Take exit 285 off Interstate 35, north of Austin, and treat yourself to a mini vacation.  This exit leads to Salado, a historic Texas town ideally located just off the Interstate halfway between Waco and Austin.  From the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, it is an easy two-hour drive.  Most people know Salado as being a stagecoach stop back in the old days.  There is still a stagecoach inn here, but there is much more.

There is a raft of bed and breakfast inns to choose from in and around Salado.  One that is especially nice and affordable is The Inn at Salado. www.inn-at-salado.com Located on Main Street, this collection of cottages and rooms is located in the heart of the action.  Each room, very comfortable, is beautifully decorated with period antiques.  Starting at 8:30 am, a great breakfast is served with two kinds of quiche, sausage gravy with biscuits, excellent crispy, just-made waffles, mixed fresh fruit, orange juice and coffee.  If not a coffee drinker, a variety of teas is available.  Shops and restaurants are just a short walk from the Inn.

Across Main Street from the Inn is Mud Pies, a shop selling a variety of pottery from local artists.  One such artist is Cristi Clyburn.  www.cristiclyburnpottery.com The organic look and feel of her pieces will have you wondering how many you can carry home.  Mud Pies also sells delicious fudge with so many flavors it is hard to  make a decision.  Luckily they give samples.

Up Main Street is Sofi's, a large shop with an eclectic mix of artwork, jewelry, clothing, candles and more.  Across the street is the venerable Stagecoach Inn, a staple in Salado since 1860.  The historic stagecoach stop was known as Shady Villa way back then but fell into disrepair later on.  Bought and restored in 1940, the Inn and restaurant have been an institution in Salado since that time.  The restaurant, long a favorite of locals and travelers alike, is somewhat pricey with a short menu of complete meals for lunch and dinner.

A great tea room for ladies who lunch is Ambrosia's, also on Main Street. This reasonably priced restaurant  offers a variety of sandwiches, soups and salads and killer desserts.  Be sure to ask for the Queen Cake! Cookbooks are available if something on the menu is something that you must make at home.  Ambrosia's has a shop in front and the large expansive tearoom in the rear.  The decor throughout is an interesting mix of ladies shoes, hats, handbags and dresses, mostly in black and white, arranged against pale green walls.

If steak is what you are craving, check out Johnny's Steaks and Bar-B-Q, www.johnnyssteaksandbbq.com on Thomas Arnold Road, just off Main Street.  Johnny's specializes in mesquite grilled steaks and barbeque with sides and beer, wine or sangria to go with it.  If you want to impress your companion, you might want to try The Range Restaurant.  www.therangerestaurant.com This elegant restaurant is in the historic Barton House on Salado Creek off Main Street.  Chef Dave Hermann and wife Katie, have owned and operated this restaurant since 1997 offering fine dining, as well as wine and cooking classes.  Reservations are recommended.

Salado has long been a haven for artists offering a variety of works and classes for everyone from children to adult.  If immersion is your thing, check our Salado Arts Workshop  www.saladoartsworkshop.org where you can attend a three-day intense study of art as well as taking a short course in a variety of media.  Perhaps glassblowing or rock carving, for instance. If card making, scrapbooking and rubber stamp art is something you enjoy, check out Stamp Salado and  Paper Trail www.stampsaladotexas.com on Main Street.  Owner Sandy Shaw offers a huge variety of rubber stamps, craft supplies and paper as well as a large variety of classes where many of the techniques are taught. 

At a recent class taught by Joyce Meyer, retired art teacher now living in Austin, eleven ladies came  from as far away as Garland, Corpus Christi and Grand Prairie to learn how to use watercolor crayons with rubber stamps.  Meyer is an excellent teacher with an enthusiasm that rubbed off on all in attendance.  The class was affordable and fun was had by all.  Everyone departed with huge smiles and the confidence to try the new techniques at home.

Off Main on Royal Street, in among the live oak trees, is Tablerock's Goodnight Amphitheater  www.tablerock.org Throughout the year, this outdoor amphitheater is the venue for music events as well as poetry readings and plays.

Whether participating in the many activities offered in Salado or slowly driving its back roads scoping out the many deer staring back at you from the underbrush, you are sure to come away feeling relaxed and renewed after spending a few days just off the Interstate.  Who knows, after a visit, you may return and decide to stay.

Accommodations: Inn of Salado Excellent Price: $$

$$ = $80.00 to $120.00