Happy Regenerative Farm

To get way out into the fresh air, spend a day on the walking trails in Lake Somerville State Park and Trailway (an hour and five minutes’ drive) – also a good spot for fishing, mountain biking and horseback riding – or splash around on the floating inflatable course in Lake Bastrop North Shore Park (25 minutes). Time travel backwards with a visit to the photographic collection at Elgin Depot Museum (10 minutes), on the site of a former rail track. Nearby, you can wander around reproductions of Old West saloons and churches at J. Lorraine, TX. Ghost Town Austin (10 minutes). Got the kids in tow? There’s plenty of family fun to be had at Sherwood Forest Faire (25 minutes), a medieval-themed park with jousting tournaments, horse-and-cart rides and dressing-up opportunities. And despite the peaceful rural setting of this site, it’s actually only half an hour’s drive into Austin, so for a taste of city life you can catch alfresco music festivals in Zilker Park, hang out in the bars and beer gardens around the around the Rainey Street district or listen to live bands and comedy on 6th Street.