5 Best Sights in Johnson City, The Hill Country

Johnson City is now a small but mighty natural wine destination thanks in big part to this mom-and-pop operation in the center of the town. Book an appointment for a tasting with animated winemaker Henry Crowson to experience his unique natural fermentations made without sulfites or filtration. Crowson and his dad craft about 2,000 cases of minimal-intervention wine each year in the adjacent production space, using the best Texas-grown fruit he can find and letting it spontaneously ferment using ambient yeast. Crowson added a restaurant, Picnic’d, serving charcuterie boards of butter, mezze, and meats and cheeses as well as specialty sandwiches and Amy’s Ice Cream.

There are more than 700 animals representing 45 species here, and those wild animals—from goats and deer, to buffalo and zebras—will eat right out of your hand when you take a safari tour of this 137-acre wildlife park. When you purchase your ticket, be sure to buy the pellets so you have something to give the animals. If you are interested in an overnight stay, inquire about renting a cabin with access to an outdoor grill, a playscape for kids, and a swimming pool.

With cool aquamarine pools created from the picturesque Pedernales River shaded by towering cypress trees, this park brings a respite from the glaring sun on hot summer days, especially if you're here to partake of its water-based activities, like swimming or tubing. If you're here to burn calories with a long trek, you've also come to the right place. Hikers and mountain bikers can embark on 19.8 miles of trails, with an additional 14 miles of backpacking trails (hiking only). Fishing, bird-watching, picnicking, geocaching, and camping are also popular here. Park facilities include picnic sites, restrooms (some with showers), a trailer dump station, and campsites (some with water and electricity, others that are primitive and must be hiked to, with a 2-mile or longer hike). No pets are allowed within the park. Reservations are strongly recommended.

This nonprofit interactive museum, a really cool high-tech space housed in a refurbished 1880s mill, offers a wealth of fun—and education—for kids and grown-ups alike. Exhibitions run the gamut from Sharks to the Food Forest, deep sea robotics, a virtual body table, and so much more.

There is a thriving hog culture in the Hill Country, and it’s not just feral hogs, either. People love to ride motorcycles here, and the Texas Vintage Motorcycle Museum showcases one man's collection of vintage bikes from the 1950s to 1970s, and beyond. Owner Gordon Massie has been riding and restoring bikes for decades, and he exhibits around 100 here.