On the Road

Vibrant art and tasty craft brews abound in San Marcos

Walking around San Marcos is a sensory experience. The smells, colors, textures, and tastes tell a story of the city, its citizens, and the unique culture that developed in this oasis town between San Antonio and Austin.

When you’re there, you’ll definitely want to stroll through the Downtown Square with its boutiques, coffee shops, cafes, and more. But what you may be most charmed by is San Marcos’ blossoming art scene — and its equally vibrant craft brew cred.

Start with the arts
With an ever-growing collection of vibrant public art and murals, sculptures, galleries, and more, San Marcos has created a thriving culture for art lovers and artists alike.

The Mermaid March is a collection of 10 larger-than-life mermaid sculptures that can be found around the city. At about seven feet tall, each mermaid represents a different aspect of what makes San Marcos unique, from local folklore to popular attractions and natural flora and fauna.

Why the mermaid? In the early 20th century, the Aquarena Springs Theme Park offered glass-bottom boat tours of the San Marcos River, featuring Submarine Theater performances from Aquamaids. Naturally, there was a diving pig, too, who delighted visitors with his “swine dive.”

In addition to those mermaid sculptures, San Marcos has impressive large-scale murals to seek and find. But you’ll also love playing eye-spy with the whimsical mini murals that are hidden in plain sight around town.

Don’t miss the work of local artist Rene Perez, who has creating charming renderings like the beloved “Cupig” in Kissing Alley.

Then check out what the next generation of artists are working on at Texas State University’s student galleries, where you’ll find fresh and unique pieces.

Or see the rotating exhibits on display at the San Marcos Art Center, where you can also shop local pieces from clay and sculpture to stained glass, fine art, and handcrafted jewelry.

Cap off your gallery tour at Wimberley Glassworks, which is known worldwide for beautiful hand-blown glass art and lighting pieces. There, artisans use centuries-old techniques and a variety of materials — even pure silver and 23 karat gold — to achieve amazing luminosity in each piece.

Stay for the craft
Take a happy-hour break from your art tour at a brewery or two, because there’s something — many things, actually — to love about San Marcos’ craft breweries, which serve up good beer and good vibes.

Located right off the Downtown Square, AquaBrew is easily accessible and boasts celebrated brews and food along with an expansive outdoor beer garden. You’ll quickly become obsessed with the quirky labeling and can art that pay homage to San Marcos icons like Ralph the Swimming Pig and the mermaids.

Also downtown is Sean Patrick’s Irish Pub, which is housed in an 1885 historical building. With a wide range of beers on tap, including some of their own in-house brews, you’ll have a lot to choose from at this popular hangout.

Roughhouse Brewing is a family-owned and operated craft brewery located on the Pasternak family ranch. They specialize in farmhouse ales, traditional lagers, and cave-aged brews and serve them with scratch-made fare like build-your-own tacos, Texas Wagyu brisket sandwiches, warm pretzels, and more.

Hang out in the rustic brewery barn or listen to live music on the weekends amidst the oak tree-surrounded outdoor patio.

Great brews and great burgers are Middleton Brewing’s calling card. Live music is frequently on tap, too. But no matter what, you’ll want to grab a glass and head to the rooftop deck for beautiful Hill Country views. Also, a word to the epicureans: Schedule your visit to coincide with one of Middleton’s special chef-paired beer dinners.

For more ways to savor San Marcos — and beat the summer heat — check out this list of additional things to do, including a day on the San Marcos River, a tour of Wonder World Cave, and cool museums to explore.

San Marcos has a vibrant public art scene that includes large-scale murals.

Photo courtesy of Visit San Marcos

San Marcos has a vibrant public art scene that includes large-scale murals.

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Your Expert Guide

Oak Cliff: The underestimated historic and culturally rich 'hood

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman

Kay Wood

There are so many great places to live in Dallas that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Bishop Arts is a huge attraction, but Realtor Kay Wood wants people to know that Oak Cliff is a lot more than just Bishop Arts.

"Oak Cliff has a really rich and complex history," the Briggs Freeman agent says. "I think it's one of the most underestimated neighborhoods in Dallas."

Wood has lived in Oak Cliff with her high school sweetheart-husband since 2008, but she's been helping people buy and sell homes there for the past 15 years, currently with her business partner Brian Davis.

"The neighborhoods here are close to everything but still relatively affordable compared to other areas of DFW," she says. "I love all the historic homes with their architectural interest and variety, the strong sense of community engagement, and how there's so much to explore. Whether you're looking for the best new restaurant, the most authentic taco, film festivals, the zoo, the best public high school in Texas, parks, nature preserves — I could go on all day!"

Wood offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in "the Cliff." Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
The list is long: Nova ("you have to get the hummus," Wood says), Encina (pro tip: don't skip the blue cornbread), Cibo Divino for pizza and wine on the patio, coffee from Peaberry ("my husband swears their Vietnamese coffee is the best in town"), oysters at Boulevardier, the Perfect Picnic at Eno's Pizza Tavern, tio's elotes next to El Si Hay, the pistachio ice cream at Joy Macarons, and the spicy lobster ramen at Ten Ramen.

Wood advises picking up a great bottle of wine from Neighborhood Cellars and some steaks from Cooper's Meat Market. And, of course, there are tons of taco options in the neighborhood: "We can't get enough of Maskaras, Trompo, and Taco y Vino," she says.

Where to play
Marvel at the best skyline views in town while playing a round at Stevens Park Golf Course, take a walk through Twelve Hills Nature Preserve, bike along the Trinity River, or play disc golf at Founders Park.

The Kessler Theater is "such a great and intimate venue" for concerts, while the Texas Theater adds a touch of history to movie-watching. Escape to The Wild Detectives for books, music, and poetry, or head to the Dallas Zoo for a wild day out — "our whole family loves to feed the giraffes," Wood says.

What to see
Oak Cliff is home to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial at Kiest Park and the La Reunion Monument at Stevens Park Golf Course that honors some of Dallas' earliest settlers.

On Jefferson Boulevard, you can pop into the Oak Cliff Cultural Center for regular art shows, and "my daughters love to walk down the street and look at all the quinceañera dresses in the shop windows," she says.

Where to live
A few years ago, Wood helped her buyers purchase 626 Rainbow Dr., a rare, two-acre midcentury modern estate that's wrapped on three sides by a babbling creek.

"When you're there, it's really hard to believe you're less than four miles from downtown Dallas," she says. The buyers hired local architect Eddie Maestri to update some aspects of the house while carefully preserving its midcentury style. There was an original barn that had been previously converted to a studio, but the buyers reinvented it as a guest house and added a pool and outdoor kitchen.

"It's hard to say what a 'typical' Oak Cliff house would be, because we have some of the very best examples of almost every architectural style in town," Wood says.

"In Winnetka Heights, you'll find Craftsman architecture (four squares, bungalows, Sears catalog, etc). Kessler Park has Tudors and Colonials and Texas eclectics from notable local architects like Charles Dilbeck and David R Williams. Stevens Park has all of these, as well as Spanish Revival and Dutch colonials. Wynnewood, North Kiestwood, and Wynnewood Hills have some of the best midcentury moderns in Dallas, as well as wonderful ranches. East Kessler has cutting-edge contemporaries that take advantage of the rare-to-DFW hilly terrain. You could teach a pretty comprehensive architectural history of Dallas without ever leaving Oak Cliff."

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Kay Wood lives, works, and plays in Oak Cliff. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email kwood@briggsfreeman.com, or call 214-908-5442.