Right outside of San Antonio, Comal County is a thriving region with about 140,000 residents. “The Jewel” of Texas Hill Country, Canyon Lake, is located along the Guadalupe River; it’s a beautiful retreat with eight parks, and is also known as the Water Recreation Capital of Texas. For the adventurous, just outside of New Braunfels is the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, where you can take a tour of underground cave systems, and the Bracken Cave Preserve, a conservation site for millions of Mexican free-tailed bats.