December brings us back to Texas. I didn’t think I would miss being here as much as I do. It feels so great to be back in Texas! One of the reasons we chose Texas for December was to be close to the kids. We landed in Houston, and spent the night with Andrea/Ty before driving one of their cars to New Braunfels the next day. Cassandra is back in Austin, working as an Athletic Trainer at Akins High School. After spending three years in Knoxville, TN, we wanted to spend some time with her. We looked into some Airbnb’s in Austin, but the townhome in New Braunfels was hard to pass up and with Cassandra’s blessing (the commute was 45 min), we went for it. Our Airbnb is right across the street from Schlitterbahn and right on the Comal River. Since it’s the off season, there are very few people in this complex which is perfect for us! We are staying at “Camp Warnecke Estates” in a 2-2 townhome. Got a great price that we couldn’t pass up.
Our first order of business after settling in was a trip into Austin for doctors appointments/lab work. Might as well get our healthcare updated while we’re here. After fasting for the bloodwork, our first stop was Cabo Bob’s. Now, if you’ve never been there but are planning a trip to Austin, the must have are their deluxe fish tacos. Ingredients are Cilantro tomatillo, ancho chili & buttermilk tortillas, crispy fish, Chipotle Crema, Mango Pico, guacamole, cheese, shredded cabbage. You wouldn’t expect them to be so tasty, but believe me, they are! Had to take a bite before taking a picture…..
I miss singing in church. I especially miss my friends who sing in church. Here’s a photo of my good friends Diana and Katina. Diana is our choir director at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church. She and Katina also chant on Sunday’s when the choir doesn’t sing. On this Sunday the choir only sang during communion and then Christmas carols at the end. David and I were so happy to sing and to enjoy the service!
After church on Sunday, we met Cassandra for lunch at Matt’s El Rancho on S. Lamar. Oh how we missed Tex Mex! Catching up with Cassandra was fantastic! After lunch we checked out her apartment and played with our grand-dog, Luna. Here we are at Cosmic Coffee.
One of the many things we need to work on is our diet. We have each gained 10-20 lbs since the start of this journey. Most of it our fault, but some of it not. I do have an affinity for making homemade bread which is not good if you’re trying to lower your carb intake – my fault. And so is spending two months with a certain national treasure that loves to make pasta. Like pasta is her life. Very bad for low carb diet. When I mentioned we were trying to cut back on our carbs, she said “No problem, I make you rice”…. 😶
The New Braunfels Railroad Museum is located in the heart of downtown New Braunfels. If you read any of the blog from our June stay at Seneca Lake, you will know that David loves all things railroad. Even though this was a small museum, he totally loved it!
One of the advantages of staying in New Braunfels is the close proximity to San Antonio. Our outing today was filled with activity, but first, breakfast. Today was pretty much the kitchen sink. On a gluten free spinach tortilla is a slice of cheese, turkey bacon, caramelized onions in scrambled eggs, sliced avocado and topped with salsa. Paired with mixed fruit.
The plan today was a walk through the New Braunfels cemetery, then late lunch at a restaurant on the way to San Antonio, then a stroll on the Riverwalk.
Both David and I love to walk through old cemeteries. David loves the intricacies of the stonework, and I love seeing the history of the family plots. The Comal German Cemetery did not disappoint.
This cemetery is so cool, even the deer hang out here. They weren’t even bothered by our presence.
After a couple of hours walking through the cemetery, we built up an appetite for a late lunch. We decided to take a drive into San Antonio and on the way (sort of) is this little hole in the wall restaurant that specializes in bbq chicken. Pollos Asados Nortenos is unpretentious and authentically delicious! If you’re ever in the area, you must try their green sauce!
We now had enough fuel to tackle the Riverwalk. It’s a good thing we walked the entire Riverwalk loop, somehow got off the loop and had to use google maps to get back to the parking garage. It actually worked out great as we needed to walk off our lunch/dinner!
You can’t visit New Braunfels without visiting the nearby little German town of Gruene. Founded by the Gruene family back in the 1840s, the town gained prominence by its location halfway between Austin and San Antonio as a popular stagecoach stopping point. A cotton gin (now the Gristmill Restaurant), as well as a Mercantile store (now a general store) and Gruene Hall (the oldest dance hall in Texas) are some of the popular buildings today.
We stopped in to Gruene Hall and listened to these guys – Flat Top Jones. We were quite happy to hear live music at a historic dance hall on New Years Eve. Granted it was early afternoon but we were blessed as it wasn’t very crowded and the weather was absolutely beautiful.
On to the Gristmill Restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner. Since being back in Texas, we both have had a strong desire for some chicken fried steak. Turns out they have it on the menu 🙂. Totally not what we should be eating, but it’s New Years Eve, it was before 5pm, and the start of David’s birthday celebration. Well, at least we thought that was a good justification. Never try to justify anything when you’re hungry…. David had chicken fried steak with caesar salad and onion rings (OMG!). I had chicken fried chicken with spinach salad and mashed potatoes.
Our time here in New Braunfels has come to an end. We couldn’t leave the area without another visit to our storage unit to drop a couple items off. Yes, it’s as scary looking as when we left it. We head back to Houston on Friday and leave the following evening for Florida. Stay tuned for Florida 3.0……
