Georgetown: Red Poppy Capital of Texas
Georgetown’s downtown is still a vital area, unlike so many small town downtowns these days. Filled with busy stores and shops as well as being the seat of town and county government, downtown remains the heart and soul of Georgetown. Gold’s Department Store is one of the oldest still active stores in town, having been there for decades. The downtown also hosts Hill Country Book Store, a locally owned store that prides itself on featuring local and Texas writers, unlike the other book stores in town. Every Thursday morning the local farmer’s market comes to town, bringing with it a wonderful collection of fresh fruits, vegetables and breads.
The courthouse gives residents a dramatic retelling of history every year with its production of “You Can’t Do That Dan Moody!” This play commemorates the work of Dan Moody, the 1920’s era District Attorney of Travis and Williamson Counties who took on and defeated the Ku Klux Klan in central Texas.
As the Red Poppy Capital of Texas, Georgetown hosts the Red Poppy Festival every year. Each spring at the end of April this festival is put on, celebrating the gorgeous red poppies which litter the landscape every year, making the town and the rest of the hill country come alive.
But Georgetown’s historic downtown is not the only major business section of town. Along I-35, the major highway running almost directly through the middle of town, one finds a variety of large modern stores such as Wal-Mart, H-E-B, Albertson’s, Hobby Lobby, Beall’s and many more. There are also a number of fast food restaurants, such as Dairy Queen, McDonald’s and Jack-in-the-Box.
If fast food isn’t your style, one of the best restaurants in town is the Monument Cafe. This quaint 50’s style diner sits on Austin Avenue, one block over from Main Street, and offers a varied menu made almost entirely of completely organic and naturally grown meats and vegetables. Of course offering the classic burger and fries style menu, the Monument Cafe also boasts seafood, Mexican dishes, chicken, salads and more.
Georgetown offers natural beauty. The San Gabriel river runs right through town, and just a couple of miles away from the highway lies Lake Georgetown, created from the damming of the San Gabriel. There are excellent walking trails along the river, beginning and ending in San Gabriel Park. These paths are illuminated for night-time walking, and include benches if you would like to sit and enjoy the beauty of the river.
The highway allows for convenient access to Austin. Only a half-hour drive to the heart of Texas’s capital, living in Georgetown offers big city excitement when you want it but quaint, quiet small-town living when you come home. It is the perfect collaboration between the old and the new, the big and the small.
