Beautiful old Jail that has been around since the turn of the century. The prisoners would be…read morehoused on the top floor and the Sheriff and his family lived on the ground floor. While it doesn't appear to be open it does look like they are restoring it and you can wander around the grounds or outside. There is a cool statue out front of the longest serving Sheriff in Texas: Sheriff Riddle. He was Burnet's Sheriff from 1939 to 1978. Wow! That's impressive. The old jail closed in 1982 so I guess he may have wore it out! I look forward to visiting again when the inside opens up.

Whenever I'm on a road trip and I see one of those "largest _____ in the world" sculptures, I have…read moreto stop and snap a silly photo. You only live once, folks! Well, the last time I was driving through Burnet on Highway 29 out to the Highland Lakes in no particular hurry, I finally did just that with the whimsical gigantic metal bluebonnet stationed at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center. Only then did I learn that Burnet is known as the "Bluebonnet Capital of Texas". This was early in the morning on a Saturday, before the place opens at 10am, but they had kindly placed a pair of rocking chairs on the front porch and a packet of brochures of area attractions with a map http://www.burnetchamber.org/BurnetBrochure.pdf for those tourists who might need directions in off hours. AT&T data coverage was spotty for me in this area, so I'd imagine that hard copy map might come in handy for some even in this modern information age. Visitor's Center Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 am - 5 pm Saturday, 10 am - 2 pm Burnet is just an hour outside of Austin and a great place to experience "small town Texas" without traveling too far from home. They have the Bluebonnet Festival http://bluebonnetfestival.org/ in April each year, the Rodeo & County Fair in June, the Burnet Tri-Fest in October (with arts, music, and Fort Croghan pioneer-living demonstrations), and of course, all of the nearby lake park activities year round. A day trip drive is no problem, but you can also sometimes take the Hill Country Flyer of the Austin Steam Train Association http://www.austinsteamtrain.org/the-train/locomotives/ from Cedar Park (when seasonal schedules allow).

We decided to stop by this museum as it was next to all the other places we went to. You have to…read morecall the chamber of commerce for a tour typically but there was also a number for the tour guide on the sign if you go up to the door. We were with one other group but with so few people on the tour it was more interesting. The guide answered all the questions we had and explained that they are trying to renovate the jail and make it look the way it had before. They've had paranormal investigators here if that's your vibe come check it out.

We toured the jail with Kim, and enjoyed it immensely. It is a very interesting reminder of what…read morelife was like for people and prisoners back then. I would recommend it.

This monument to an important member of the Llano community sits on the grass in front of the Llano…read moreCounty Courthouse. Placed in 1984, it's seen some better days but it is still legible. It reads: (Sept. 22, 1856 - Jan. 27, 1939) A native of Germany, Frank Teich studied under master German artists and sculptors before coming to the United States in 1878. By 1883, he was established in San Antonio as an accomplished stonemason and artist. His supervision of work on the State Capitol led to other jobs, including construction of the Tarrant County Courthouse and the creation of numerous Confederate memorials and other monuments throughout the South. In 1901, he founded Teich Monument Works near Llano, which resulted in the development of the area's granite production industry. He is buried in the Llano Cemetery.

This is a small historical cemetery, located on the backside of Cottonwood Shores surrounded by…read moreresidential homes. I was glad to see a historical sign posted out front, which tells you more than I can say. It's a small cemetery about 50 foot in square with just over a dozen gravesites. It has been reasonably cared for and there are no toppled headstones. It is no longer an active cemetery, just a historical one.

To be honest, I spotted this particular cemetery on Google maps and noticed that nobody had added…read moreany information. It's just on the outskirts of Marble Falls on FM 1431. This appears to be an active graveyard with lots of room to spare and a building on the property most likely used for services. The entire property is encircled in an 8 foot high perimeter fence. Normally cemeteries are accessible by the public, but oddly this one has a security fence requiring a security code to get in. I was also surprised there was no information or phone number available at the front gate to inquire of concerning entry.

By the side of the road between Austin and Llano, this granite marker is easy to miss. There is a…read more"Historical marker 1 mile" from either direction and it's right here at the intersection of State Road 71 and State Road 309. Stop and pay tribute to those who have gone before us. The marker reads: "Two and one-half miles east on the Packsaddle Mountain. In a battle fought August 4, 1873, Captain J.P Moss, Stephen B. Boss, William B. Moss, Eli Lloyd, Arch Martin, Pink Ayers, E.D. Harrington and Robert Brown routed a band of Indians thrice their number. The last Indian battle in this region. Erected by the State of Texas, 1936." [Review 10152 overall, 1738 of 2018.]

Geological history. I dig it. This is a rather unique marker. It's not the usual painted steel,…read moreit's literally carved out of the stuff that they're marking: Pink granite. The marker reads, "1979. This 866 foot dome of solid pink granite covering 180 acres contains the largest quarry of its king in the United States. This mountain, like all granite formations, was once melted rock similar to lava. As the molten rock cooled thousands of feet below the Earth surface, it hardened into large crystals of quartz, feldspar and several dark colored minerals." "Whenever strength, durability and beauty of finish is required, granite is a favored building stone." "The mountain was part of a grant made to Texas colonist William Slaughter. The site became famous commercially when a dispute arose in the 1880s of a type of stone to be used in the Capitol in Austin [50 miles southeast]. The issue was settled in 1885 when Governor John Ireland resisted demands to use non-native limestone." "Following this decision, a special track was built to haul the granite to the rail line in Burnet. The stone was generously donated to the State by quarry owners G.W. Lacy, N.L. Norton and W.H. Westfall." "Today, granite from this quarry here is shipped to all parts of Teas, the U.S. and foreign countries for use in monuments, shafts, jetties and buildings. It has been used in the Galveston sea wall and in new state buildings near the Capitol in Austin." [Review 17400 overall - 415 in Texas - 918 of 2022.]