In many ways, Gillespie County is the kind of place you think of when you picture Texas: lots of wide-open spaces, cattle ranches, old men in cowboy hats. Even the major highways have cattle crossings.

Gillespie is so quintessentially Texas that Willie Nelson wrote a song about one of its towns—the legendary Luckenbach—and still has a Fourth of July music festival there every year.

But in other ways, this Hill Country county surprises. One resident said that in the spring, the wildflowers make the hills "look like tidal waves"—a perfect storm of bluebonnets like cool water under a red Texas sunset. German influences are everywhere; you're more likely to be served a sausage than a steak in local restaurants. And this county is more well-known for citrus than cattle. Peach orchards turn family farms into tourist attractions, and roadside stands dot the highways left and right.

Russell and Lori Studebaker know what the land means to native Texans. "Neither one of us is city people," says Lori. Both grew up on Hill Country farms. "When you do that as a kid, you have a feeling of space and a need for it," says Russell.

Neither of them is originally from Gillespie County. While life on the land was certainly one appeal, they were drawn here for a different reason. "We wanted to grow peaches, but the school system was the draw," says Russell.

There's more to Gillespie County than a classroom education, though. The Studebakers' three sons help them grow 30 varieties of peaches on 60 acres, along with various other fruits and vegetables. "I tell my oldest son that he practically has a doctorate in that already," says Russell.

Billy and Susan Johnson are newcomers to Gillespie, and they feel right at home. They moved from Austin and started planting lavender on their 10 acres in 2002. Though a little more than an hour from Austin to the north or San Antonio to the south, Billy says this place "is like another world."

Old and new residents alike say the Hill Country just gets in your blood. The Johnsons' youngest daughter, Jessica—about to graduate from Fredericksburg High and move on to college—would say the same. Her essay for college applications: "How Moving to the Country Changed My Life."

More Info on the Web
Community Services and Relocation Information
http://www.gillespiecounty.org/
www.fredericksburg-texas.com