Glenn and I went to one of our favorite spots, Gruene, Texas, over the recent Memorial Day weekend. Gruene is about 3 hours west of Houston, in between Austin and San Antonio, just off of I-35. It's nestled in the middle of the town of New Braunfels, and is situated on the famous Guadalupe River. The area is famous for the "toobers", folks who travel there from near and far specifically to spend the day floating on an inner tube in the coldest water this side of Alaska.
Gruene is the site of the oldest dance hall in Texas, and on any given weekend, you never know who is going to turn up there. George Strait got his toes wet there, and still shows up unannounced from time to time. Willie Nelson haunts the place as well, when the mood hits him and he's not in jail.
Although the river and the music are both attractions to the area, there are also a number of antique shops that feature some pretty interesting old stuff. Glenn said that visiting those places was a lot like visiting his Grandma Lois' attic.
On this trip, our third to Gruene, we stayed out of the water and in the dance hall. A couple of our favorite musicians were there - Robert Earl Keane on Friday night, and Gary P. Nunn on Sunday. Both guys are local home grown musicians who've had a lot of luck. I recently saw Robert Earl open for Jimmy Buffett at Minute Maid Park in Houston, for a crowd of 40,000 or so folks. The Gruene Dance Hall was a different experience altogether - I think maximum capacity there is around 100 souls. Gary P. Nunn was just as good as ever, singing about places like Terlingua and the Llano Estacado, where I've never been but would love to go. These guys make you love Texas and everything about it - the rich history, the varied landscape, and the VERY interesting people.
One thing I love about these road trips is getting there. My favorite road is definitely the less-traveled road. On this trip, we headed west on 2920, and ended up on Highway 159, through some great little towns like Bellville, Smithville and Fayettville, not to mention the infamous La Grange (you know, The Chicken Ranch). Central Texas really is a beautiful place, once you get out of the big cities. These small towns have a lot of charm, and a lot of VFW halls...
Personally, I like what my musical friend Gary P. Nunn has to say about Texas: "You ask me what I like about Texas? Well, I could tell you, but it would take All Night Long..."
Or even better, Robert Earl Keane's view, "The road goes on forever, and the party never ends!"
