Kendalia to Nelson City

This route starts as a straight shot across the Hill Country from U.S. 281 to Interstate10 north of the city, taking you through the quaint towns of Kendalia and Sisterdale before dropping south into some quiet backcountry where you’ll pass stoic German houses and seemingly ancient rock fences.

Don’t miss:

Rough Diamond Brewery: 101 Kendalia Circle, Spring Branch, 830-885-6616, roughdiamondbrewery.com.

This 3-year-old brewery makes 12 beers, with most ingredients imported from Germany. The tasting room serves six-sample flights for $14, which can be enjoyed in seating areas both indoors and out.

Marlowe Candle Co.: 1203 Sisterdale Road, Boerne, 830324-6895, marlowecandle company.com. Everything with wax and a wick sold in this cozy shop is hand-poured by the mother-daughter team of Candace and Corey Beasom.

Sister Creek Vineyards: 1142 Sisterdale Road, Boerne, 830324-6704, sistercreekvineyards. com. Located in a cotton gin that dates from 1885, this 32year-old winery stands out, even in historic Sisterdale. Using mostly Texas-grown grapes, Sister Creek bottles eight wines. The tasting room is open seven days a week, offering five-wine flights for $10.45.

Where to go for a bite: Po Po Family Restaurant, 829 FM 289, Boerne, 830-537-4194, popo-restaurant.com. The building that houses this comfort food restaurant started life as a dance hall almost 100 years ago. Things are not quite so racy now. Fuel your drive with country favorites like fried chicken, meatloaf and chicken-fried steak.