Small Town Love

This past Saturday, in an attempt to flee the congestion of the city, J and I took a quick day trip to Gruene, an historic town established by German settlers in 1867 outside of New Braunfels.  Gruene fell into disrepair following a boll weevil devastation and the Depression, but a few enterprising individuals bought and restored the old properties and landmarks. It's quite the cute place with lots of shops and antique stores, though the streets were rather crowded because it was a Market Days weekend, which takes place the third weekend of every month (between February and November) and features the work of local artisans and food purveyors. Still, we're talking small town Texas crowded, not San Antonio crowded.

If you do visit Gruene, I recommend checking out the Gristmill, a restaurant that was once the town's cotton gin, though mostly for its iconic value. The food there was good and one side of the restaurant has a beautiful view of the river, but the wait was interminable and there are tons of other cute little places to try. If you're set on eating at the Gristmill though, there are a lot of outdoor seats for waiting.

But by far our favorite landmark was Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas. It's a beautiful space with old wood floors, dust everywhere, great live music, and lots of cute little old locals two-stepping up a storm. Basically, an embodiment of everything that I love about rural America. Good fun.