From downtown San Antonio, it’s a straight shot north on I-10 to Boerne (rhymes with “journey”), located on the banks of Cibolo Creek. The little (2¼ miles long) town was founded in 1849 by freedom-seeking German intellectuals, including Jewish-German political writer and satirist Ludwig Börne (1786–1837), for whom the town was named. In the 1880s, Boerne became a popular health resort. It’s now the seat of Kendall County, with more than 16,000 residents. The Boerne Visitors Center, 108 Oak Park Dr., off Main Street (www.visitboerne.org; 888/842-8080 or 830/249-7277) is open 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday, 10am to 2pm on Saturday (it’s closed Sun).
Day Trips from San Antonio
Exploring Boerne
Close enough to San Antonio to be almost a suburb, Boerne is working hard to retain its small-town atmosphere—and its heritage. One of the things it’s known for is the Boerne Village Band, which occasionally holds concerts in the gazebo on the main plaza; it first oompahed in 1860, and bills itself as the world’s oldest continuously operating German band outside of Germany. A number of 19th-century limestone buildings cluster in the city’s historic district, called the Hill Country Mile; a free self-guided tour pamphlet is available at the visitor center.
Boerne’s biggest draw, however, is the antiques shops, art galleries, crafts shops, and clothing boutiques that line Main Street. The second weekend of each month, Boerne Market Days (www.boernemarketdays.com/boerne.html; 210/844-8193) draws artists, crafters, and musicians to the town’s main plaza. One of the best places anywhere to buy Mexican folk art is just 2½ miles north of Boerne; take exit 537 off I-10 W. to Cosas, 39360 I-10 W. (www.cosasonline; 830/249-1500). The store does most of its business online, but if you’re in town Friday or Saturday from 11am to 5pm, you can browse a warehouse full of south-of-the border treasures. Alternatively, call ahead to make an appointment.
Those who want to spend their time outdoors can explore four distinct ecosystems—grassland, marshland, woodland, and river bottom—at the Cibolo Nature Center, 140 City Park Rd., next to the Kendall County Fairgrounds (www.cibolo.org, 830/249-4616). Behind it, on 33 Herff Rd., restored Herff Farm is open to the public on Saturday mornings, when it hosts a bustling farmers market.
Beneath the Hills of Hill Country
One of Boerne’s most popular attractions is Cascade Caverns (www.cascadecaverns.com; 830/755-8080), an active cave with huge chambers, a 100-ft. underground waterfall, and comfortable walking trails. To get there, head 3 miles south of Boerne on I-10, take exit 543, and drive 2 miles east. It’s open year-round 9am to 5pm, with tours on the hour from 10am to 4pm. A 1-hr. tour costs $20 adults, $13 ages 4 to 11; reserve ahead if you want to take the 90-min. flashlight tour ($25 adults, $16 children) or the 2½-hr. adventure tour (adults only, $100). A little farther from town (11 miles northeast via Route 474 and Kreuzberg Rd.) lies the even more impressive Cave Without a Name, 325 Kreutzberg Rd. (www.cavewithoutaname.com; 830/537-4212), which has more chambers, a greater amount of living rock, and a wider variety of features. Hour-long tours are offered throughout the day. From Memorial Day through Labor Day it’s open daily 9am to 6pm, the rest of the year daily 10am to 5pm. Admission is $20 adults, $18 seniors and military, $10 ages 6 to 12.
A Taste of alsace in Texas
Just 20 miles west of San Antonio (via U.S. 90 W.), Castroville has become something of a bedroom community for San Antonio, but the center of town retains its heritage as an old Alsatian community. It was founded in 1842, on a scenic bend of the Medina River, by Henri Castro, a Portuguese-born Jewish Frenchman who had received a 1.25-million-acre land grant from the Republic of Texas in exchange for his commitment to colonize the land. Second only to Stephen F. Austin in the number of settlers he brought over, Castro recruited 2,134 immigrants, mostly from the Rhine Valley, especially from the French province of Alsace. A few of the oldest citizens still can speak Alsatian, a dialect of German, though the language is likely to die out in the area when they do.
For insight into the town’s history, visit the Landmark Inn State Historic Site, 402 E. Florence St. (www.thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/landmark-inn-state-historic-site; 830/931-2133), which counts among its attractions a nature trail along the river, an old gristmill, and a stone dam. The on-site History Store, open daily 10am to 5pm (opens at noon on Sun), which also serves as an informal visitor center to the town, leads guided tours through the buildings ($4 adults, $3 children and seniors). The park’s centerpiece Landmark Inn has eight simple but well-equipped rooms decorated with early Texas pieces dating up until the 1940s (rates are $120–$140 per night including breakfast). They’re only available Wednesday through Saturday nights and Sundays before Monday holidays.
For a delicious taste of the Alsace, visit Haby’s Alsatian Bakery, 207 U.S. 90 E. (www.habysbakery.com; 830/538-2118), which sells fresh-baked apple fritters, strudels, stollens, breads, and coffeecakes. It’s open Monday to Saturday, 5am to 7pm.
For additional information, contact the Castroville Chamber of Commerce, 1115 Angelo St. (www.castroville.com; 800/778-6775 or 830/538-3142), where you can pick up a walking-tour booklet of the town’s historic buildings, as well as a map that details local boutiques and antiques shops around town. It’s open 9am to 3pm Monday through Friday. Note: Downtown Castroville tends to close down on Monday and Tuesday, and some places are shuttered on Wednesday and Sunday as well. If you want to find most things open, come on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
Guadalupe River State Park, 13 miles east of Boerne via Hwy. 46 to 3350 P.R. 31 (www.tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/guadalupe-river; 830/438-2656), features 4 miles of river frontage at a particularly attractive section of the river, above Canyon Lake. You’ll find a number of excellent swimming spots and some hiking trails leading through beautiful, rugged hill country. Keep an eye out and you might spot white-tailed deer, coyotes, armadillos, or even a rare golden-cheeked warbler. Camping is available; make reservations on line. Check ahead for ranger-led interpretive tours. The park is open daily 8am to 10pm; the entrance fee is $7, free for kids age 12 and under.
More and more these days, Hill Country is also wine country, and it starts 12 miles north of Boerne on FM 1376, where
