The Blanco River flows through a quaint little town in the Texas Hill Country. Blanco is an old west town first settled in 1853, and many of the buildings are vintage.

The Red Bud’s sidewalk café is pet friendly and a great place to sample the local wines or a brewsky on tap from Blanco’s own Real Ale Brewing Company.

Many of the vast Texas ranches are mini-museums that proudly display artifacts from generations past.

The Smith family have maintained their old family homestead since 1872 and welcome visitors to share their own stories and family histories—nothing makes a Texan happier!

Stephen Smith has been collecting artifacts from his family ranch since he was a child, adding his own pieces to those collected by his father and grandfather.

Stephen keeps a workshop where he practices flintknapping. He and his wife, Kennie, have collected and restored many of the Smith family’s keepsakes.

Five generations of Smiths have called this gorgeous piece of land home.

They roll out the old wagon for special occasions.

But before the Smiths homesteaded this land, groups of hunter-gatherers were here making camp beside the old, reliable spring.

And they left artifacts behind to remind those who followed of their existence.

The beautiful Blanco River flows below the Smith Ranch, making it an ideal campground for settlers and bands of hunter-gatherers for more than 11,000 years.