Cedar Park Joins Texas Hill Country Passport Program

CEDAR PARK, TX -- One doesn't need a passport to get to Cedar Park, but having one makes a trip a whole lot more fun.

The city recently joined the Texas Hill Country Passport program, which encourages people to explore the bucolic Hill Country by experiencing points of interest up close and personal. There are 24 locations throughout the region and visitors get a stamp for each one they visit.

In Cedar Park, that would be the Austin steam train that takes passengers on a miles-long trek through the Hill Country on vintage flyer locomotives.

“We hope to bring more awareness to the historical trails in Texas,” Katie Krampitz, Cedar Park tourism services manager, told a publication named Community Impact. “The passport program gives smaller communities without a big budget the chance to be seen.”

Those participating can pick up a passport at Cedar Park City Hall or the Austin Steam Train Association along with any of the other points of interest.

With 18 or more stamps, participants in the Texas Hill Country Passport program are eligible for prizes that include show tickets, dining deals, tours and more. Bear in mind, you must turn in your completed passport by Dec. 31 to be eligible.

This is no small feat, the passport stamps ranging across a swath of real estate stretching from Bandera County to Williamson County. But each one of the stops is fun and interesting, making the stamp-collecting a delightful experience.

In Bexar County, down San Antonio way, one of the stops is the Casa Navarro State Historic Site honoring the life of Tejano patriot Jose Antonio Navarro. In Comal County, there's Natural Bridge Caverns, billed as the "...most spectacular show cavern in Texas."

Gillespie County features the Lyndon B. Johnson Historical Park, featuring the former president's working ranch and pastoral scenes of his childhood.

Closer to home, in addition to the train trip is the Williamson County Museum showcasing a Civil War-era relics and a trip through historic Georgetown.

Find out more by clicking here or by visiting the group's Facebook page.

>>> Image via Texas Hill Country Passport home page