Need A Small Town Break? Try Boerne on For Size

We could all use a little time away.

By Jamie Lee & Marika FlattNovember 10, 2016 11:08 am,

From Texas Lifestyle Magazine:

Thirty miles west of San Antonio sits the Hill Country town of Boerne, conveniently located along I-10 at Highway 46. When you arrive, you might want to start with shopping on Main Street, known as the Hill Country Mile. You can start at Boerne City Center, a sort of luxury mini-mall that’s home to several specialty shops, including The Art of Eloquence. It’s a writer’s dream store with designer stationery and gift options.

For lunch, head to the Cypress Grille, where you can take advantage of the daily special – maybe homemade chicken pot pie followed by their warm bittersweet chocolate cake covered in powdered sugar and trimmed with fresh fruit.

You can work off lunch by stopping into several boutiques along Main Street, including Alley on Main and Ella Blue. Boerne’s downtown hosts the kind of stores where your purchases are tenderly wrapped in colorful tissue and packaged in cute bags. At Fickle Pickles, you’re greeted by the sweet, garlicky smell of homemade pickles. The “help yourself” bowl near the door invites shoppers to taste their original recipe, and take a jar home.

The William is a recently renovated boutique hotel with second-floor rooms overlooking the heart of downtown. Its sister property is the historic Ye Kendall Inn. It’s located a block over and owned by the same family, but the two have polar opposite vibes. While The William has crisp white linens, marble floors, and modern, sleek furnishings, Ye Kendall Inn maintains its 19th-century ambiance with dark wood, lush window treatments, and period-appropriate decor.

After a restful night’s sleep, head out for breakfast at The Dienger Trading Company. This place is a combination of bakery, bistro, bookstore, and boutique. An illustrated timeline along one wall tells visitors the story of the historic building and its namesake Dienger family – fixtures in the Boerne community since the 1880s.

Don’t forget to check out the Cibolo Nature Center, located on former ranchland along the Cibolo Creek. Enjoy the center’s walking trails, watch for wildlife hiding among the reeds on the wetlands boardwalk, and lounge in hammocks swung among groves of oaks.

For lunch, try 259 Brantley’s Bistro muffuletta, a notoriously large sandwich packed with meat, cheese, and house-made olive spread.

And, if you have a little extra time, relax at the city’s riverside park where you can lazily feed ducks or hop across the street to the aptly named Dodging Duck Pub.