Baby Boomer Traveling: Sunflowers and Historic Homes

One of the millions of sunflowers

It's been a little on the quiet side here on the blog. I have lots of excuses for that, but basically who cares right?!? LOL
So that being said, let's plunge on to our next destination. If you come visit the blog via Facebook, then I'm wondering did you guess where all those lovely sunflowers were or did you let others guess. Answer: They were actually on Hwy 90 between San Antonio and Castroville.

One of the fields of sunflowers

It was one of those unexpected sites that can take your breath away. Or at least mine anyway. Field after field, acre upon acre of big, beautiful, bright yellow sunflowers! In some cases stretching as far as the eye could see to the horizon. Being the undaunted photographer, I had to pull over and take a picture. Hope you enjoyed it!
So If I was on Hwy 90 heading away from San Antonio, then I was heading to Castroville. Like many of the small towns that surround San Antonio, Castroville has its own vibe. It's own history and its own feel. But don't think that just because you aren't in S.A. you can't come visit this quaint little town.

Austin to Castroville 105 miles
Dallas to Castroville 300 miles
Houston to Castroville 220 miles

Lilly on the Sisters of Divine
Providence property

This is another in the series of one tank wonders (maybe a little more than a tank in some cases/cars.) With plenty of accommodations such as the Brock Haus B & B, the Haby Settlement Guest House, or the Landmark Inn State Historic Site you have a wide range of choices for a nice weekend getaway.

re purposing an old
wheelbarrow

The town also offers a good number of events throughout the year to help spur you to visit. One such event is the "Grandaddy of Church Festivals," the St. Louis Day Festival held in August. This is a family friendly event that has been occurring each year for 129 years. Another good event to attend if you'd like a little cooler weather is the Old Fashion Christmas on Houston Square. It is one of the largest arts and crafts shows in the area and is held on the first Friday and Saturday of December.
You can come out almost any weekend all year long and just browse the antique shops, the meat markets, have a great lunch and/or take a walking tour of historic homes. Golf, Spa facilities, picnic and RV facilities are also available.

Inside the garden
of Peter Jungman Hus

On the day we visited, we had lunch at Sammy's on Hwy 90, for less than $5.00 per person thank you very much. Then headed right down the road less than a mile to Angelo St. to begin our walking tour. Most of the homes of interest are situated close to each other in the oldest part of Castroville within a six by seven block area. All you need is a desire, a good pair of walking shoes and some water. Most of the home owners are friendly and happy to tell you the history of their homes. One resident even invited us into their garden and gave us a tour complete with introductions of their cat and dog.
Castroville is the road less traveled when it comes to small towns in central Texas. But well worth the visit especially if you want smaller crowds and less commercialism than you might find in some other locales.
Of course we ended our visit to town with a visit to have satisfy my sweet tooth. I couldn't leave town without a stop at Haby's Alsatian Bakery for made fresh that day bread and some cookies. Happily munching as I drove, somehow the ride back home was quicker and sweeter.