Local, Near and Far: Our journey of exploring the world.

Tag: Texas (Page 1 of 8)

Natural Bridge Caverns

Between San Antonio and New Braunfels is a large cave system, Natural Bridge Caverns.   My parents, David, and I visited on a day trip from Gonzales, TX.  We had ventured there after the big rains this last spring.  Since the caves are part of our precious aquifer system (where we get most of our drinking water in Central Texas) the caves were unusually full of water.  No one could escape being dripped on!  Some of the normal trails were closed because they were under water, but that meant we got to see the caves through less traveled trails.  It was awesome!!

Natural Bridge Caverns - View of the Hall of the Mountain King From Above

View of the Hall of the Mountain King From Above

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Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar

The Gristmill - Inside the Old Cotton Gin 1

Inside the Old Cotton Gin

One of the best destinations in our great state of Texas is a small town outside of New Braunfels named Gruene.  In the old world (Germany), it would be pronounced differently, but in Texas it is pronounced green, like the color.  This delightful little town must be experienced.  But the great news is that no matter what floats your boat, lifts your skirt, or shines your shoes, you can always find a fun activity in Gruene.  Antique shopping, arts and crafts, old fashioned candy stores, wine tasting, tubing down the Guadalupe River, sleeping the morning away at a bed and breakfast, catching a concert, or boot scootin’ the night away, Gruene has you covered.  But you can’t do all these activities without some energy and grub from the iconic Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar, located under the water tower in the heart of Gruene, next to the iconic Gruene Hall.

The Gristmill - Baby Back Ribs with Gristmill Fries & Baked Potato Salad

Baby Back Ribs with Gristmill Fries & Baked Potato Salad

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Hiking at Palmetto State Park

Central Texas is filled with countless little-known gems. Palmetto State Park is one of these places.

On a recent trip to Rebekah’s parent’s house, the excellent weather called us outside, as it often does. Instead of spending time at our go-to outdoor venue, the family pecan farm, we ventured out. Her parents had recently visited Palmetto State Park, the setting for a church picnic. Even living only a few miles away, this had been their first visit to this little-known park.

When they recommended we hike at Palmetto for the afternoon, I was excited to visit a new state park, grabbing my camera on the way out the door.

Palmetto State Park - View of the San Marcos River

View of the San Marcos River

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Deep Ellum Fun: Our Day Trip Overview

From Texas to Beyond was about to publish our 100th article, and the four of us were looking for an excuse to celebrate a bit. Well, what better way to celebrate than a trip! Since we didn’t have an all-inclusive trip to an international resort in the budget this year, we decided on a day trip to Deep Ellum.

"Welcome

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Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream

Over Valentine’s Day, David and I decided to celebrate with a shared experience together as opposed to the traditional flowers for me and chocolate for David.  We spent the day in Denton, TX. To read more about how we ended up there, check out our Denton Overview post.

After a day of hiking at Ray Roberts Lake State Park, I think I had earned at least one scoop of ice cream.  Ice cream is a sign of love and affection.  I had remembered that on the Denton County Courthouse Square, there was an ice cream shop, Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream.  I couldn’t quite recall the name at the time, but I knew if we went, we would find it.  David and I had actually visited once before several months prior; we met some friends who were staying with family in Pilot Point, TX.

Beth Marie's Ice Cream 2 Continue reading

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