Marble Falls

Marble Falls is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country on the Colorado River.  It is centrally located 47 miles northwest of Austin and 85 miles north of San Antonio, in the middle of the Highland Lakes area, the largest chain of lakes in Texas.  The town of Marble Falls, located on Lake Marble Falls, is only 5 minutes from Lake LBJ. Marble Falls is 240 miles south of Dallas and 215 miles north east of Houston.

Before the dam was built to form Lake Marble Falls on the Colorado River, there were falls of marble giving the name Marble Falls to the city.  The falls are now under water and only visible on those rare occasions when the lake is lowered for repairs. “Lake Marble Falls is the 4th lake in the Highland Lakes string of lakes on the Colorado River in the central Texas Hill Country. Lake Marble Falls is a normally constant level lake and is popular for boating, and waterskiing. It is 5.75 miles long and 1,080 feet wide in the widest area.” -source www.highlandlakes.com

Over the memorial day weekend we decided to spend some time around the Hill Country of Texas. The main area of our interest was Pedernales Falls State Park. Marble falls is conveniently located near Pedernales Falls State Park and also is close by to other places of interest. So we decided to base ourselves in Marble falls.

We started on May 23, 2009 at 12:00 and reached our hotel (Quality Inn) in Marble Falls at 3:30 pm. After resting a while, we went for a drive around the town.  We went north on 281 from our hotel and took a left on route 1431. The Granite Mountain is after a couple of miles on the left.  We saw the quarry (what’s left of Granite Mountain). Quarrying of the pink and red granite began in the 1880s for the construction of the Texas State Capitol. Wish we could get some for our counter top .

We also went south on 281, crossed the bridge over the Lake Marble Falls (Colorado River), and west on 71 to check out the Horseshoe bay area. Here are a few pictures of the river from the other side of the bridge.

There are two waterfront restaurants right next to the bridge on the 1st street. River City Grille has a live band playing on the outdoor deck on tuesday, thursday, friday and saturday. It is a very lively atmosphere. Right next to River City Grille is Chilis which offers a great view of the lake from its outdoor seating deck. All the photos below are from the Chilis deck. We were also lucky enough to catch a rainbow over the lake. We really enjoyed the view and food. This is a great place to relax and unwind.

Blue Bonnet Cafe located in Marble Falls is “World Famous” for its home style cooking. “The classic cafe that earned a worldwide reputation for good food and friendly service opened in 1929 on Main Street in Marble Falls, Texas. The Blue Bonnet Cafe moved to its current location on Hwy 281, blocks from Lake Marble Falls, in 1946. Contrary to common belief, the restaurant is named after a blue “bonnet” or hat, not the popular Texas wildflower. The legendary reputation of Blue Bonnet Cafe has traveled far and wide. We hear stories of customers running into people across the country and around the globe who know about us. We’ve even had people in Antarctica recognize our t-shirts.” – Blue Bonnet Cafe web site.

There is plenty to do in Marble Falls. Boating, Fishing, Golfing and Swimming are some of the things you can look forward to.

Things to do in Marble Falls:

• Wine Tasting – take the Texas Wine Tour and check out all the local vineyards and sample their wines
• Longhorn Cavern State Park – take a tour of a nearby cave
• Events – Marble Falls has a number of cool and fun events like Lake Fest, 4th of July Celebration, or Mayfest – plan your trip around one of them
• Nightlife – try Patton’s on the patio for good music on a small patio, House of Blue Lights for live music and a fun crowd outdoors, or The Range for more intimate music in a nightclub setting – all are within two blocks of each other
• Restaurants – try the Falls Bistro & Wine Cellar for casual elegance, Blue Bonnet for breakfast, Russo’s Texitally Café for Italian and a view of the lake, Patton’s On Main for more unique cuisine, or Chilli’s or River City Grill both of which have outdoor patios overlooking Lake Marble Falls
• Camping or Lodging on the Lake – Lakeside RV Resort and the Hampton Inn are on the shore of Lake Marble Falls near the dam
• Explore the Area – visit Horseshoe Bay, hike and climb Enchanted Rock, take the kids to Rockhopper Family Center, or visit the birthplace of President LBJ at LBJ State Park in Johnson City

Places Nearby:

• Inks Lake Park
• Pedernales Falls State Park
• LBJ State Park
• Lake Buchanan
• Longhorn Cavern State Park

Marble Falls Map:

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