On The Way Home

To get away from the busy freeway, we took smaller back roads on our return trip (from Austin) to North Texas. Pulling into the small town of Hico (pronounced high-co), which sits at the outer most edge of the Texas Hill Country,

 

we were greeted by this little log cabin  although I couldn't find an explanation as to why it was there.

 

Hico is a small town of about 1,300 people. The main street of this sleepy little town is a  boulevard with benches and a gazebo.

and there are a lot of old buildings dating back to the nineteenth century. For those interested in outlaws, you will find a small Billy the Kid Museum.

A few of the buildings were newer; like this tiny little bank.

Now the real reason for pulling off the road in Hico: Back in 1996, a young couple moved to town seeking a simpler life, and started making chocolate candy.

They lived in the small upstairs of this 1903 Queen Victorian house, while making chocolates in the kitchen and selling them in the parlor.

 

Not long after opening, a reporter from the Forth Worth Star Telegram discovered this place, and wrote a front page article about their little business calling it "Chocolate Heaven"

Since then, they have been featured in such magazines as Texas Monthly, Texas Highways, and Southern Living..... not to mention, winning awards for their delectable truffle. They now have a larger kitchen (factory), offering tours but you can still stock up at the pretty old house . My sister Nancy replenished her supply of chocolate pecan brittle.

North of here...still off of the beaten path,  we stopped for lunch at a five star resort....something I would have not expected along here. Stay tuned!