The Most Underrated Swimming Holes Near Austin

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Austin and the surrounding area are full of great swimming holes, but some get less attention than other. That’s great news for you, though, if you decide to head to one in your Ford this summer: less known means less crowds.

Hamilton Pool Preserve

This is probably one of the coolest looking cool spots in Texas. The preserve was formed when the limestone dome over an underground pool collapsed thousands of years ago. There’s a tumbling waterfall that cascades over the limestone cliff into the pool below and a cavernous shaded area formed by the remains of the limestone dome.

Bob Wentz Park

One of Austin’s best kept secrets, Bob Wentz Park is great for swimming, sailing, scuba diving, windsurfing, and picnicking. There’s a beach called “The Point,” which has BBQ grills available and even sandy volleyball courts.

Jacob’s Well

While it’s not very large, Jacob’s Well is certainly unique. Jacob’s Well is a 200-foot deep well, which looks like a deep blue spot compared to the shallow waters surrounding it. It’s popular for diving for obvious reasons. Experienced divers can dive down into the well and explore its depths. There’s also a rocky overhang that you can dive off of, though it’s a bit risky. If you’re not interested in diving, it’s still a great place to wade and cool off.

Visit Johnson Bros. Ford

Don’t forget to visit us at Johnson Bros. Ford this weekend to shop for a new or used Ford car, truck, or SUV. If you’re not on the market for a new car yet, Johnson Bros. Ford can also help you keep your car in good shape this summer.

 

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Best Coastal Texas Roadtrip Destinations in Spring

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For the upcoming spring break, take a trip through the Texas Gulf Coast in the new vehicle you just picked up from Johnson Bros. Ford. You’ll enjoy seeing wildlife and taking part in recreation without worrying about your vehicle breaking down on you. You’ll find many attractions along the way. If you like to be spontaneous, you might want to check hotels a day or two before you expect to stop for the night as popular places may be booked.

Start in Corpus Christi. You may want to spend a couple days there as the area is filled with tons of attractions and activities including the Texas state aquarium with its Living Shores touch pool, the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, the Bob Hall Pier and the Hans A. Suter Wildlife Park.

Head up to Rockport to charter a small sailboat for a cruise to San Antonio Bay. After a day or two on the water, head up to Fulton. Visit the Fulton Mansion, sing karaoke and visit the Goose Island State Park.

Visit Matagorda Island – 56,000 acres of wildlife refuge and state park. The island is 38 miles long. Look for whooping cranes, migratory birds, white-tailed deer and more. Visit the Matagorda Island lighthouse while you’re there.

Move on to Padre Island National Seashore for over 70 miles of sandy beach. Watch the birds, go fishing, go biking, camping and swimming. And, have fun with beachcombing. You never know what the currents in the Gulf of Mexico will push up on the beach. Just take care of the strong currents.

Be sure to visit South Padre Island for snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, kitboarding and more. Bring the binoculars and cameras to see and shoot some of the 300-plus species of birds. And, visit the lighthouse.

Visit Johnson Bros. Ford

Stop by Johnson Bros. Ford to test drive your favorite model. Learn more about that model’s convenience, safety, security and entertainment features. Be sure to ask your salesperson about the different trim levels, optional equipment and whether we are holding any lease or finance specials.

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Great Spring Break Destinations in Texas

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You don’t have to buy expensive plane tickets to a tropical destination to enjoy a warm and unforgettable spring break this year. These three Texas spring break destinations offer all of the warmth, relaxation and fun of those pricey destinations right here in the Lone Star State.

South Padre Island

South Padre Island offers all of the makings of an exciting spring break. The island used to bring in massive crowds of undesirable, rowdy spring breakers, but the crowds have lessened, and South Padre offers a warm getaway with gorgeous beaches, pristine water and plenty of excitement. College vacationers do tend to make the area busier in late February and March, so keep that in mind if you’re seeking a more low-key South Padre spring break.

Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi offers picturesque gulf beaches, the Texas State Aquarium, the Padre Island National Seashore, seaside restaurants, marinas, the USS Lexington. and plenty of downtown fun to make this spring break the best one yet. It’s a good alternative if you want the beach setting with less crowds.

New Braunfels

If you’re seeking warm weather, but don’t necessarily want to visit the beach, New Braunfels could be your ideal spring break destination. This picturesque Texas town in the heart of the Hill Country was founded in 1845. New Braunfels wows its visitors with its  historic districts, adventurous rivers, impressive golf courses, live music, shopping, family-friendly attractions, award-winning restaurants, and so much more.

Stop and See Us at Johnson Bros. Ford

When you’re traveling throughout Texas this spring break, don’t forget to stop and see us at Johnson Bros. Ford in Temple. We’re your one-stop Texas auto dealership for sales, service, parts, and accessories.

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Driving Safety Tips for Dust Storms

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While dust storms aren’t common around Temple, TX, Johnson Bros Ford knows that many of our neighbors travel far and wide. Because dust storms aren’t common in the area, many people won’t know what to do if they encounter one. Certain parts of the country can experience fairly intense dust storms, like in Kansas where howling winds (often in excess of 50 miles-per-hour) have kicked up some serious dust and can make driving nearly impossible. Follow these tips to tackle these dust storms safely in your vehicle if you encounter one on your travels.

Prepare Before You Go

Before you hit the road in the morning, check the weather in the areas through which you’ll be traveling. If there is any chance of avoiding a dust storm — even if it takes you a little out of the way — you should take the alternative route.

When You Encounter a Storm

Pull over and park your vehicle at the first signs of a low-visibility dust storm — you don’t want to wait until the storm has diminished visibility to pull off of the road. When stopping, be sure to pull completely off of the paved road to a safe area where you will not be in the line of traffic.

Once You’re Off the Road

Remain inside your vehicle until the dust storm passes and visibility increases. While your vehicle is parked, turn off all of its lights including emergency flashers. Engage your vehicles emergency brake and advise all of your passengers to keep their seatbelts fastened.

Wait for the Storm to Pass

It’s important to wait until a dust storm has completely passed before getting back on the roadway. When the storm has passed, continue back onto the roadway with caution and always drive at reduced speeds in heavy winds.

Visit Johnson Bros Ford

Before you head out anywhere, drop by Johnson Bros Ford to get your vehicle checked out, or for new and used car sales if you’re looking to update your vehicle.

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Summer Road Trip Destinations

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If you are planning a summer road trip, consider driving from Jackson, Wyoming, to Glacier National Park in Montana. Driving from Temple to Jackson takes about 22 hours if you drive straight through, so plan for extra time to get there and back if you want to make this an epic road trip. Once you start out in Jackson, you’ll see some of the country’s best mountains and wildlife at five national parks. The route from Jackson to Glacier National Park is 600 miles. To get back to Temple and Johnson Bros. Ford from Glacier National Park, you’ll need to plan for a 26-hour drive.

What to Bring

Be sure to bring binoculars, your camera, hiking shoes and cool-weather clothing along with the things you would normally pack for a summer road trip.

The Trip

Start out with visiting Jenny Lake, which rests in the shadow of the Teton Mountains. In Yellowstone, drive past the Yellowstone Lake; visit Hayden Valley to see buffalo, grizzly bear and elk; and soak in the 100-degree Gardener River, which is two miles north of Mammoth Hot Springs. Be sure to stop in Bozeman to grab a cold drink at the 406 Brewing Company.

Head over to Missoula, but be sure to stop at the Missouri Headwaters State Park. Rent a kayak at Brennan’s Wave, grab some great food at Biga Pizza or stop for a cold drink at the Montgomery Distillery.

Once you hit Whitefish, hike the Whitefish trail and take Highway 2 to the Walton Ranger Station. Hike up to Lake Isabel for some great views. Continue on your way north, stopping at various parks for hiking and biking; birding and to take some great pictures.

The route starts on 89 in Jackson, then picks up 90 in Bozeman and 93 near Missoula. The last part of the journey is on Highway 2 from Whitefish to the Glacier National Park. If you prefer to stay longer in one place, you can skip one of the other parks – but have fun trying to figure out which of these great parks to skip!

Visit Johnson Bros. Ford

Be sure to have your vehicle serviced before you leave on this long road trip. Stop by Johnson Bros. Ford before you leave; and since this is a long trip, you may have to have your vehicle serviced when you get back. Watch for your service minders!

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Top Map Apps

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When you pick up a new vehicle from Johnson Brothers Ford, depending on the trim level, you may be able to connect your smart phone to your vehicle and download apps including different map apps. Some are better for more remote areas or hiking and some are great for directing you around traffic jams.

Waze Social GPS, Maps and Traffic

This free app is owned by Google and while a few of its features are tied into Google, the app can be used without Google. Get live traffic updates from people who are actually sitting in that traffic. The app also has a speedometer that will warn you when you are speeding if you want; and it finds the best gas prices on your route. Enjoy location sharing with friends and a ranking system.

BackCountry Navigator GPS Pro

This app is for those who like to hike or go camping and allows you to download maps to use offline, which is quite handy if you are in an area where you can’t get a good signal. The app is a little pricey at $9.99, but worth it if you hike often. The app allows you to mark the maps; and it features maps from several countries. Download a trial version to see if you like it.

MapFactor: GPS Navigation

For a classic turn-by-turn navigation app that is different from Google Maps, down load this free app. It does have in-app purchases. MapFactor uses OffStreetMap data which supports many countries with more being added all the time. The actual map data and the app is all free. If you prefer TomTom GPS navigation, you can download those maps for an additional charge.

Google Maps

Still the best application for maps is Google Maps, and it’s free. Enjoy consistent features, frequent updates, the ability to download maps for offline use, support worldwide and street view. You’ll also enjoy detailed information on about 100 million places.

Visit Johnson Brothers Ford

Stop by Johnson Brothers Ford to test drive a new vehicle with telematics features so that you can connect your phone to the vehicle and use additional map apps.

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Guadalupe Mountains National Park

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After you pick up a new vehicle from Johnson Brothers Ford, you’ll be ready for your first road trip. Make that a trip to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park of West Texas. The highest point in Texas is in these mountains; and it is 8,749 feet.

Park Location and Stats

The Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located at 400 Pine Canyon Drive, Salt Flat, Texas, 79847. It encompasses just under 135 miles and is managed by the National Park Service. El Capitan, a landmark used by those traveling the old route is also in the park, as is the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line. The ruins of the old stagecoach station are near the park’s visitor center.

Activities

Pack a tent or haul the RV to the Pine Springs Campground or Dog Canyon to enjoy camping in the park. Visit the Frijole Ranch House, which is now a small museum about local ranching history. You’ll find the old ranch house at the head of the trail head for Smith Spring.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is about 25 miles from the park and is in the same mountain range. Enjoy horseback riding trails and hiking trails in the 86,367-acre park. Take in some of the best views from the Guadalupe Peak Trail, which climbs over 3,000 feet to the top of Guadalupe Peak. Take pictures of pinyon pine and Douglas fir forests, El Capitan, the Chihuahuan Desert, McKittrick Canyon, bigtooth maples and more.

Find the trail in the canyon that leads to a stone cabin, which was the vacation home of Wallace Pratt, a petroleum geologist. Pratt donated the land so that the park could be established.

Bring your RV or a tent to camp in Dog Canyon, and reserve the pubic corral for livestock if you want to bring your horse. Head to the west side of the park near Dell City, Texas to get some great shots of the gypsum sand dunes.

Watch for gray foxes, elk, coyotes, black bears, badgers, striped skunks, hog-nosed skunks, mule deer, 16 species of bats and mountain lions. Birds you might see include sparrows, great horned owls, chickadees, woodpeckers, barn owls, turkey vultures, hummingbirds, greater roadrunners, golden eagles, Peregrine falcons, wrens and grosbeaks.

Visit Johnson Brothers Ford

Stop by Johnson Brothers Ford to test drive a new Ford and to learn more about your favorite model.

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President’s Day Road Trip

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Stop by Johnson Brothers Ford to test drive a new Ford; and then take a road trip before the new car smell disappears! Choose scenic historic trips this time around. Instead of taking just a day trip, take two or three days for some of these trips.

FM 1375

Start out on Highway 45 in New Waverly and head west to FM 1375. You’ll drive though the Sam Houston National Forest. FM 1375 meets up with Highway 149 – take through Richards to Anderson; and then grab Highway 90 South to Navasota where you can see razed architecture including the city hall and jail. Mance Lipscomb and Joe Tex called Navasota home.

FM 116

Take FM 116 north out of Copperas Cove to Gatesville to drive in the shadow of Fort Hood. You’ll be driving along the outskirts of the largest military installation in the United States. Pay attention to what you see; but pay particular attention to what you don’t see.

On your way, if you feel like taking a detour, take FM 580 to Topsey, a town named for a farmer’s mule. Be sure to stop by the Topsey exotic ranch, which features Longhorn cattle, bison, an adax and a horn oryx.

If you stay on 116, you’ll come to Pidcoke. Visit the local cemetery and Bee House Creek. Pidcoke was also once the home of Clyde “Bulldog” Turner, an NFL legend.

FM 2843

Take Kuykendall Branch Road off IH-35 to FM 2843. At the top of the hill on the main road is a double row of trees that are along the edge of the road heading to Austin. When you see the double white metal gate and pickup tracks, you will have found the old road to Austin. The trail is now on private property.

As you travel west on FM 2843, you’ll put the Blackland Prairie behind you and you’ll be west of the Balcones Fault. Get the camera ready as you’ll likely see retail hawks and whitetail deer.

About 5 miles west of the Old Austin Road, you’ll see the Willingham Springs Baptist Church, the same church that the book Pioneer Buildings of Texas used for an example of western pioneer simplicity. The church was built between 1911 and 1914. Over the years, the building served as a schoolhouse – the centerpiece of the Willingham Springs Common School District.

Continuing west, you’ll pass some of the county’s biggest ranches including the Tenroc Ranch and the Solana Ranch. You’ll pass through what was once Cedar Valley when you pass the Cedar Valley Church. Make a right on FM 487 to head into Florence. Get back on FM 487 to head out to Andice. Take 195 east to get back on IH-35.

Visit Johnson Brothers Ford

Be sure to test drive a new vehicle at Johnson Brothers Ford and then head out on some of these road trips to do some historical exploration.

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NYE Firework Road Trip

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If you stayed home for Christmas and are considering a short road trip for New Year’s Eve fireworks so you can get in a good trip in the new vehicle you just picked up from Johnson Brothers Ford, consider making a long weekend road trip to these cities for some great fireworks displays.

San Antonio

Visit this Alamo City for tons of fireworks and parties on the Riverwalk. While you’re there, you could also visit the many historic landmarks in the area. To make the trip more homey, choose a quiet bed and breakfast instead of a commercial hotel.

Houston

If you must have football during New Year’s Eve, head out to Houston on the day before New Year’s Eve to get settled in. Then you could watch the fireworks on New Year’s Even and catch some college football on New Year’s Day. Plus, you’ll find the city has several midnight balls and other holiday excitement.

South Padre Island

If smelling the sweet smell of the beach is something you want to remember from New Year’s Eve, check out the huge fireworks display over the Laguna Madre Bay. Spend the rest of the weekend enjoying the pristine beach.

Dallas

If you want to take a road trip but really don’t want to drive a long distance, check out the fireworks displays in Dallas. Stay in the city for the weekend to visit Six Flags Over Texas and the Holiday in the Park event. Plus, there will be plenty of parties for you to attend during the evening.

Visit Johnson Brothers Ford

If you don’t have a vehicle you can trust on a road trip, stop by Johnson Brothers Ford to test drive a new SUV, truck, coupe or sedan so that you can take a road trip without worrying if your old vehicle will get you there and back.

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Chocolate Chip Desserts For The Road

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Some chocolate chip recipes are just not made for the road, but you can convert them for the road. Or, if you’re bored with a certain dessert, you can always change it up. Before you head out, be sure to stop by Johnson Brothers Ford to have your vehicle serviced before you head out on your road trip.

Brownies

Make your favorite brownie recipe. After all the ingredients are incorporated, fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips or ½ cup chocolate chips and ½ cup peanut butter or white chocolate chips. You can optionally heat ¼ cup heavy cream until it reaches a simmer. Remove it from the heat and stir in ½ cup chocolate chips. Stir until the chips are melted. Pour over the brownies.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Twist

Make your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough. You can use all chocolate chips or you can split the amount of chocolate chips with peanut butter or white chocolate chips. Instead of making cookies, grease and flour an 9-inch by 11-inch cake pan. Press the cookie dough evenly into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until a toothpick comes out clean – about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the amount your recipe makes. If the dough is thin in the pan, use a 9-inch by 9-inch pan for thicker bars. And, for thinner bars, start checking for doneness at 10 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Mix up your favorite cake mix. Fold in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips. Fill cupcake tins about 2/3 full. Bake as directed for your recipe. Frost with your favorite frosting.

Visit Johnson Brothers Ford

Be sure to call our service department at Johnson Brothers Ford to schedule service or a checkup for your vehicle before you leave on your road trip. If you plan on buying or leasing a new vehicle this summer, stop by to test drive the vehicles you are interested in – take your favorite home with you so you can ride in a new vehicle on your road trip.

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