Seniors Round Up In Round Rock

This senior loves that name: Round Rock, Texas. I have driven by the city several times on Interstate Hwy 35, a very busy corridor. Named after a large boulder in the middle of Brushy Creek, Round Rock is located 15 miles north of downtown Austin, the state capital.

And the name… the famed ROUND ROCK is where cattlemen would pass the word that this location was a good place to move your cattle across Brushy Creek. They say that there are cattle and horse prints marking the rock yet today.

One Of The Best, Seniors Discover

Money Magazine likes Round Rock and named it one of the top ten American best small cities. Round Rock is the one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, and said to be one of the best-managed cities in Texas.

Despite being a growing city with major employers like Dell and Ikea, features like minor league baseball, seven golf courses, a 40,000 sq foot water park, an outlet mall, and historic growth of medical facilities, Round Rock retains a “small town” atmosphere.

A number of historic buildings form a kind of downtown square in Round Rock. Most have been given new life these days as restaurants, coffee shops, sports bar and retail stores. The city is a sports haven and home to the Houston Astros AA affiliate team, the Round Rock Express.

On Main Street, you’ll see a stately brick residence known as the Nelson-Crier House (1895-1900) in a beautiful setting, surrounded by mature trees and a white picket fence, where three generation of Nelsons lived.

Old Town Round Rock is an historic area dating to 1854, when the first settlers set up camp along the banks of Brushy Creek. The streets are lined with notable historic sites, including the Palm House and Old Broom Factory.

Historic Town: Gunfights, Bank And Train Robberies

It was also once the site of many a riotous gunfight, including the spectacular capture of the notorious outlaw train robber Sam Bass who was the perpetrator of the largest train robbery in U.S. history. He was ambushed by lawmen in 1878, as he tried to rob a local bank and he died two days later.

I learned that Round Rock and Williamson County have been the site of human habitation since at least 9,200 BC. Wow! One of the most important discoveries in recent times is that of the ancient skeletal remains dubbed “The Leanderthal Lady”.

Round Rock is perhaps best known as the international headquarters of Dell, a privately owned multinational computer technology firm. The Palm House Museum, the Williamson Museum, the Neill-Cochran House Museum, the Blanton Museum of Art and some great Texas local wineries are often on the itinerary of senior visitors from across the country.

Nearby Lake Travis provides a variety of opportunities for water sports, from sailboats and windsurfing regattas to competition ski boats, as well as cruisers and mansion-like houseboats. Enjoy your stay in Round Rock.  jeb