Looking for bluebonnets? Here are some suggestions
Looking for bluebonnets? Load up the kids and the dog and join the Sunday drivers on Texas’ back roads for the annual rite of spring. On the hunt for bluebonnets, you may also find Indian paintbrush, buttercups and Mexican blanket flowers. Follow the phlox and pink primroses west along U.S. 290 toward Brenham, where pastures are blanketed in blue. Here are some ideas to get you started:
IN AND AROUND HOUSTON
Memorial Park: You’ll find patches of spring wildflowers throughout the park. Look for photo-worthy spots in the Eastern Glades near the free parking lot.
White Oak Bayou: Trails in this walker-friendly green space in the Heights have lots of spring flowers, including bluebonnets. Look for them just south of 11th Street and along T.C. Jester. Willow Waterhole: This wandering green space in Westbury has patches of bluebonnets throughout. Look for a parking area off of Dryad Drive and go from there.
WASHINGTON COUNTY U.S. 290: Head northwest of Houston and you will find some great spots to take pictures of the kids or the dog in the wildflowers. Or just admire the flowers as you drive by. In fact, you’ll know you’ve hit Washington County when you see wildflowers everywhere. Texas 237: This stretch of highway between Brenham and La Grange is lined with fields and ditches filled with all kinds of wildflowers. Remember that this is all private property, so be careful where you stop. Great stopping points are the center of town in Round Top, where you can walk around.
Chappell Hill: Visit this historic small town for the Bluebonnet Festival of Texas April 9-10. There will be craft demonstrations and kids activities, as well as shopping, with more than 250 juried exhibitors. 5070 Main, Chappell Hill, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Independence: Settled in 1824 by John Coles, one of the original 300 families brought to Texas by Stephen F. Austin, Independence is scenic any time of year. Old Baylor Park is a favorite stop on the bluebonnet trail. Graceful oak trees and a hidden cemetery add to the ambience. The archaeological ruins of the old Baylor campus for men sits next to the Antique Rose Emporium on the east side of FM 50. Favorite routes: WildflowerHaven.com offers a list of bluebonnet routes to explore, including FM 390 from Texas 105 to Independence. Another favorite is Phillipsburg Church Road, south of Brenham off Texas 36. The back roads usually make for good wildflower hunting. FM 362, FM 320 and FM 322 near Whitehall are good side trips around Brenham.