Things to Do

What No One Tells You About Gruene (Like How To Pronounce It)

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Tony Maples Photography

 

So Gruene (pronounced “green”), is a great place in the Texas Hill Country for a weekend getaway, or you know, picking up and completely relocating. It’s that cool. This destination has a boatload of things to see and do (including Texas’ oldest, continually operating dance hall), and if you’ve never visited, you need to make the trek. Perfectly situated within spending distance of Austin or San Antonio, historic downtown Gruene is two blocks in width, and doable in a day. And each shop or restaurant is located within this stretch unless you count any specialty shops between there and your accommodations (of which there are a handful). In the 1950’s this little town was slated to be razed, as a couple of factors contributed to it becoming a practical ghost town, but thanks to local efforts, that was avoided and many historic buildings still remain intact. So, while you’re walking about town, consider the boll weevils and the Great Depression that this and many other small Texas towns may have suffered through (ok, maybe not the boll weevils, but ditto on the depression) and see that there’s a lot more to Gruene than just its quaint Texas Hill Country surface.

Trickle Down the Guadalupe River.

What No One Tells You About Gruene (Like How To Pronounce It)

Photo: Vimeo

A super place for photo opportunities, soaking up the sun, or simply enjoying its stunning beauty, the Guadalupe River can be a great place in Gruene to set a spell. On warm weather days, you can even go tubing! The water is normally cold, but on a hot Texas day, there’s nothing that beats it. There are also local businesses that offer water activities such as rafting and canoeing, and the river is within walking distance of the downtown district noted above.

Stay in a Piece of Texas Hill Country History.

What No One Tells You About Gruene (Like How To Pronounce It)

Photo: Flickr/Nicolas Henderson

There are a couple of local properties that date back to olden days, including one that was constructed pre-civil war! If you like something that’s not your everyday, standard hotel, and would prefer to really immerse yourself in all that is Gruene, take a gander at their local accommodations listing and recommendations by recent guests.

Grab a Souvenir at the Gruene General Store.

What No One Tells You About Gruene (Like How To Pronounce It)

Photo: Flickr/Robert Gray

A perfect place for the young and old (sorry, more experienced), the Gruene General Store was ranked as a top 40 place to visit in Texas! Filled to overflowing with one-of-a-kind Texas souvenirs, food/snacks, toys, and ice cream (complete with an old-fashioned ice cream counter), the store serves Blue Bell Ice Cream and also features a large section of salsas, flavored butters, and preserves. The store also maintains a year-round Christmas tree display featuring local and general Christmas ornaments for sale as a souvenir of your stay in Gruene!