6 Places to Visit in Dripping Springs, Texas

6 Places to Visit in Dripping Springs, Texas

A few weekends ago, I was invited to the Texas Olive Oil Company to take a tour of their orchard. Since it had been my first time to the orchard and I had never visited Dripping Springs, Texas, I decided to spend a couple of days there to do some sightseeing. (Dripping Springs is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States, west of Austin, the state capital. The population was 1,788 at the 2010 census and had risen to an estimated 3,140 as of 2016. Source: Wikipedia.)

1. If you have been following my blog and social media channels, you have probably noticed I love to visit wineries and distilleries. Our first stop in Dripping Springs was at the Deep Eddy Vodka Distillers where we enjoyed a tasting flight of their award-winning vodkas. We tried their ruby red, sweet tea, cranberry, lemon, peach, orange, and plain vodka. My favorites were the lemon and the ruby red; they were so good, they didn’t need anything added to them, in my opinion. For more info on the distillery and the tasting room click HERE.
2. Our next stop was at the Bell Springs Winery. Bell Springs is lovely; as soon as you drive into the winery you see the grapevines. As we wine tasted the hostess gave us a little bit of the history of the winery and mentioned that they host regular events on the property, as well as private tastings, weddings, rehearsal dinners, and bachelorette parties. The wine I enjoyed the most was called “Needy Bitch”. It’s a blend of 58% Cabernet Franc and 42% Petite Verdot. Black cherry and blackberry with subtle hints of pipe tobacco, leather on the nose, explodes on the palate with boysenberry jam and black pepper, and finishes with silky tannins. 
3. You can’t be in the Texas Hill Country and not eat BBQ! We lunched at Railroad Bar-B-Que where everything is slow-cooked, and mesquite smoked. The plates had large portions and the sweet tea was perfect. With their big Texas sized portions and how well their meats are served, you will instantly want to go back for more. We so needed to do walking a bit of walk after that big meal. 
4. Another thing I love about small hill country towns, are the shops and boutiques they usually have in their main downtown area; especially if they serve Blue Bell ice cream. Dripping Springs Delights Dessert Parlor & Artisan Marketplace features a delightful display of handcrafted gifts, locally made home décor, jewelry, candles, Texas souvenirs, boutique clothing & accessories, children’s clothing & accessories, and other unique treasures. The homey family owned business also serves taffy, rock candy, giant lollipops (that my nephews loved!), a variety of sweets, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and non-dairy sorbet in your choice of a cone or a cup with over 30+ toppings. 
5. Our visit to the Texas Hill Country Oil Olive Company, distillery and winery tired us out for the day. We picked up snacks and called it night as we relaxed in our cottage at The Alexander at Creek Road and rested for our last day of our adventure and enjoyed the nice Texas sunset from our balcony. On our last day in Dripping Springs, Texas we visited the Dripping Springs Vodka & Gin Distillery also known as San Luis Spirits. The award-winning vodka and gin micro-distills in small batches in proprietary 50-gallon copper pot stills and is finished with pure, mineral rich Hill Country Artesian Spring Water. My favorite was the Texas Orange Vodka and the gin. 
6. Our last stop was at the family-owned casual Italian restaurant Trattoria Lisina. The gorgeous Tuscany themed restaurant is located on the grounds of The Mandola Estate & Vineyard in Driftwood, Texas (which is right next to Dripping Springs.) You will feel like you are on the countryside of Italy when visiting. The food is plated so lovely, you almost do not want to eat it. We had the seafood risotto and spaghetti alla carbonara; both were delish! 

Read about the Texas Hill Country Olive Oil Company & The Alexander at Creek Road also located in Dripping Springs, Texas.