34 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com JULY | AUGUST 2019 EATING MYWAY FROM DALLASTOTHE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY By JanWilliams For many summers my husband and I made our way from Dallas to the Texas Hill Country.  Our kids went to summer camp near Kerrville, and we would make this drive to pick them up when their summer of fun was over.  It was a chance for us to down throttle from the hectic life in Dallas and experience the beauty of the Texas Hill Country.  Once we realized there was a scenic route to our destination— one where we did not have to fight the stress of driving I-35—our trip took on a whole new sense of adventure.  We’d leave Dallas in the traditional way, down 35 South, but then at Cleburne we would turn off from the highway and take the back roads. Al- though my husband is one of those drivers who likes to get in the car and not stop until we arrive, I like making frequent stops. That frequent stop mindset is how we found and have come to cherish some great restaurants, some Texas lore, and some summertime treats.   We would strategically plan our departure time from Dallas so that we’d land at our favorite spots for lunch and afternoon snacks.  Hico was one of those planned stops.  About an hour and a half south of Dallas in this rural town lay two incredible food expe- riences.  The first is the Koffee Kup Family Restaurant where chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and fried okra are always served.  This local diner has been in Hico since 1968, and their tradition of in-house baked goods starts early in the morning with donuts and biscuits and continues throughout the day with breads and pies.  I usually had to pace myself through the meat- loaf and mac and cheese to have enough room to enjoy a piece of lemon meringue pie.  And if that was not enough calories to choke a horse, I’d then walk across the street to the second food experience in Hico, Wiseman House Chocolates.  In a quaint white house is an artesian chocolatier who hand makes choco- lates filled with ingredients from Belgium and Venezuela.  You can find everything from Texas whiskey truffles to almond toffee to my favorite dark chocolate ganache dipped in dark chocolate then hand drizzled with more chocolate.  I would fill a bag with these goodies and tell myself I’d make it back to Dallas in a couple of days with something left. That generally never happened.  About three hours outside of Dallas, the topography starts to change and rolling hills appear around Burnet.  This is when it hits you that you’ve entering that special place called the Texas Hill Country.  As we drove past these big, wide expanses of land, I would sometimes imagine I could see the Native Americans sit- Although my husband is one of those drivers who likes to get in the car and not stop until we arrive, I like making frequent stops.That frequent stop mindset is how we found and have come to cherish some great restaurants, someTexas lore, and some summertime treats.