New Braunfels has German roots, so needless to say, it offers some of the best European cuisine on this side of Texas and rich tales of settlement that include visual aides in the form of buildings, houses, museums (like the railway one we visited) and antique stores to hold the smaller artifacts of the day.
The best part of New Braunfels lays a short drive from the town's center: the locality of Gruene. It's a lively, beautiful place situated alongside a river that's every bit as historic but blends the old with new so seamlessly that it's a perfect compromise for people who aren't interested in history. As soon as you step out of your car you hear the mingled sounds of live classic rock and country music simultaneously coming from several outdoor bandstands along Hunter Rd and see folks walking around holding with beer or wine. It's almost enough to obscure - even for a history buff like me - the fact that this street contains antique shops as far as the eye can see, an ancient water tower, several old-fashioned wineries, the oldest dance hall in Texas and an authentic, still operating General Store that still sells candy in 25c paper bags and has an ice-cream / milkshake bar beside the register!
Once you visit every antique store you can cram into the hour before your husbands' patience inevitably begins to wane, your choices include: joining a crowd seated on chairs or on the grass beside one of the bandstands to sip on wine from one of the local wineries; getting your groove on to some live country music at the iconic dance hall; or indulging in a slice of homemade pie and coffee at the Coffee Haus. Of course if you're like Will and I - you'll do all three.
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