Why San Marcos?

We ran into our friend Joe Hauer recently. He had moved from Austin and we asked him the friendly question, "Why San Marcos?" -- Louis Black

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Remember Ponce de Leon and his search for the fabled fountain of youth? The headwaters of the San Marcos River spouted over 15 feet in the air for centuries until covered by a cement slab early in the 20th century. According to Native American legend, this was the location of the fountain of youth. Think about it: Maps weren't so good in Ponce de Leon's day, and he may have actually found the coast of Texas and not Florida. Imagine how he would have felt if, after a hike of several days, he encountered the magnificent sight of a pillar of water rising to the treetops. In many ways, one could argue, the headwaters have always been a fountain of life if not youth. Believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited site in North America, people have been living at the source of the San Marcos River for over 18,000 years. The crystal clear San Marcos River is only one of San Marcos' many assets. The scenic Blanco River winds north of town and empties into the San Marcos. I have kayaked all of the rivers nearby and consider stretches of the Blanco the most beautiful places in Texas. The Guadalupe River and Canyon Lake offer nearby fishing, floating, camping, and an almost unlimited variety of outdoor activities. The area also hosts a multitude of hills, caves, canyons, creeks, woods, and meadows, all inviting exploration.

I moved here from Austin because of the ever-increasing congestion and resulting pollution -- basically to get out of everyone's way (I cannot imagine what you are all in such a hurry to do). Austin is always half an hour up the road and easily accessible, except during rush hours. San Marcos offers not only the springs and the river, but the local music scene here is poised for a resurgence.

Partly due to the reduced cost of living and also because of a societal emphasis upon quality instead of quantity, musicians have been moving to town. All the local musicians I know practice at home as loud as they want to with no worry of neighbors or the police dropping by. We all have plenty of space and generally encourage all activity. The club scene is small but active. The Triple Crown is a popular club that showcases local talent, and shows are also held at Gordo's and Southwest Texas State. We all look forward to the reopening of Kent Finlay's Cheatham Street Warehouse, a club long of Central Texas music legend.

The people of San Marcos show as much character and diversity as their surroundings. They have maintained a small town's friendliness and hospitality. Individuals and small groups can still have a big impact here. Recent topics of concern include the dam at Spring Lake and the Comanche Wells controversy. Joe Ptak and Zeal Stefano successfully lead the fight for restricting I-35 to two lanes from the Blanco River to the San Marcos. Widening the road would necessitate new bridge construction, causing damage to this unique and sensitive ecological area, home to five endangered species.

The river's location and the town's layout encourage everyone to get out and enjoy nature's beauty and diversity, although more thought needs to be put into making this a more bicycle-friendly community. We need more bike lanes and clearly marked routes through congested areas.

But don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to sell the town. There are no jobs here. The traffic's terrible. You'd miss Austin. Stay put, grow and prosper. Here in San Marcos, we'll roll along, just like the river.

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There will be a River Clean Up and Concert Sunday, March 26, at the Old Fish Hatchery in San Marcos featuring Honky, the Spiders, and LikeHell starting at 3pm.