Saturday, June 5, 2010

Texas Time Traveling

We didn't really time travel on our trip to Texas, but it sort of felt like it when we stumbled upon the town of Gruene. The town was settled by German settlers in the mid 19th century, and I think my German side felt quite at home for that reason. Setting our sights on Gruene was like a refreshing step back in time.

Beautiful old main street, amazing local shops and restaurants, nice people, and an all around feeling of being transported at least a little bit back in time. Apparently many of the buildings we visited in Gruene were some of the original buildings from the 1800's! Gruene itself is on the National Register of Historic Places thanks to someone who saved it from becoming a ghost town in the 70's. Now how's that for history?! If you want a great small town experience, visit Gruene, Texas! You won't regret it.


I found this image of Gruene's main street on www.texasescapes.com

Our first experiences with the shops and people of Gruene were great. Not only were we surprised to find this little gem of a small town, seemingly located in the middle of nowhere, but the experiences we had there were unforgettable.

The first place we visited was the Gruene Coffee Haus. The girl working the counter commented on my engagement ring and talked to me about her ring too, as if we were quick friends. You don't seem to find too much of that genuine friendliness in many places across the country anymore. The conversation and customer service were a nice touch; not to mention the drinks were delicious! I wish we could have spent every morning there drinking coffee.

Next door to the Coffee Haus was the Fickle Pickle. Nate and I tried a sample of their tasty treats, and both were happily surprised with how yummy they tasted. I mentioned we were from out of town and that it's difficult to pack glass jars in suitcases, and without even asking the man behind the counter told us they ship to anywhere in the country! We just might have to order us some Fickle Pickles. Gruene sure knows how to make people feel special.

This image is from the Gruene Coffee Haus' website @ http://www.gruenecoffee.com/index.htm


To finish off our first day in Gruene, we ate dinner at the Adobe Verde. We drank Dos Equis and ate Mexican food on their covered deck, while musician Mark Monaco (who writes and produces his own music) played live country music. Quintessential Texas! While enjoying our dinner at Adobe Verde, a gigantic thunderstorm kept us 'trapped' on the covered porch for a while. I was actually rather happy about spending a little extra time there.

Something about the night felt very "Sweet Home Alabama" to me, and I got a little teary eyed thinking about how I was born in Texas and a little part of me felt at home there. I didn't live in Texas long as a child, but it was long enough to make me feel like a part of me still belongs there when I visit.

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** Here are some links for more information on Gruene, Texas: **

http://www.gruenetexas.com/
http://thegruenescene.com/
http://www.gruenehall.com/

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