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This close-in excursion gives you a chance to stretch your legs a little bit and enjoy some of our country air.
Driving north through Wimberley on RR 12,
take the left FM 2325 fork just before Ace
Hardware. Leaving Wimberley, notice the EmilyAnn
Theatre on your left just past the Wimberley High School.
Continuing north on FM 2325, also known as the Old Blanco Highway, you quickly begin to leave the Wimberley
Valley.
Just
about where you take a left on Fischer Store Road (FM
181), travelers in days gone by would stop by
an old wind-operated water pump to stock up on water for their trips to Blanco and beyond.
Now privately owned, this windmill that once
powered a major watering hole is still spinning in the
Texas breeze.
The gently undulating Fischer Store Road makes several memorable drops in altitude before it crosses the
Blanco
River. The current bridge was built
around 1990 and
its completion removed the terror of trying to cross that flooded roadway. It's hard to believe that this lazy-looking river can swell
over its banks and rise by over 20 feet in just a blink of the eye.
Keep a sharp lookout for water
birds here.
The road remains curvy and narrow as it gently lifts you out of the river
valley, bringing you to the community of
Fischer. Founded by German emigrants during the
1880s, Fischer is an agricultural community.
You may notice that the land formations change quite a bit as you arrive on this plateau.
The Fischer Bowling
Club and its nine pin bowling league are housed in a long red building. Next door is the dance hall,
originally a small school house. Although
quite rustic, it is still a popular place to
rent for dances, weddings and other social events. On most summer weekends you will find a festive gathering in and around
Fischer Hall.
Fischer Store is just around the
corner. Plan to stop in to browse a bit and stretch your legs. This tin building,
once serving as the post office, bank, and
saloon, sits above the ground
just as it has for many years. A gander at the brass mailboxes and postmaster's cage make the stop worthwhile. Enjoy a
soft drink as you browse around the store.
Leaving Fischer in an easterly direction on
RR 32, check out the old cemetery a few
hundred yards down on the left. The tombstones tell
stories of life and death in the Texas Hill
Country. RR 32 rises and drops several times over the next few
miles. The stretch of road called "Devil's
Backbone" begins just about where you'll notice
El Rancho Cima Boy Scout Camp on the
left. This 2,680 acre property is
located on the Blanco River and is open
year-round for Boy Scout camping, with two
major camps in operation. Cockrell River Camp has 15 troop sites and Horseshoe Bend Camp has 12 troop sites.
Climbing to the top of the hill, you're
welcomed by a roadside park where you can enjoy a relaxed view of the valley and possibly that boxed lunch that you brought with you. This high section of the roadway has excellent views all along the way. |
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Just as the curves start to straighten out you will be greeted by
two watering holes. The Devil's Backbone
Tavern and another right next door. These
are popular hangouts for many hardworking
Texans who like to contemplate their day's activities while enjoying a Lone Star Beer and looking out over
the world.
There are stories of a roadrunner
who would regularly stop in to munch on
treats offered by the patrons there and the
Tavern, billing itself as an "original
Texas Honky-Tonk," has live
music.
Dropping down from the high ridge of the
Devil's Backbone, the road remains relatively straight and flat until you
reach The Junction, the intersection of RR
32 and RR 12. Continuing southeast on RR 32
(which becomes RR 12 from this point on) would
take you to San Marcos.
Turn left at the blinking light onto RR 12
to return to Wimberley. (Do this carefully,
since this location is infamous for fender
benders coming from any direction.) Climbing to the top of
the hill you
find another roadside park on the
right with a wonderful view of the Wimberley valley. To the left and the right are magnificent views,
a great place to get a few panoramic
photographs. Just a few miles further down the road you'll
drop into the valley and cross the Blanco River,
returning to the Village of Wimberley.
Don't miss Lewis
Smith's History of Fischer - only in Texas!
Click here...
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at VisitWimberley.com
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& text VisitWimberley.com © 2003
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