I come from a small town and consider myself a small town girl for sure. In my hometown we only had one red light until I was in high school. When they put red light number 2 in, you would have thought we struck it big-time. I love small towns and I am proud of my hometown heritage.
Small towns offer something special that you don’t get in the bigger cities. If you have ever been to Greune, Texas you will know what I mean. This small town is so quaint and charming. It is so inviting, I just wanted to give it a big hug and I felt like we had been friends forever.
This adorable town has so much history and although small, it has so much to offer. It has something for EVERYONE!
My favorite stop and probably it’s most famous is Greune Hall. Built in the 1880’s, it soon became the social gathering for the community. It is oldest dance hall in Texas and not to mention many country music legends have taken the stage here over the years. To be honest here, I showed up to Greune Hall expecting to see a few senior citizens doing the two step or I thought maybe nobody would be there at all.
I can only attest to my one experience here, so I don’t know how it is regularly, but let me tell you I was so wrong! This place was booming. Actually the whole town was booming. This little town is no secret and it is loved by many. We came on a Saturday afternoon and the streets were full and this dance hall was rocking!
To my surprise it was home to all walks of life. Generations of both old and young danced these floors listening to good music and bringing this hall to life. This place welcomes everyone and it was full of families and young children as well. I’m pretty sure I even saw a kids birthday party going on at some point. Outside in the side-yard is a dirt courtyard that you can hang out and mingle or play some pool inside while listening to some great music.
It is fun for all ages and we had a blast. Gruene Hall offers live music throughout the week as well. Most of the time it is free but some nights do charge a cover and require tickets so check ahead.
I am telling on myself here, but if you are a fan of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette ( I have been sucked in lately) you might have seen this featured on the previous eleventh season of with Kaitlyn Bristowe. Kaitlyn (the former Bachelorette) and Ben (the current Bachelor) had their one on one date at this dance hall and entered a dance competition. Even though they didn’t find love at Gruene Dance Hall, I promise you will fall in love with this place. If I had a final rose it would go to Gruene Dance Hall!
Shopping in this area is a fun experience as well. Check out the antiques, cute boutiques, candy stores, and the many specialty shops. Roam the streets and shop to hear live music while tasting free samples of toffee at The Great Texas Pecan Candy Co. If you happen to be in town the third weekend of every month from February to November, then make sure to visit Historic Gruene Market Days. Hundreds of artisans and craftsman come together to sell some of Texas’ prime collections of handmade productions.
The General store is a fun blast back in time. Take a seat at the soda fountain and splurge on some hand dipped ice cream, homemade fudge, candies, and sodas. The store is decorated with antique fixtures and wall hangings, but my favorite was the wooden floor patched with license plates. Filled with Texas-made products and memorabilia, the General Store is truly a unique experience and fun piece of Texas history.
With so many good places to eat, making a decision to dine riverfront or downtown is a tough one. An old cotton gin converted into the Gristmill River Restaurant over looking the river and underneath the town water tower was our selection. The food was amazing and the view on the patio was beautiful. The burgers and home cut fries were the perfect choice and I have been told the ribs are out of this world. It is located next door from the dance hall so sitting on the patio we could still hear the live music flowing onto the streets of Greune.
It was the perfect setting and made for a unique experience. Not to mention Gruene has some other amazing choices such as Cantina Del Rio or Adobe Verde. These restaurants are known for their amazing Texas tacos and burgers. The outdoor deck dining makes for some super fun atmospheres as well!
The Guadalupe and Comal River running through the town makes for a great place to wade through the water or hop on a tube, inflatable kayak, and canoes to go floating down stream. I wish it had been warm enough to try this out because the river looked so inviting. This looks like a fun experience no matter how you choose to get down the river.
So with all that Gruene has to offer are you convinced that this is the place for you? Good thing this town has some of the finest historical inns in Texas. Stay at one of their adorable bed and breakfasts so you can make sure you have plenty of time because it is so cute you will never want to leave. Not to mention the town of New Braunfels is only about 3 miles away and San Antonio is a short 40 min drive south if you are wanting to get a big city feel. It’s a perfect stop for both the country folk and city peeps.
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