Texas Culture

This past Saturday, I went with my mom and my aunt Jodi on a mini road trip down to San Marcos and Gruene, TX.  San Marcos has a bajillion outlet stores and my favorite, Pottery Barn/West Elm/Williams Sonoma outlet too!  I used to shop there for clothes all the time when I went to college down there in the hill country. 
While we were already that far south, we decided to take the extra 20 minutes and drive down to the New Braunfels area to a historical town called Gruene, pronounced "Green"--it's German.  Gruene, is also a place I spent many fun college nights in at Gruene Hall, Texas' oldest dance hall.  I enjoyed many Pat Green concerts there!  I actually had an apartment in New Braunfels my last year of college, so I like to claim this area as one of my home towns!
This town is pure Texas culture.  It was a real working town back in the day, but the dust bowl and depression turned it into a ghost town.  In the 1970s,  group of investors bought the town and revitalized it and turned it into what it is today.  There are shops and restaurants and through the town runs the Guadalupe River, where you can throw on your swimsuit and go toobing down the river while enjoying a nice cold one! 
One of my alltime favorite restaurants sits in the middle of Gruene and overlooks the Guadalupe:  The Gristmill.  This was an old Gristmill that is now a restaurant and features Texas fare such as chicken fried steak "as big as yo head", along with burgers and other delicious items.  This is where we ate lunch.  It has been expanded onto time and time again, so that the majority of the seating is outdoors under lush shade tree, but it's been very thoughtfully done, so that the rustic, original nature of the mill has been preserved throughout.
Every third weekend of the month is market days in Gruene, where vendors sell artwork, foodstuffs, and everything in between.
Gruene is the place to go if you are looking to experience true Texas Culture!

The chair I bought at the Pottery Barn/West Elm outlet for a steal of a deal!

One of the rooms at the Gristmill.  Sigh, I love this place!

My mom and me at the Gristmill.