Round Rock

The tranquility of a clear-water creek flowing past verdant mesquite trees. The taste of a sugar-glazed donut melting in your mouth. These are among the many sensations that await when you visit Round Rock, a quaint Texas Hill Country town situated an easy 20-mile drive north of Austin. Known as the “Sports Capital of Texas,” Round Rock boasts its own minor league baseball team and a state-of-the-art stadium along with hundreds of acres of lush parks that give you plenty of space to play.

Yet Round Rock isn’t just for outdoorsy folks. Stroll its historic downtown area to see its unique shops and restaurants, indulge in the titanic two-pound Texas-sized donut at Round Rock Donuts (once featured on Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food), and get some retail therapy at the Round Rock Premium Outlets. With something for everyone, Round Rock is a convenient getaway with a charm all its own.

Although now one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities, Round Rock had much humbler beginnings. It started as a small village on the banks of Brushy Creek near a “round rock” that marked a low water crossing. That rock formation would eventually inspire the name for the town, and it’s something you can still see to today if you head to Chisholm Trail Crossing Park. Look closely enough and you may even see imprints from wagon wheels that once transported stone across the creek.