If you’re looking for the high energy offered by a city sans the hustle and bustle of living in one, then let your feet lead you to Salado, Texas. It is right up the alley for travelers looking for a destination to relax and unwind without compromising on metropolitan comforts.
This historic suburban village is within Bell County, so it’s hard to overlook even if it’s on the slightly off-beat path. The town may be quiet, but it doesn’t mean that it’s short on fun and entertainment.
Over the years, the village has grown enormously, especially the downtown area where you can see different venues for rest and recreation. Whether you are the INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging) type rather than an ENFP (Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving), you can still have a good time in Salado.
Are you planning a weekend or month-long escapade? You might want to consider visiting this part of Texas and enjoy doing the exciting things below.
Table of Contents
1. Try glass blowing and meet local artists at Salado Glassworks.
If you are the artsy type or looking for something to liven up your creativity, you are in the right place in Salado. You can meet local artists and try your hand at glass blowing at Salado Glassworks.
Here, you’ll witness the expert glassblowers effortlessly design colorful pots, vases, plates, bowls, and other items. Their scheduled events allow walk-in visitors to try blowing glass just like the pros, with artists helping them create the pieces they can bring home.
2. Relive Salado’s history by staying at the Stagecoach Inn.
You can also consider walking in the footsteps of the life-size figures of the renowned train robber Jesse James and statesman Sam Houston. You can get this bit of a history lesson along with all the visual and graphic illustrations when you visit and stay at the Stagecoach Inn (SCI).
The first town settlers built the inn in 1861, and since then, it has become home to notable travelers. If you want to count yourself among these lucky wanderers, prepare yourself to fall in love with its incomparable charm and extravagant amenities.
There’s more to the inn than its rooms, amenities, and history. It can also treat you to a gastronomic experience with its mouth-watering steak, delectable buttermilk waffles, and authentic SCI burger.
3. Enjoy wine tasting at Salado Winery.
Your visit to Salado won’t be complete without tasting the aged, fine wine of the Salado Winery. This small vineyard is family-owned and has been serving local and foreign tourists with Texas’ finest wines since 2005.
You can unwind here and enjoy the view as you sip your wine with your loved one from the winery’s porch. You can also try their chocolates and cheeses and even bring some home to your family and friends. During Saturday afternoons or evenings here, you can jam with artists and musicians playing live music on the winery’s lawn.
Cap your visit with a shopping spree for wine gifts. They have books about wine, handy corkscrews, or intricately designed wine glasses displayed in the winery’s shopping hub.
4. Mingle with the village folks at the Barrow Brewing Company.
If you’re looking for restaurants, art galleries, and breweries all in one place, you need to visit the Royal Street District. The fun starts at the Barrow Brewing Company, where you can taste the finest craft beer in town.
The brewery provides an experience you won’t forget anytime soon, and you’ll get what we mean when you get there. The owners revived the old pole granary along Salado Creek. They transformed it into a rustic taproom with a jaw-dropping collection of house-brewed beer.
The brewery is one of the best places in the village where visitors and locals hang out. You can enjoy the festive atmosphere of the place. If you’re visiting town with the kids, you can stop by the brewery for their weekend live music, yoga, and bike rides.
5. Splurge on artistic finds at the Main Street.
Did we say that Salado is a famous hotspot for artists and art lovers? If you think your visit to Salado Glassworks is the epitome of an artistic encounter, think again. Main Street offers more.
Art lovers who are also major browsers and spenders would love wandering through the Village and other boutiques down Main Street. Here, you’ll find jewelry, clothing, glassware, and all sorts of artistic items you’d love to get your hands on.
You can see most of these shops in Salado Square. And while here, you can also check out the imported, historic state line brick buildings along Main Street. Here, you’ll also find specialty shops that sell handcrafted furniture and unique home decor to complete your whimsical art collection.
6. Watch the Salado Legends at the Tablerock Amphitheatre.
Did you know that there was a time when Central Texas was on the state frontier’s end? Relive this era by watching one of the longest-running and most popular musical dramas entitled “Salado Legends.”
The Library of Congress referred to Salado Legends as a ‘legacy’ that meshes fictional storytelling with local history. With this, they created a wholesome and meaningful experience for the viewers. The show magnificently weaved the Scottish, Spanish, and Tonkawa Indian’s tall tales to create a superbly designed show.
If you plan to visit Salado, Texas, in late July or early August, make sure that you book a seat to watch the Salado Legends.
7. Bond with your family at Sirril Art Gallery.
The joy of a vacation doubles, and even triples, when shared with your loved ones. One of the best places to visit in Salado with the entire family is the Sirril Art Gallery.
The art gallery is Michael Pritchett’s brainchild, and it strives to give its audience a never-before-seen experience. The gallery features an eclectic collection of authentic and 100% original Salado art.
The artist and gallery owner wanted to embody the most authentic meaning of the saying: “Don’t fit in, stand out!” Aside from the art collections, you can also watch movies with your kids here. Surprisingly, the gallery also serves as a theater selling reasonable movie tickets.
8. Splurge on books at the Fletchers Books & Antiques.
A bookstore is every bookworm’s haven, and what better way to enjoy your weekend downtime in Salado, Texas than shopping for books.
If you’re also an avid antique collector, aside from being a bookworm, you will surely fall in love with this place. Go back in time and forget your worries as you get lost in a sea of old books and priceless antiques.
The even more remarkable thing about the shop is its laidback atmosphere. No one will compel you to buy any book they have on display. So, feel free to skim through the pages, sit down, and read in a fully-airconditioned hall. The next thing you know, you’re fully immersed in the experience.
9. Golf with friends at the Mill Creek Country Club.
If you’d like to do some golfing while at Salado, Texas, you might consider going to Mill Creek Country Club. One of the biggest wins of every visitor here is witnessing the picturesque landscape of the place. It’s characterized by tree-lined winding fairways, softly complementing Salado Creek’s trickling waters.
With this glorious scenery as your backdrop, you will surely have a real good time playing golf. Robert Trent Jones, Jr., a world-renowned golf course architect, designed the club. His goal was to test every player’s short and long game while also keeping them entertained with the landscape.
10. Blow off steam at the Salado Sculpture Garden.
If you’re looking for a magnificent garden in the next destination you want to visit, take time to visit the Salado Sculpture Garden. The path leading to the site may be bumpy and challenging, but it is worth its weight in gold once you get there.
You’ll love everything about the place, from its peaceful surroundings and fantastic deer grazing sculptures down to its gentle walkways. Kids can freely roam around the garden as the adults stop to smell the plants and flowers.
Since Keep Salado Beautiful and the Public Arts League of Salado envisioned this garden as a tourist hotspot, it never fails to deliver comfort and entertainment to every visitor.
Takeaway
Salado, Texas, has much to offer tourists, nature-lovers, art enthusiasts, browsers, and shoppers alike. The village may be small, but it will never disappoint those looking for fun, exciting, or even relaxing activities for their next vacation. If you’re ready to experience all these and more, save the date, pack your bags, and let your feet take you to Salado, Texas.
