of them, and particularly Cypress Creek, and I’ve walked the Cypress Creek trail a couple of times.
The bad news, of course, is that in summer this means humidity can be dramatic (but then, the same is true almost everywhere in Texas. Or at least it feels that way). And, it also means that the town is vulnerable to flooding. In 2015, the community took some serious damage when the Branco overflowed its banks quite dramatically. Up to 400 homes were simply swept away by the water.(2)
But getting back to Creekhouse. The second thing that appeals to me about it is the architecture. I guess it can be described as a kind of open split-level. There is an inclosed bar area on the ground floor, then, somewhat below that, there’s a dining area with great windows that can be opened when the weather is clement, and, then, finally, there is seating outside the restaurant and along the Creek.
Second, this is an exterior shot of the Creekhouse, but this time at night. This actually is from our 2022 trip.
And, last but not least, the food is excellent. I’m guessing our favorites are the Grilled Steak Frites, the burger, and the “Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich.”
Oh, and they also turn out a mean drink. Though, honestly, I’m not a heavy drinker (particularly not on hot afternoons, which it was right then) and I’m not a great fan of new and trendy drinks. Sorry. I’m just not. I once tried the Creekhouse’s “Ole Tx Pecan Fashion,” but I found it just way too sweet. Fortunately, the next time I went, I asked for a simple Old Fashioned, which is my go-to drink when I’m dining out and having a bit of a treat. And, that was just fine.
Third, and finally, my chicken sandwich, fries, and a beer. Not bad at all.
So, to the Creekhouse we headed...
I realize that I still haven’t told you the last of Wimberley’s secret weapons to avoid economic extinction. And I’m not going to do so now. I’m going to make you wait at bit.
But I will provide a second hint.
What if I told you that if you visited any of the places I’ve described in the last paragraphs, or simply went walking almost anywhere in the square, you might rather easily score a celebrity sighting?
That’s the hint. More to come.
Footnotes:
1. A farm to market road is defined by Wikipedia as a “state highway or county road that connects rural or agricultural areas to market towns.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farm-to-market_road). The term is used all over America, but has become somewhat associated with Texas. After 1949, the state built thousands of such roads and you see “FM” on road signs everywhere. The county of Galveston’s website notes proudly that today, “The Farm to Market Road System is the largest secondary highway system in the United States.”
2 This was part of the “2015 Texas–Oklahoma flood and tornado outbreak,” which was one of the most destructive storms ever to hit the area. According to Wikipedia, at least 14 people were killed, including ten in Texas and four in Oklahoma. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Texas%E2%80%93Oklahoma_flood_and_tornado_outbreak
Copyright©2023 Michael Jay Tucker
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