Weekend Away-We-Go

Your guide to the perfect Hill Country weekend away in Boerne

Just north of San Antonio sits Boerne, a Hill Country hot spot full of craft breweries, shopping, and outdoor activities galore.

Already packing your bags for a weekend away? Here's a little more info to make sure you get the most out of your trip.

Things to do

Of course, Boerne is famous for its Hill Country Mile, a collection of more than 80 cute shops and boutiques, restaurants, galleries, breweries, and more, all nestled in the historic downtown and steeped in local charm. You'll even find not one, but two, hat bars — J. Forks Design and Pearl Antler — where you can craft your own fancy chapeau.

Boerne's newest museum is the Old Jail Museum, located in the restored Kendall County Historic Jail built in 1887. There's also a free Historic Walking Tour you can take, either by downloading the route onto your phone or picking up a copy of the map at the Boerne Visitors Center.

Known as Boerne’s oldest tourist attraction — since 1932! — Cascade Caverns is a "living cave" that offers three-hour adventure tours through five major rooms, including the spectacular Cathedral Room. You can also spend time panning for treasures, slicing open a geode, shopping at the on-site gift shop, hiking nature trails, or lounging at the pavilion and picnic tables.

Another living cave is Cave Without a Name, a designated Natural National Landmark that features six major rooms filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and more amazing formations. If you're lucky, you might be visiting when there's a concert being held down in the Queen’s Throne Room. Take time to enjoy the gift and rock shop, gem panning, geode slicing, nature trail, picnic tables, and a campground with a pavilion that can accommodate tents and RVs.

Break out the bathing suits, because Boerne City Lake Park offers swimming, fishing, and non-motorized boating, along with picnic areas, a playground, and a Frisbee golf course for a full day of fun in the sun. Plan to rent a paddleboard or kayak from Hill Country Paddle Sports or go sailing with Trisum Sailing.

If it’s homemade, handmade, or fresh and tasty, you can get it at the Farmers Market at Herff Farm at the Cibolo Center for Conservation. Enjoy the spring air and delicious local produce, live music, educational programs, children's story times, teaching gardens, and more at the only farmers market in Texas that's held on the grounds of a historic, 1850s pioneer farm. Admission is free, and friendly pets on leashes are welcome.

Photo courtesy of Visit Boerne

Stay with the fam at The Bevy.

What to eat and drink

Local favorites include The Dienger Trading Co. and Bear Moon Bakery, so be sure to fuel up on coffee, pastries, and hearty, home-cooked breakfasts and lunches.

Cibolo Creek Brewing Co. serves seasonal, farm-fresh pub food in addition to its house-brewed beers.

Dodging Duck Brewhaus, Boerne's oldest brewery, features an eclectic menu of international and local favorites, including the Heart of Boerne Salad, chimichurri-grilled beef tenderloin, and bratwurst and sauerkraut. Best of all, they brew great beer that has won six medals at the World Beer Championships.

Hamby's is one of Boerne's newest craft breweries but has already won die-hard fans for its smash burgers, hand-dipped corndogs, milkshakes, and brews. Linger on the outdoor patio or test your skills indoors on the classic arcade games.

Seeking something a little more elevated? Cypress Grille has an elegant and comfortable atmosphere and delicious dishes like the 12-ounce grilled pork chops, blackened sea scallops, pan-seared foie gras, fresh soups, salads, and sandwiches, crispy oysters, sweet desserts, and an extensive wine list.

You're invited to lounge on the broad, breezy, wraparound porch at Peggy's on the Green, cocktail in hand, before stepping into a lovingly restored, 19th-century dining room. Savor contemporary interpretations of Southern heritage foods and classic American dishes with a menu influenced by the seasonal bounty from area farms and an affinity for beef and mesquite smoke that is the soul of the Texas Hill Country.

Where to stay

The history of The Kendall began in 1859, when the center section of the inn was built as a private home. In the present day, there are 34 rooms uniquely designed to satisfy a large array of different style palettes. As an added bonus, it is also home to Peggy’s on the Green.

The Bevy is a full-service boutique hotel and conference center that embodies a "bevy" of all things Texas Hill Country. This includes 120 contemporary guest rooms and suites; a signature restaurant, bar, and market; a beautifully designed resort pool with fire pits, and wrap-around porches; and The Bevy Provisions Co.

On the short-term rental side, Boerne offers a wide selection of properties that are sure to satisfy the needs of a variety of travelers. One stand-out stay is The Barn at La Cascada, which sleeps two and is pet-friendly. It's situated on a secluded, tree-filled lot that is home to a variety of wildlife and features 24-foot barn ceilings and plenty of windows that bathe the space in natural light.

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Learn more and plan your perfect Boerne getaway by visiting here.

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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.

san antonio tejano music museums hall of fame music openings

Weekend Away-We-Go

Your guide to the perfect Hill Country weekend away in Boerne

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