In March/April 2019, Debra and I spent 13 days sightseeing south central Texas. We visited San Antonio, Houston, and Austin, as well as places in between. Click HERE to read a short introduction about this memorable trip.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day of sightseeing in the historic town of Gruene.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our day of sightseeing in the historic town of Gruene.
Gruene, Texas (March 29, 2019) When Debra and I compiled our list of things to see and do in Texas, we included a couple of day trips to explore the countryside – opportunities to get away from the “hustle and bustle” of the cities. This day we journeyed to Gruene (pronounced Green), a small town located about 40 miles northwest of San Antonio up I-35. Recently, the Travel Channel named Gruene as one of the “most charming small towns in America.”
We were blessed with another beautiful day – a partly cloudy sky and 75 degrees. It was perfect weather to enjoy our visit to this historic town.
The Texas Almanac reports, “After Anglos, Mexican-Americans, and African-Americans, the ethnic group with the largest impact on Texas has been the Germans.” The German immigration started in the 1830s, with the first immigrants settling near present-day Houston. German immigrants founded many small towns in Texas – Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, Boerne, and Luckenbach, to name a few. One reason they did this was to preserve their heritage. And, like many others, they also came to Texas for opportunity – fertile land, a winterless climate, and abundant game and fish.
Ernst Gruene, for whom the town of Gruene was named, built a home on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Later, his son Henry also built a house on the river (now the Gruene Mansion Inn) and planted his land with cotton. Cotton soon became a big industry in Texas…that is, until it was destroyed by an infestation of boll weevils in 1925. Today, there are plenty of historical buildings and stores in Gruene, including the famous General Store (listed in the top 40 places to see in Texas) and Gruene Hall (longest-operating dance hall in Texas), as well as many restaurants, wine-tasting rooms, shops, and watering holes.
The Texas Almanac reports, “After Anglos, Mexican-Americans, and African-Americans, the ethnic group with the largest impact on Texas has been the Germans.” The German immigration started in the 1830s, with the first immigrants settling near present-day Houston. German immigrants founded many small towns in Texas – Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, Boerne, and Luckenbach, to name a few. One reason they did this was to preserve their heritage. And, like many others, they also came to Texas for opportunity – fertile land, a winterless climate, and abundant game and fish.
Ernst Gruene, for whom the town of Gruene was named, built a home on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Later, his son Henry also built a house on the river (now the Gruene Mansion Inn) and planted his land with cotton. Cotton soon became a big industry in Texas…that is, until it was destroyed by an infestation of boll weevils in 1925. Today, there are plenty of historical buildings and stores in Gruene, including the famous General Store (listed in the top 40 places to see in Texas) and Gruene Hall (longest-operating dance hall in Texas), as well as many restaurants, wine-tasting rooms, shops, and watering holes.
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Debra and I arrived late morning. The parking lots were half-full, evidence that other tourists had drifted in from San Antonio, Austin, and elsewhere. We parked in a gravel lot at the end of Hunter Road, one of the two main road of Gruene.
Both sides of Hunter Road were lined with stores. As Debra and I walked towards the center of town, we stopped in a store that sold Americana sculptures for gardens and front lawns, and then another that sold chocolates and nuts. We passed a wine bar, and then nosed around a store that sold dozens of flavors of olive oil.
Both sides of Hunter Road were lined with stores. As Debra and I walked towards the center of town, we stopped in a store that sold Americana sculptures for gardens and front lawns, and then another that sold chocolates and nuts. We passed a wine bar, and then nosed around a store that sold dozens of flavors of olive oil.
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Up ahead, we spotted the General Store. Inside we found gourmet foods, fudge, and lots of Texas-themed stuff that every tourist “needs:” t-shirts, mugs, caps, magnets, ornaments and more! Debra and I tried on large sombreros just for fun and bought some fudge and a couple of other things before we moved on.
We heard rumbling, and I don’t mean thunder – it was our stomachs telling us we were hungry. Debra and I headed to The Gruene River Grill, which overlooked the Guadalupe River. “Why this restaurant?” you ask. Well, friends who ate there last year RAVED about the 16-ounce rib eye steak they had. We perused the menu, and while there were many enticing entrees, there really wasn’t a decision for us to make – Debra and I ordered the rib eye steak.
We heard rumbling, and I don’t mean thunder – it was our stomachs telling us we were hungry. Debra and I headed to The Gruene River Grill, which overlooked the Guadalupe River. “Why this restaurant?” you ask. Well, friends who ate there last year RAVED about the 16-ounce rib eye steak they had. We perused the menu, and while there were many enticing entrees, there really wasn’t a decision for us to make – Debra and I ordered the rib eye steak.
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We asked our waiter how the steak was prepared, and he told us that it was grilled and then finished in the oven with a balsamic vinaigrette reduction. Now our mouths were watering! Our steaks arrived and we took the first bite. Without a doubt, these were the best damn rib eye steaks we’d ever had!! By the way, I “paired” my steak with a Robert Earl Keen Honey Pilsner. Brewed by the Pedernales Brewing Company of Austin, Texas, the beer was named for a well-known country singer from Houston.
I wished I had some money with which to buy a round
I wished I cashed my paycheck before I came to town
But I reached into my pocket and found three twenties and a ten
It feels so good feelin good again
Robert Earl Keen, Feelin Good Again
I wished I cashed my paycheck before I came to town
But I reached into my pocket and found three twenties and a ten
It feels so good feelin good again
Robert Earl Keen, Feelin Good Again
After lunch, Debra and I checked out a few more stores and then made our way to Gruene Hall. Built in 1878, it is a venue for free and ticketed concerts. The ticketed concert this evening starred country singer Zane Williams (Little Too Late, Sure Felt Like Goodbye, Bringin’ Country Back), and much to our surprise, he played a few songs for the bar crowd as a warm-up for his concert. Debra and I are not C&W fans, but we found ourselves tapping our feet as he played and sang. What a treat! The billboard of future concerts sat above the bar, and the performers included Lee Ann Womack, Tanya Tucker, Melissa Etheridge, Boz Scaggs, and Three Dog Night. It was an impressive lineup for a small-town venue.
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Here’s a bit of trivia about Gruene Hall: The dance scene in the movie Michael (John Travolta starred as the angel Michael – one of Debra’s favorite movies) was filmed here to the song Chain of Fools by Aretha Franklin. The dance hall looked just as it did in the movie...sans angel Michael.
Debra and I left Gruene about 5 and arrived at our hotel an hour or so later. We reflected on our day as we relaxed with a light snack and decided that the Travel Channel got it right – Gruene was a charming town!