Travelin' Man

The best little water oasis in Texas? Cars line up at this scorch-relief getawayfor good reason

Photo by Stephan Lorenz
Photo by Stephan Lorenz
Photo by Stephan Lorenz
Photo by Stephan Lorenz
Photo by Stephan Lorenz

With the promise of a truly scorching summer on the horizon, it is never too early to plan a cool escape. Austin always beckons with great restaurants, a vibrant scene, and of course clean refreshing Hill Country Rivers.

Now add Hamilton Pool Preserve to the list. If the mercury creeps over 100, this oasis offers a cool escape every day.

One day last summer, some friends and I pulled off Hamilton Pool Road onto the short driveway right after 9 a.m. During the summer months it is important to arrive as early as possible since visitors line up long before opening time. The small park is extremely popular and by noon there is a long line of waiting cars. Park staff limit the number of visitors to protect the fragile environment.

The sunlight, bouncing harsh and white off the rocks atop the rim rock, turns a filtered jade in the canyon.

Fortunately, after five minutes we pulled into the small parking lot after paying our $10 entrance fee. What may seem a steep fee is worth every cent. The sun was already baking the air, hung out to dry amidst the brittle junipers.

We quickly packed picnic foods and water into a pack and started towards the trail.

A narrow dusty path leads towards a short steep drop over slippery boulders and rolling gravel. Around a bend the first massive trees of the oasis welcome visitors.

Milder temperatures prevail and the sunlight, bouncing harsh and white off the rocks atop the rim rock, turns a filtered jade in the canyon.

A sharp right along a partly paved trail leads past moist grottoes of clinging ferns and cool limestone, past a miniature wetland with minnows and frogs to the actual pool. A natural amphitheater encircles a pool of emerald waters, setting a stage to many tranquil and refreshing hours of swimming and loafing on the rocks. A semicircle of 40-foot overhangs cover most of the swimming area and along the flat shoreline, trees throw leafy shade over the water.

It quickly becomes more apparent why it is important to arrive early. We staked a towel-sized piece of flat dirt before taking out first dip. The water was deep, dark and cold. Swimming towards the center of the pool, water pours off a several large stalactites, creating small waterfalls.

We did the only sensible thing and went for another swim before lying down to watch the sky turn deep blue in the evening light.

Water flows year round, but may slow to a trickle during the hottest months.

The pool’s environs fill quickly with people and a short trail leading through the canyon offers some reprieve from the crowd. Immense cypress trees grow from sluggish sections of water. In other spots, the creek runs swiftly over smooth rocks under dappled light. The canyon bottom abounds with wildlife and rare plants. The trail ends abruptly at the steep bank of the Pedernales River.

When we returned to the pool with the sun leaning towards the west, a regular ritual of singing and drumming had begun. Several locals with guitars and bongos filled the cavernous space with music. The blue-lipped children still clung to colorful inflatables, while several guys angered the park ranger by jumping off the rocks. In a nearby thicket a coral snake, mostly ignored, slowly crawled out of sight.

We did the only sensible thing and went for another swim before lying down to watch the sky turn deep blue in the evening light.

Know Before You Go

Before visiting, check ahead, as the pool is occasionally closed for swimming during the summer months due to high bacteria levels. Remember to arrive early and bring plenty of water and food.

The Hamilton Pool Preserve is about a three hours drive from Houston, and it puts you only about 40 minutes from downtown Austin if you're looking for a getaway base.

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Now hear this

New Texas museum shines spotlight on Tejano music history

Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum, San Antonio, tejano music

Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Roger Hernandez serves as board president of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum.

For a city that proudly calls itself the capital of Tejano music, San Antonio has long been missing a permanent place to honor the genre’s pioneers and preserve its history. That gap officially closed In December with the opening of the Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum at 1414 Fredericksburg Rd.

The music couldn’t have found a better steward than its founder and board president. Roger Hernandez has had his finger on the pulse of Tejano music for decades. His company, En Caliente Productions, has provided a platform for countless performing artists and songwriters in Tejano, conjunto, and regional Mexican music since 1982.

Hernandez says his wife, who ran a shop at Market Square years ago, would often get questions from visitors about the location of a physical Tejano music museum, a thing that simply did not exist. In 2022, he banded together with friends, family, and other local Tejano music supporters to make the nonprofit Hall of Fame a reality.

“I decided I've been in the music scene for over 40 years, it's time to do a museum,” Hernandez recalls.

Hernandez says a brick-and-mortar Tejano music museum has long been needed to remember musical acts and other individuals who grew the genre across Texas and northern Mexico, especially those who are aging. Recently, the community lost famed Tejano music producer Manny Guerra and Abraham Quintanilla, the renowned Tejano singer/songwriter and father of the late superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Both deaths occurred roughly one week after the Totally Tejano museum opened to the public.

“They're all dying. They're all getting older, and we need to acknowledge all these people,” Hernandez says.

The Totally Tejano Museum — named after Hernandez’s Totally Tejano Television Roku streaming — has 5,000 square feet of space packed with plaques, photos, promotional posters, musical instruments, and other memorabilia honoring the pioneers and stars of the beloved genre. Mannequins wear stage outfits from icons like Laura Canales and Flaco Jimenez, and a wall of photos remembers late greats. Totally Tejano Television plays legendary performances on a loop, bringing the exhibits to life.

The newly opened Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum includes a growing collection of memorabilia. Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Hernandez says the museum will soon welcome permanent and rotating exhibits, including traveling shows, a Hall of Fame section, and an area paying homage to Chicano music crossovers, such as the late Johnny Rodriguez, the South Texas singer-songwriter who blended country with Tex-Mex music. Plans call for the organization to hold its inaugural Hall of Fame induction in February 2026.

Eventually, a 2,000 square feet back room will be converted into additional display space and host industry gatherings, community symposiums, and record and video release parties. The museum also plans to add a gift and record shop and a music learning room where visitors can listen to early Tejano music and browse archival photos. Hernandez is already talking with local school districts about educational field trips.

Much like Tejano itself, the museum is a grassroots production. Hernandez and fellow board members have used their own money to rent, renovate, develop, and maintain the museum space. The board also leads the selection of the Hall of Fame honorees and curates the exhibits.

Hernandez has been heartened by the museum’s reception, both from media outlets and music fans around Texas and beyond.

“We had a radio station come in this morning from Houston to interview us,” he says. “People have come in from Lubbock, Texas. We have had people from Midland, Texas. We have another person who emailed us who’s coming in from New York. People are learning all about us.”

That includes many of the musicians who helped shape the genre. Johnny Hernandez, Sunny Ozuna, Elida Reyna, and Danny Martinez from Danny and The Tejanos are among the luminaries who have already graced the halls.

The Totally Tejano Hall of Fame and Museum is now open 10 am-6 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, and closed Monday. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Fans can call 210-314-1310 for more information.

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