On the Road

10 must-do activities in Cedar Park, a Texas Hill Country gem

Haute Spot turns up the volume on concerts in its cool, backyard-style setting.

Photo by David Brendan Hall

True to its name, Cedar Park has acres upon acres of gorgeous parks and recreation space that come fully equipped with hike and bike trails, splash pads, lake life, and more — all in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, about 25 minutes north of Austin.

But there’s more to love than just the park scene. Check out this list of the top 10 things to do when you’re in town.

1. Ride a vintage train
Hop aboard a vintage train and journey through the scenic Hill Country with The Austin Steam Train Association.

Punch your ticket any weekend of the year for a ride on the Bertram Flyer or Hill Country Flyer and enjoy seeing the view from a different vantage point.

They also have themed excursions like the Princess Flyer and Teddy Bear Trains for the kids, and various sunset and wine tasting trains for those who are adulting.

2. Zip across Lake Travis
Located just 20 minutes from Cedar Park, Lake Travis Zipline Adventures has five ziplines, three of which are the longest and fastest ziplines in Texas.

Your zipline ticket also includes access to a private beach where you can picnic, swim, play games, or simply relax in a hammock.

3. Get some turf and “surf” time
Scattered among the natural beauty of walking trails at the Cedar Park Sculpture Garden is a unique collection of sculptures from Texas-based artists. The pieces on display vary in medium and rotate annually, so there is always a different scene to appreciate.

Bring your running shoes and hit the Brushy Creek Trail, a 6.75-mile trail with extensive landscaping and scenic views.

The trail has six parks alongside it, which provide additional activities for walkers, runners, and bikers — think swimming areas, climbing rocks, canoeing and kayaking, disc golf, and multiple picnic and pavilion areas.

The Brushy Creek Lake Park is one of the parks along the trail, and you’ll love its beautiful 38-acre lake, sand volleyball courts, and fishing pier.

4. Sign up for lake life
Enjoy some outdoor fun and relaxation on Lake Travis, which is only 10 miles from Cedar Park and well worth the short drive.

This scenic lake spans just over 62 miles and has a relatively moderate climate year-round. It’s a fave destination for boating, fishing, swimming, and more outdoor fun.

5. Be the ultimate fan
For a concert experience that feels out of this world but is within an intimate backyard setting, Haute Spot is the place to be.

More music and entertainment can be found at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, which has boasted some of the best acts since George Strait performed during its grand opening in 2009. It’s also home to Texas Stars hockey and Austin Spurs basketball.

6. Experience the cooler side of Texas
With two NHL regulation ice rinks, On Ice at The Crossover is literally the "coolest" way to have fun in Cedar Park. Come in for open skate or sign up to learn some hockey moves or how to curl.

When you’re done, head over to The Fieldhouse onsite for some great food, drinks, and arcade games.

7. Sip a craft brew
Start at The Grove Wine Bar and Kitchen for a vast wine selection and great food options. The Grove has built an affordable menu with something for every taste, and their accessible yet sophisticated wine program has all your favorites, along with cool finds you’ve never heard of.

For a caffeine kick, Red Horn Coffee House and Brewing Co. offers fresh house-roasted coffees and house-brewed craft beer. They’re also focused on supporting other artisans and offer locally sourced baked goods, charcuterie, cheeses, sodas, kombucha, wine and more.

And to round out those local libations, head over to Whitestone Brewery for hoppy suds, trivia, and live music.

8. Shop local
For retail therapy, Cedar Park has enough retail stores to meet anyone’s needs. But if you’re looking for something unique that you can’t find anywhere else, you’ll want to head to the boutique and specialty shops dotted throughout the city.

Honey & Hay has lovely home and gift items along with fun workshops for floral arranging and wreath-making. And check out Beau Kisses for upscale clothing, jewelry, seasonal items, and more.

9. Schedule some tee time
With numerous public golf courses and driving ranges nearby, a good tee time is easy to find.

Avery Ranch Golf Club is less than five miles away and Crystal Falls Golf Club is just seven miles from town, with other options like Blackhawk Golf Club and Lago Vista Golf Course within 20 miles.

10. Make a splash
The Splash Shack is your family's ticket to year-round fun — out of the sun. The indoor, micro-waterpark is the first of its kind and houses an 8,000-square-foot, 30-foot-tall interactive water play structure.

Plus with a temperature set to 82 degrees, it’s warm but not too warm, so you can soak up those summer vibes no matter the season outside.

For additional information on this list and more reasons to love this destination, click over to Visit Cedar Park Texas.

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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.