In the heart of Texas lies the City of Brenham, the self-proclaimed
home of Texas. As travel changes this
year for many people, driving to and from their destination is going to be a
much more popular choice and a drive down to Brenham is a wonderful idea for a
getaway. Home of Blue Bell ice cream,
the “baseball” capital, and a wonderful place to start your wildflower journey,
Brenham hits the mark for a great travel destination in Texas.
Right
in the heart of downtown Brenham is the best place to stay for your visit at
the Ant Street Inn. The Ant Street Inn occupies a building that
was originally built in 1899 as a grocery, feed store and upstairs offices and
saloon, 101 West Commerce St, is the address of this amazing historic building.
The
inside of Ant Street Inn is wonderfully decorated in period pieces and each
room has a theme that matches the name.
For example, I stayed in the New Orleans room, and the décor matched
what you would typically think of as a New Orleans style. Beautiful dark wood with leather, and a
queen-sized canopy bed complete with drapes.
You can create your own “cave” like sleeping experience in this
room. Do not forget to say hello to the
alligator in the bathroom. Ironically, I
did not notice him until the next day.
Ant
Street Inn boasts an attached restaurant where guests will dine in the morning
for breakfast, that is run by a separate company who rents space from Ant
Street. We enjoyed dinner there and
could easily see how convenient it is for guests to dine there multiple times,
with the ease of just walking downstairs.
One of my favorite parts of the inn is the central area between the
rooms. Little sitting groups, snacks,
movies and magazines adorn the space for guests to enjoy with friends or while
making new friends.
Just
outside the walls of Ant Street, is downtown Brenham which is a vibrant part of
the city. It is very easy to walk around
and explore. You can do two self-guided
tours, one of historical buildings and another of the murals that are painted
by local state artists during an art festival.
I love how the community has come together to bring art to the community
and beyond.
Downtown
Brenham has something for everyone. A
few places to dine, grab a cup of coffee or even a scoop of ice cream. I’m pretty sure everyone sells Blue Bell down
there. A cute book store and a few
boutiques adore the open spaces. At
least one of the historic buildings is currently still hosting the same
business from when it opened, G. Hermann Furniture Store. This family run business is still housed in
the building where it originally started and expanded over time and is still
operated by the original family.
As
the county seat of Washington County, downtown Brenham also plays host to the
county court house. Sitting at the
center of downtown Brenham, this court house was built in 1939, and is the
fourth building to hold the title. One
of the more interesting historical sites is Toubin Park that holds a public
cistern and a short history of the founding of the city and county. For a little more in depth historical tour be
sure to stop by the Brenham Heritage Museum.
No matter if you are taking a Texas tour or just want to visit somewhere new, Brenham and Ant Street Inn should be on your list. Explore the natural beauty of the State right now and experience the wildflowers. Stop in for some Blue Bell ice cream at the creamery or just get away for a visit.
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