MISSION The Texas Hill Country Trail Region will preserve, protect and promote the cultural, historic and natural resources of its 19 counties. VISION The Texas Hill Country Trail Region will develop partnerships to protect our heritage and sustain our natural and cultural December 2016 - Newsletter resources through promotion, preservation, education and tourism. 8 Small Towns That Could Be Straight Out of Visit these destinations similar to Stars Hollow if you need more of the Netflix reunion. By Claire Gallam

November 28, 2016

TRAVEL LISTS GILMORE GIRLS Photo by Noelle and Mike /Flickr CC BY-NC-ND

To fans of the Gilmore Girls, it may be hard to believe that Rory and Lorelei’s hometown of Stars Hollow doesn’t exist out there somewhere, gazebo and all. In reality, it’s a pastiche of friendly towns scattered around New England. But that doesn’t mean you can only get the Gilmore Girlsfeels in one of the states that make up New England; there are Stars Hollow-esque towns all over the U.S. And while you might not be able to get a cup of coffee at the real Luke’s Diner, we promise you can find coffee and charming yet clever baristas elsewhere.

If you’re prepping for the Gilmore Girls revival or have already finished it and are going through withdrawal, consider visiting one of these small towns full of cozy cafes, picturesque homes and witty banter.

New Hope, Pennsylvania For being such a small town, Pennsylvania’s New Hope offers quite a variety of activities and dining options. Situated just an hour and a half outside of New York and an hour from Philadelphia, New Hope has long been a favorite weekend getaway spot for city dwellers. Read More.... https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/11/gilmore-girls-stars-hollow-small-towns.html

Featured December Events in the Texas Hill Country

Marble Falls - Nov 18th - Jan 1st Walkway of Lights 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Every year, the Walkway of Lights brings thousands of people to the shores of Lake Marble Falls. 830-693-2815 - http://www.marblefalls.org/events/2016/walkway-of-lights

San Antonio - Nov 25th - Dec 11th Las Nuevas Tamaleras The play captures three Latinas in an uproariously comical attempt at making tamales for the first time. 210-223-2009 - http://visitsanantonio.com/Browse-Book/Events/Las-Nuevas-Tamaleras

Johnson City - Nov 25th - Jan 1st Lights Spectacular Hill Country Style A season long celebration with courthouse lighting ceremony and fireworks! 830-868-7684 - http://www.lbjcountry.com/lights-spectacular.html

Fredericksburg - Nov 25th - Jan 2nd Eisbahn Outdoor Ice Skating 2016 Check website for times. Seasonal ice skating in the Texas Hill Country to raise funds for the Heritage School and Cystic Fibrosis. 830-997-6597 - http://www.visitfredericksburgtx.com/events/eisbahn-outdoor-ice-skating/

Cedar Park - Nov 26th - 27th, Dec 3rd - 4th, Dec 10th - 11th & Dec 17th - 18th North Pole Flyer Holiday joy is in store on the North Pole Flyer train ride! 512-477-8468 - http://www.austinsteamtrain.org/special-events/north-pole-flyer/

Llano - Nov 26th - Dec 31st Starry Starry Nights Lighted Christmas Park 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm nightly At Badu Park on the Llano River! Snow Day second Saturday in December! 325-247-5354 - http://llanochamber.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=1068

San Marcos - Nov 30th - Dec 3rd Sights & Sounds of Christmas Gates open at 5:00 pm Enjoy four full evenings of holiday festivities at the San Marcos Plaza Park! 512-393-8400 - http://www.toursanmarcos.com/events/arts/sights-and-sounds-of-christmas.html

Lampasas - Dec 1st - Jan 1st Christmas On The Creek A beautiful display of lights and scenery that light up the Sulphur Creek in W M Brook Park! 512-556-5172 - http://business.lampasaschamber.org/events/details/christmas-on-the-creek-575

Castroville - Dec 2nd - Dec 3rd 33rd Annual Old Fashion Christmas Please join us in historic Castroville for two days of Christmas fun! 830-538-3142 - http://www.castroville.com

Georgetown - Dec 2nd - Dec 4th Sun City Holiday Home Tour Be inspired as you tour these homes ranging from modern to traditional decor. 512-930-3545 - https://visit.georgetown.org/sun-city-holiday-home-tour/

Burnet - Dec 2nd - 4th & Dec 9th -11th Main Street Bethlehem 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm This Christmas, visit Bethlehem...in Burnet, Texas...as the ancient city of Christ's birth come alive again! 512-756-4481 - http://www.fbcburnet.org/ministries/main-street-bethlehem/

Featured December Events in the Texas Hill Country

Boerne - Dec 2nd - Dec 18th 'Twas the Night Before Christmas The wild adventures of a mouse, an elf, and a spunky little girl who just won't take no for an answer. 830-249-9166 - http://www.boernetheatre.org/

Kerrville - Dec 2nd - Dec 18th The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Beloved holiday classic takes the stage-hilarious and heartwarming. 830-896-9393 - http://www.playhouse2000.com

Bandera - Dec 2nd - Dec 31st Silver Bells....Cowboy Style Check website for times. A month filled with musical memories and holiday shopping cowboy style! 830-796-3333 - http://banderatexasbusiness.com/cowboy-christmas.htm

Leakey - Dec 3rd Funky Christmas Follies Social Hour, Live Music & Dance, Ugly Sweater Contest, Best Eggnog & Wassail Contest, and more! 830-591-4736 - http://friocanyonchamber.com/events/12_03_2016_christmas_gala.html

Uvalde - Dec 3rd Christmas Miracle at the Blinkin' Light 7:30 pm Don't miss an evening with the lovely ladies from Prickly Pear Flats! 830-278-4184 - http://www.visituvalde.com

Dripping Springs - Dec 3rd 12th Annual Christmas on Mercer Street 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Arts & Crafts, Live Entertainment, Children's Activities, Food Vendors, Pictures with Santa, & More! 512-858-4725 - Christmas On Mercer Street

Kyle - Dec 8th Christmas Shopping Extravaganza 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm This event will take place at Kyle's own Madeline Manor. 512-268-4220 - http://www.kylechamber.org/events/details/christmas-shopping-extravaganza-7541

Buda - Dec 8th - 10th & Dec 15th - 18th Buda Trail Of Lights 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Entertainment, toasty campfire, hot beverages and concessions for purchase at historic Stagecoach Park. 512-295-7170 - http://www.budatxtourism.com

Hutto - Dec 10th Old Town Christmas Downtown Christmas Fair 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Shop the stores, enjoy a meal at the downtown restaurants, shop vendors featuring a variety of items! 512-759-4029 - Old Town Christmas Downtown Christmas Fair

Austin - Dec 17th Making History: Christmas Villages 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm With pre-cut pieces, builders will assemble and decorate houses at the Neill-Cochran House Museum! 512-478-2335 - http://www.nchmuseum.org/december-17-making-history-christmas-villages/

WISHING YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HILL COUNTRY HAPPENINGS....

We are in the final stages of getting the Official Roadmap of the Texas Hill Country Trail Region ready for print as we make the last of the changes and send out the final proofs for approval. The process all took much longer than expected so I want to thank everyone that participated for their patience. This map has a three-year life span so we want to be sure that we have everything correct and everyone is happy with their ad. I anticipate sending all the materials to the printer in the next week or so.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PARTICIPATING PARTNERS!

Bandera County Visitors Center Ingram & Hunt Frontier Times Museum City of Lampasas San Antonio Llano Johnson City Castroville Johnson City & Blanco Casa Navarro State Historic Site Burnet County Tourism Landmark Inn State Historic Site Burnet Neill-Cochran House Museum Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Texas Hill Country River Region Fredericksburg Uvalde Pioneer Museum Cedar Park Visit Buda, TX Hutto Dr. Pound Historical Farmstead Helotes Comfort San Marcos Kerrville Boerne Arts in Kerrville Georgetown Riverside Nature Center & River Trail Gillespie County Country Schools Driving Trail

JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT MEETING....

Texas Hill Country Trail

January Meeting

Thursday, January 26, 2017

1:00 p.m.

Meeting Location: SAVE THE DATE!

Lunch, Meeting and Tour Details to Come! Llano, TX

Texas Historical Commission

Texas Heritage Trails Program Update

Legislative Update This is a standing agenda item. THC staff provides information on current legislative activities and their possible implications for THC programs. Mark and Vaughn attended the first Legislative Budget Board hearing. There were no elected officials present. The meeting time was used to give background on the THC programs and explain the mandated 4% reduction proposal. Rep. Springer, Chief of Staff, asked what the impact has been for the Brazos Trail Region since dropping out of the program due to a lack of funding which gave us an opportunity to tie funding decisions to economic impacts. Staff also met with Rick Miller, Budget Sub-Committee Chair, to discuss the value of the program.

CHD Update Modeled somewhat after the Texas Time Travel trip giveaway from a few years back, Main Street is running its final monthly online contest to celebrate Main Street’s 35th Anniversary, giving away a weekend in Denison. There were about 4,000 entries and 14,000 page visits through the first 3 contests.

Three cities are being considered for 2017 entry into Main Street, Buda located in the Hill County Trail Region, Keller in the Lakes Trail Region and Linden in the Forest Trail Region.

WHAT'S COOKING IN THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY?

Austin Recipe Yield: 4 Servings

GREEN CHILE MAC & CHEESE

1 pound cooked elbow macaroni 2 cups pepper jack cheese 1 small onion, diced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 medium poblanos 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper 2 medium red bell peppers 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 1 cup heavy cream

Cook macaroni in plenty of salted water until tender, then drain and set aside. Sauté onions and peppers in oil for four to five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add cream and reduce for five minutes. Add macaroni and turn off the heat. Fold in the cheese (setting aside some for topping) and check seasoning by taste. Place mac and cheese in a baking dish and top with additional shredded pepper jack cheese and some panko breadcrumbs. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Texas Hill Country Trail Region

39350 IH-10 West, Suite 3

Boerne, TX 78006 www.txhillcountrytrail.com

830-739-1362 www.txhillcountrypassport.com