For sight-seeing or
shopping, Llano is the vacationer's perfect home-base. Its friendly, small-town atmosphere
offers the ideal change of pace from the chaotic bustle of modern city life. For decades
the clock on the courthouse tower has chimed the hours and is the unifying heartbeat of
the town. As each day darkens, the sounds from the tower, the river and nestling birds
intermingle into a single chorus that is commonplace in the hearts and minds of the
townsfolk. With an art gallery, museum, historic buildings, gift and antique shops,
clothing stores and restaurants all close at hand, visitors are certain to find their stay
a pleasant one. Some are so captivated by their experience they choose to remain here
permanently.
Considered by the U.S. Census Bureau to be
one of the healthiest cities in the nation, Llano is to many hunters the unrivaled Deer
Capital of Texas. In fact, the density of deer in the Llano Basin is greater than any
other area in the United States.
Llanite, a rare type of brown granite with
sky blue crystals and rusty-pink feldspar, is found nowhere else in the world except in
Llano County.Llanite can be found along a highway cut nine miles north of Llano on Texas
16. The largest piece of polished Llanite in the world can be seen at the Badu House,
Llano's historic inn.
Another rare gem, the pearl, has been
attracting attention in the Highland Lakes area particularly around Lake Buchanan. Some
pearls of rare quality, valued from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, are found
every year in the freshwater mussels along the Colorado River.
The centuries-long habitation of the
American Indians in the area has produced numerous archaeological sites which attract
amateur archaeologists year-round.