HICO
Hico is located just a hop-skip away from Glen Rose and is the gateway to Hill Country. Do it as a day trip on its own, or combined with Glen Rose for an overnight stay. Or as a midway point from DFW to Fredericksburg & surrounding areas. The entire town is very walkable. One of the best things about Hico is how almost everything is housed in historic buildings that have so much character!
STAY:
The Upstairs Inn has 3 spacious rooms, a beautiful common area and every amenity you would need to spend a relaxing night in Hico. I love that it is located right above Eis, the ice-cream & lunch store. The inn also provides bikes to ride around town. Such a thoughtful idea!
Next time, we’re thinking of the Midland Hotel.
DO:
- Hico Popcorn Works: HPW is always our first stop. The smell of freshly popped kernels, in flavors beyond your imagination is the fuel you need to get started when exploring Hico. The owner Donna is the sweetest. Don’t forget the fudge!
- Wiseman House chocolate: This is what initially drew me to Hico. They make world-class chocolate here, and you can schedule an appointment to watch some chocolate-making. You’ll get a sample or two, and coupons to shop at their nearby store.
- Billy The Kid Museum: If you like learning about the notorious Billy, his life and times, this place is really extensive. No entry fee, but donations are encouraged
SHOP
- Wiseman House store: We usually go here more than once on the same trip! It’s that good.
- Hico Mercantile: My absolute favorite place to shop in these parts! There are tons of little boutiques with skillfully picked items, and you are sure to find one or twenty lovely things from clothing to shoes to houseware and books.
- Blue Star trading: Check out the furniture and artwork at this store. I always find a lovely pair of earrings
- Hill Country Dwellings: Lovely collection of tasteful things for your home, at great prices.
EAT
- Two Clay Pigeons: This is a bakery + marketplace, and not quite a restaurant, but our favorite thing here is how friendly the owners are. Our first visit here as a later than lunchtime and they had run out of lots of items, but the owners immediately whipped up some delicious grilled cheese and soup for us! The next time, they were closed to visitors due to the pandemic, but all of their baked and canned goods were set outside, and payment was through the honor system!
- 2nd Street bakeshop: I’m willing to drive the two hours to Hic just for this place. Their coffee and tea selections are wide, but they also make really delicious baked goods. Equally awesome thing about this place is the building which has several rooms for meetings, and even a large well-equipped play area for the kids. The porch has a swing and comfortable seating areas, which makes this my kind of spot for an ideal evening.
- Jersey Lilly: Busy and popular spot featuring tasty Tex-Mex food. Flacas two doors down also serves similar cuisine.
- Koffee Kup serves typical American food, and is a good spot for a hearty breakfast. The most popular items here though are the large chicken fried steak, as well their famous Black Forest pie.
- The Chop House at the Midland Hotel: Probably the only fancy place in town serving high-end food. Their steak dishes are award-winning and some of the best in Texas! It’s a great place to celebrate a special event, combined with a stay at the Midland Hotel.
- Giovanni’s: Really good pizza! And sometimes that’s all our kids want.
- Eis: Located below the Upstairs Inn, they have some really interesting flavors.
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NOTES
- Silver Spur Winery next to HPW looks interesting, and will be part of our next visit
- Hico City Park: We ran out of time and energy with so much to do, but we’ll have to visit here on our next trip to the town.
