Head for the Hills

25 Things I Love About the Hill Country.

by Suzy Banks

How fast must you travel to outrun stress? Oh, only about one mile an hour—as long as you're navigating the Llano River by kayak. On a perfect January day—the kind that reminds me why I endure August in Texas—I hired river guide Dub Dietrich, the owner of Hill Country River Adventures, to take me on a watery trek through a pristine slice of the Edwards Plateau south of Mason. While I swore not to reveal our exact put-in and take-out locations, I can tell you that the route included exhilarating (but novice-friendly) rapids, deepwater stretches where fish lurked ten feet below the surface, two-hundred-foot-tall cliffs encrusted with swallows' mud villages, and coves ringed by gargantuan live oaks. I even saw a beaver (okay, it could have been a nutria, but it also could have been a beaver), as well as hawks, plovers, and great blue herons. Because Dietrich has a day job as an oil-and-gas geologist, I also came away from the adventure with a rocky knowledge of the rugged landscape and the sea that once covered it. 512-292-8215; kayaktexasrivers.com. Full-day trips $250 for one, $100 each additional person; includes all equipment, shuttle, drinks, and lunch.