Will there be many bluebonnets in Texas this year?
 

I was very much hoping to fly to San Antonio, rent a car and travel to the Texas Hill country especially to see the wild flowers. I was planning to do this about the first week in April. I hear that there has been little rain in that area of Texas this year so far. Those of you in the know, will the wild flowers be late or non existant because of this lack of rain? Has there been any significant rain there lately?

Thanks, Margo

Hi, Margo. I don't think they will be non-existant, but they probably won't be as grand as usual. But please don't let that deter you from visiting us!! Central TX has so much to offer besides wildflowers.

We had a nice little storm pass thru Friday that included a couple of inches of rain . . just in time! . . It has been dry however and it is hard to predict the bluebonnets.

Rich

Forgot to mention . . If you are driving North of S.A. a trip to Fredricksberg would be agood idea . . there is a wilflower seed farm just outside of there with fields and fields of wildflowers.

Rich

I've done a little research and already have the Wildseed Farms near Fredericksburg on my list. Also someone suggested the Wildflower Research Center near Austin. And the LBJ Ranch.

Someone also mentioned the Scenic Willow Loop. Could someone tell me where that is?

Any suggestions for interesting places to stay in the Fredericksburg area? Other things/places to see?

http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail...lid=XFA128-014
this is site for willow loop

Here's another site for you for the loop:

http://www.lnstar.com/mall/txtrails/...owcityloop.htm

We did the Scenic Willow Loop last year for the first time. I can't believe we've missed that all these years, but it'll be on our list of things to do every spring from now on.

The Texas Dept of Transportation runs a wildflower hotline in the spring at 800-452-9292. Call them for updates. Many of the wildflowers you will see are planted by TXDOT in highway rights-of-way.

Great thread, Margo. And all the ideas, links, and suggestions have us planning a spring trip to Texas. We haven't been to Big Bend in YEARS, so may try to include it. Any suggestions for the Big Bend area?

Thanks!

We will be in San Antonio mid-March. What is the best way to see the blue bonnets and will they be in bloom? Thanks.

Starting to see some bluebonnets in Houston. This is the first weekend I noticed them. Saw them in Memorial Park.

In San Antonio, I saw bluebonnets for the first time last week in small patches here and there along 1604... and in one of the neighbors yards!

We saw a handful on the way to Canyon Lake yesterday.

Saw none at all Friday on our back-roads drive from San Antonio to Fredericksburg then the Willow City Loop--except those for sale on the tables at the Wildseed Farm. :) Who knew...there are also white and yellow bluebonnets!!

We saw a few as we drove out to Marble Falls on Saturday. Although it was a dry winter, maybe there's hope for our beloved bluebonnets. :-)

We are going to San Antonio on Wed. Any ideas on the best way to see the bluebonnets? We'll we need to rent a car to do so?

laurelee, where are you staying? I suspect you'll need a car. The bluebonnets I saw were in patches along 1604 near Braun Road on the NW side of town. They're not in great abundance yet but so pretty and nice to see.

We are staying on the riverwalk--the Marriott. We were thinking of seeing them on Sat. and maybe just rent a car for the day if there is a good place to go and if they are blooming.

If you decide to rent a car for the day I would take Hwy 90 west to Hwy 151 (towards Sea World)--Hwy 90 is nothing to write home about but 151 is pretty and the blue bonnets are there. You could follow 151 until it ends at 1604, head east to I-10 west and take a drive to the hill country and perhaps have lunch in Boerne. On the way home you could take I-10 east all the way back to downtown.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDoT) has a website that lists widflower sightings.
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/wflwr/default.htm

You can search by flower type, roadway or county. There are only a few sightings listed as of today.

Re: the website, please note San Antonio is in Bexar County which is not on the list of counties to choose from.

Odd AnnMarie...although it lists wildflowers along the state highway system, surely we have state highways here. Isn't 1604 one for starters?? In fact, it has omitted every county in the Hill Country...Travis, Blanco, llano, Burnett, Lampassas, Comal, Gillespie as well as Bexar!

I'd missed Margo's question about the Willow City Loop. We were there last Friday Margo, and there were no wildflowers at all, but it was still a beautiful drive if you have the time and you might hit it perfectly, coming in April. To get there from San Antonio, go first to Fredericksburg, then head north out of Fredericksburg on Highway 16 for a bit over 12 miles. Make a right (East) on FM1323. Go 3 miles and watch for the sign for Willow City Loop. We were following directions from my book Off the Beaten Path Texas--what they didn't say was that 1323 T's into Willow City Loop and you'll go left. Although it's a loop, we found ourselves ending up on highway 16 again, but north of 1323. When you reach that point it's obvious you've left the loop. Although there is no Hwy 16 sign right at that intersection, that's what you are on. Make a left to get back to Fredericksburg.

We prefer the roads less traveled (to borrow a line from an old "friend"), so take back routes to Fredericksburg, rather than I-10. 281 to Blanco. left on 1623 to 290, left on 290 to Fredericksburg. The Wildseeds Farms is on 290, and you'll pass it following this route into Fred'burg. You'll also pass some lavender fields just west of Blanco on 1623, but I think you might be too early for their bloom. Going back to SA from F'burg, for a change of pace you could take 87 to I-10, then I-10 east all the way into town. Even parts of that drive are very pretty.

You're right! Even Kendall County (Boerne) isn't listed. Although it's not yet in full bloom (will it be this year due to lack of rain?) there's a large area on 1604 near Braun Road that is very popular with the picture taking crowd. It's a very busy stretch of highway which makes me nervous for those who stop there. Hwy 151 is less hectic making it easier to pull on / off the side of the road.

I just noticed that in front one of an empty house on my street in Houston, there are some bluebonnets in bloom right now. [House is for sale; old lady died a year ago.]

I think it's time to go now. By early April, they may be gone.

Mine in the garden are blooming this week . . also in Houston.

Rich

Thanks for all the advice. I definitely am saving this thread. However, I have been talked into meeting a sister in Jacksonville, Fla. and then spending three nights on Jekyll Island, Georgia, and three nights in Atlanta visiting relatives. Such is life.

The first week in April should be nice in southern Georgia. If anyone can give some advise for the area of Jekyll Island or the road between there and Atlanta, I would like that.

Thanks again, Margo

It hasn't rained much this winter, so we'll see, but I highly recommend flying into Austin instead! Much better and more scenic than SA, IMO.

1st week in April the azaleas and dogwood should be beautiful in Savannah. Savannah is incredible under any circumstances, even more so when all the squares are in bloom.

Advise for the road between Jekyll and Atlanta? Do NOT speed, not under any circumstances, on the stretch around Macon. It's a ticket waiting to happen. It's a tedious drive without much to redeem it (IMHO).

Hi Margo,

You will have better luck getting information on Jekyll Island, etc. by starting a new thread.

Perhaps when you finally do make it to San Antonio there will have been ample rain so you can see for yourself what all the fuss is about when it comes to wild flowers--they really are a sight to see.

Enjoy your trip!