Hitting the Road Early
Okay, so yesterday I needed to drive from Dillon, TX all the way down to Austin. Got up crazy early, like 5:30 AM, ’cause I hate hitting traffic and figured I’d beat the Texas heat. Grabbed my big thermos of coffee, threw my overnight bag in the back seat – just essentials, you know? – and punched ‘Austin’ into Google Maps.
Hopped onto US-290 East right outta Dillon. Felt good initially. Roads were empty, just me, the coffee, and the sunrise. Super peaceful, mostly flat farmland whizzing by. Drove like that for maybe an hour and a half, just cruising.
Navigating the Middle Stretch
Stopped in Junction to stretch my legs and gas up. Pro tip? Do fill up here! Gas stations become less frequent for a bit after. Back on the road, the scenery started changing after Fredericksburg. Hills started popping up, got a little prettier, definitely more trees. Noticed my phone signal got kinda spotty on the GPS right around here for like 10 minutes. Weird.
Kept going steady on 290. The highway splits near Stonewall – gotta stay on US-290 East towards Austin, not the other way towards Johnson City. Easy to miss if you’re zoning out with podcasts like I was. Almost did!
Rolling into Austin
Finally saw signs for Austin maybe an hour or so after Stonewall. Traffic definitely started picking up the closer I got. Felt that familiar Austin buzz. Exited onto I-35 North briefly – just followed the signs for downtown Austin. Took the exit for 6th Street or whatever part of town I was headed to. Found parking near my buddy’s place downtown just after lunchtime. Boom. Done.
Key stuff that made it smooth?
- Leave stupid early: Seriously, saves hours of headache.
- Fuel up in Junction: Don’t gamble on finding gas easily afterwards.
- Watch the 290 split: After Fredricksburg, pay attention at Stonewall!
- Podcasts or good playlist ready: Long stretches can get monotonous.
- Cooling towels & extra water: Texas heat isn’t messing around, even with AC.
- Ignore weird GPS gaps: Just keep on 290 East if it drops near LBJ State Park.
- Austin traffic is real: Brace yourself mentally for the last 30-40 mins.
Really easy drive overall once you know these bits. Just miles of road and getting comfy. Took me about 4 hours total door-to-door with that quick stop. Made it for tacos and cold beer by 1 PM! Exactly what I needed. Good trip.
