The Regency Bridge Loop self-guided driving tour takes full advantage of the great wildflower season Central Texas is having.
In the middle of nowhere, the Regency Bridge is a one-lane suspension bridge over the Colorado River and the only suspension bridge in Texas open to vehicular traffic.
The loop begins and ends in Llano. Heading north on Highway 16, the road goes through granite outcroppings and crosses two rivers. In San Saba, Bar-D Brew House and Wedding Oak Winery are both stop-worthy.
Let’s keep going north to Goldthwaite. City Park on the southern edge of town is a great place to consume the barbecue you scored at Cooper’s Bar-B-Que in Llano or to pick up pecans.
On the north side of Goldthwaite, go west on FM 574. Get ready to be wowed. The road twists and turns, and the roadside looks like it was painted with a magical brush. You’ll have three opportunities to reach the Regency Bridge from here.
At the end of FM 574, take a left on FM 45. At the almost-a-ghost-town of Richland Springs you can cut the trip short by going back to San Saba, or continue the tour to Brady.
The geographic center of Texas is 15 miles northeast of Brady. The Heart of Texas marker on the courthouse lawn is another opportunity for a selfie.
The sun is dipping behind the hills, so the wheels are pointed south from Brady on Highway 71 to Llano, the knot in the Regency Bridge Loop.
1,239th in a series. Collect them all. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of “Day Trips,” is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
This article appears in April 24 • 2015.
