Texas Hill Country: Vast & Diverse Texas is a fascinating diverse and large state. So large that it entails 7% of the total water and land area of the United States. Thanks to good friends Bill and Francis Rison, who we have traveled with in other countries, Francis has sent acuri.net photos of the Hill Country of Texas to make this photo program possible. Francis took the photos on the Willow City Loop between Llano, Texas and Fredericksburg, Texas. Spring is her favorite time of the year to photograph the Hill Country. Texas's state flower, the Bluebonnet (pictured below) can be seen throughout the Hill Country. "Just outside of Fredericksburg (78 miles from Austin, Texas) heading toward Llano, Texas, the terrain changes from pastoral, gently rolling hills to a dramatic, rugged landscape of deep canyons, sky reaching jagged cliffs, meandering streams and phenomenal panoramic views. All year round you will be amazed by this spectacular countryside, BUT during a good Wildflower Season (March – May), you will discover “take‐your‐breath‐away” inspirational natural beauty. A favorite location for a slow, lingering country drive is the “famous” Willow City Loop! This is THE iconic Texas Hill Country scenic drive! The narrow two‐lane Ranch Road winds for 13 miles through some of the oldest and most unique geology in central Texas. Deep Canyons carved by Coal Creek are picturesque and the meadows at the bottom offer up splashes of blue, yellow, orange, and white depending on the season and which wildflowers are blooming down below. The views from the highest hill tops are stunning." A lot has been said about Texas, below are two quotes: "I must say as to what I have seen of Texas, it is the garden spot of the world. The best land & best prospects for health I ever saw is here, and I do believe it is a fortune to any man to come here. There is a world of country to settle." ― Davy Crockett “There’s a vastness here and I believe that the people who are born here breathe that vastness into their soul. They dream big dreams and think big thoughts because there is nothing to hem them in.” ― Conrad Hilton According to the Texas Almanac there are four principal physical regions. They are Gulf Coastal Plains, Great Plains, Basin & Range Province, and Interior Lowlands. "Because Texas is such a large state, it has a highly varied topography. The state has ten climatic regions and 11 different ecological regions. The topography types vary from mountainous to the forested hill country to coastal plains and prairies in the interior. Texas also has 3,700 streams and 15 major rivers but there are no large natural lakes in the state. Despite its being known for having desert landscapes, less than 10% of Texas is considered desert. The desert and mountains of Big Bend are the only areas in the state with this landscape. The rest of the state is coastal swamps, woods, plains, and low rolling hills. Texas also has a varied climate due to its size. The panhandle portion of the state has bigger temperature extremes than does the Gulf Coast, which is milder. For example, Dallas which is in the northern part of the state has a July average high of 96˚F (35˚C) and an average January low of 34˚F (1.2˚C). Galveston on the other hand, which is located on the Gulf Coast, rarely has summer temperatures over 90˚F (32˚C) or winter lows below 50˚F (5˚C)." The Texas Hill Country is in the central portion of Texas. Most of the land is a hilly grassland. It was formerly a plateau, which has evolved into a hilly terrain after millions of years. The land used to be full of multiple springs, but due to human interference, this amount has dwindled down. The San Marcos Springs are the most well‐known natural landform in the region. The total size of the Edwards Plateau in this region is 31,000 square miles. The average rainfall here is 15 to 34 inches a year. Texas Hill Country defined: 1. Area: The Texas Hill Country begins in the north where the rolling plains and prairies and ends at the Balcones Escarpment in the south and east and extends west to Edwards Plateau. 2. Metropolitan Areas: Austin and San Antonio are the two major metropolitan areas in The Texas Hill Country. San Antonio has a population of 1.4 million (larger than Dallas). Austin has a population of 885,400. 3. Counties: The Texas Hill Country includes 25 counties. 4. Topography: The area is composed of karst topography. The geography is shaped by the dissolving of water‐soluble rock such as granite and limestone. 5. Llano Uplift: The Llano Uplift is a dome formed from Precambrian rock and includes the second largest granite dome in the U.S. – Enchanted Rock. Texas Hill Country has "the resemblance of the hills to balconies when viewed from the plain below accounts for the Spanish name for this area: balcones." The geographic characteristics of the rolling hills include the Pine Belt or "Piney Woods," Post Oak Belt, Blackland Belt, Coastal Prairies, Lower Rio Grande Valley and Rio Grande Plain.

Special thanks to Francis Rison for providing photos & information about Texas Hill Country. Sources: https://www.fredericksburgtexas‐online.com/plan‐your‐trip/willow‐city‐loop/, https://txhillcountrytrail.com/plan‐your‐adventure/historic‐sites‐ and‐cities/sites/willow‐city‐loop, https://texashillcountry.com/field‐dreams‐willow‐city‐loop/, https://texashillcountry.com/texas‐hill‐country‐defined/, https://www.netstate.com/states/geography/tx_geography.htm, https://texasalmanac.com/topics/environment/physical‐regions‐texas, https://hill‐ country‐visitor.com/hill‐country‐map/, https://sciencing.com/geographic‐landforms‐texas‐7902522.html, https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/texas, https://www.texasmonthly.com/the‐daily‐post/how‐big‐is‐texas‐compared‐to‐other‐land‐masses/, https://www.thoughtco.com/geography‐of‐texas‐ 1435743, and https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/places/north‐america/us/texas/geography. acuri.net Francis Rison & John R. Vincenti Texas Hill Country: Vast & Diverse