2026-6-9 Toobing the Guadalupe River

Our thoughtful hosts set up a new experience for many of us. Unsuspecting participants arrival at the Toobing office.

All checked in and ready to board the bus to the dropoff location.

 

We began to suspect that there were going to be bumps in the road when we got off the bus and had to haul our toobs across the road to get to the beginning of the horseshoe bend on the river.

See that black square on the bottom of the toob? That is a very important piece of equipment.

Anne was smart enough to befriend the teenager helping the bus driver. Getting down to the river was no walk in the park since you were basically walking down a concrete drainage ditch with no rail hauling the big toob.

One by one we launched (fell) into the river.

Looks calm and relaxing right. Not much current so lots of paddling was required. We tried real hard not to let anyone get too far behind.

There are just a few pictures while we were actually on the river as most of us wisely left our phones at home.

Looks relaxing right? Not so much. The first par of the ride required a lot of paddling as there was no current so we really got strung out. We tried to make sure no one got left behind. Several times I heard Elaine say "I'm done. I want to get out now." However, once in you are committed to the ride until you get to the take out point. And the toobing operator pointed out several, and I do mean several times, to get to the right side of the river as soon as you can see the bridge ahead because if you missed the bridge get out point, it was miles and hours down the river before you could get out again.

Once we hit the rapids, keeping track of where everyone was wasn't possible. It was every woman for herself. Rapids, and I mention all the rocks....just under the water where you couldn't see most of them until you hit them or got stuck on them or were wildly trying to avoid running into the person ahead of you that was stuck on the rock. It was not a pretty picture. Several young men were so helpful getting us off rocks.

The youngest members of the group, two of our 18+ granddaughters fared the best of course.

Those surviving, I mean arriving first, tried to help others get out of their toobs and onto the shore at the takeout.

Getting out of a toob in deeper water is so easy, getting out when the water is less than a foot deep is more than a challenge.

Here is the nice young man Anne befriended at the beginning. We were supposed to haul our own toobs up another concrete drainage ditch with no rail and back a block to the toobing office. He figured out up front that was going to be a real challenge so he showed up, with another friend to help him, and got us all out and took care of getting all the toobs back to the office.

Elaine ended up with the only injuries but she made it. She got stuck on a rock and couldn't get off so she ended up turning over and skinning her knee to get off. One of the nice young guys on the river pulled her over to deeper water and got her moving again. She has now sworn off ziplines and toobing

Some of the less adventurous ladies showed up to welcome us back. They were also responsible for many of the pictures. Aspirin anyone???
 

On the Road Again, So Happy to be On the Road Again

Picked up the RV from storage yesterday afternoon, loaded up this morning and hit the road.  We didn't go far but the Traveling Longdogs and I are so happy to be out in the RV.  I called on a whim last week to see if La Pointe RV Resort might have any openings--didn't expect to get a yes because the COE campgrounds are all full.  The trick is that they don't take reservations here.  It's a membership park but they don't take reservations from members either.  They honor Passport America and Escapees as well as a couple of others.  Sooooo, I called again yesterday to see if they still had openings, got another yes, and went to pick up the RV.  I came early in the week because I figured most people would come later.  School started in Texas this week.   Here we are tooling down the road to Canyon Lake.

Even though school is on, the toobers are still doing business.  It will be hot here for quite a while.  And, no, those are not rainclouds.  There is no rain around here and we could use it.

Sometimes it's "toobs" sometimes it's "tubes" but then you are liable to get "haus" instead of "house".  Anyway, the toobs are the round donut floats that were originally from tires but are now usually plastic inflatables.

Okay, I'm here and this is the only picture you are getting tonight.  I took it out the back window of the 5th wheel.  Nice, huh?  See the deer?  I've seen at least 10 or 15 including a mother with two fawns and several guys with racks.  Of course, these deer aren't a whole lot bigger than my youngest son's mastiffs.

Things are all set up or stowed away depending on the item and I'm off to bed now.  I'll be back with more pictures.

A Water Park of Another Kind - Hinman Island

A beautiful, tree-shaded place to enjoy the Comal River!

Perfect for scuba, snorkeling, swimming, toobing, and fishing!  Can you believe there is another perfect park in New Braunfels?  You might want to make a visit to Hinman Island Park which is located on Hinman Island Drive, between Landa Park and Prince Solms Park.  Facilities include a playground, restrooms, picnic tables and easy river access from the park.  Oh, yes! Beautiful water.  

Oh, yes--you could tell from the picture above that these furkids were not going to be left out of the fun but they were very well behaved.  They had as much fun as the kids and adults.

On one side of the river you can see all the business places.  There are numerous places to rent toobs, lots of condos and overnight rentals right on the river.  There is also an RV and camping park.  So will see lots of signs saying private property over there and you are not supposed to get out on that side.  But, it really isn't a problem because Hinman Park has three or four entry points with stairs into the water spread out along the length of the river.

You can walk along the sidewalk and get in the water down at one end and then float along slowly until you get down to the final stair area.  The area is really pretty with lots of trees and grass along the side.

See the toobers down at the end of the park area?

This little area also leads into the Comal but is very natural and woodsy.

If you are really brave, you can shoot down through this tube and head further down the river but you don't have too.  It is well marked and you can easily get out before you get there.

There are rules for being on the river--no glass, coolers not over a certain size, music not obnoxious to others, etc.  But this is a family place where everyone has fun--you and your kids and grandchildren can all enjoy the water along the Comal.

Hmmm--Prince of Solms Park?  I don't think I've been there yet.  Stay cool!

Friday with the Get'away Gals

For some of the adventurous Get'away Gals, toobing the Guadalupe River was part of the fun.  For those who aren't from this area and thought the water was a bit cold, it is the same temperature in the middle of the summer.  There were lots of people out enjoying the beautiful weather and the water this weekend.

The Lazy L & L catered our barbeque dinner Saturday night serving smoked pork and chicken, cole slaw, and beans along with some great cobbler.  Pam Sinclair, one of our two hostesses, takes her costumes very seriously all in the name of fun.

Hmmm, I think I saw some of these girls at our Pink Flamingoes GTG a couple of weeks ago.

There was a contest for the best "shoebox float" in honor of Fiesta which was the GTG theme.

I thinks someone got a little carried away with their idea of what a "shoebox" was.  Great job but not in the guidelines.

And then there was the "best costume" contest.

Not everyone with great costumes stepped up to the front.

Barbara's outfit was just beautiful.

 Here's some of those gals you may recognize again.

It was a very fun night that included a band at the outdoor pavillion.  Lots of fun was had by all.

Gruene, TX Market Day

Sunday afternoon, I headed back up the road to Gruene, Texas (pronounced "green").  Gruene is just on the north edge of New Braunfels but it has a unique feel all of its own.  Parking of the streets is really limited but there a couple of large, free parking lots screened by bushes that provide easy access.  I pulled into the back of the main one close to the entrance to Gruene Gardens which sells native plants to begin my stroll.  Gruene is very interesting to visit even without the added incentive of the monthly market weekend.

"Arriving in Texas in the mid 1840s, German farmers became the first settlers of what is now known as Gruene, Texas. Ernst Gruene, a German immigrant, and his bride Antoinette, had reached the newly established city of New Braunfels in 1845, but acreage was scarce. Thus, Ernst and his two sons purchased land just down river, and Ernst built the first home in Gruene in early fachwerk style. His second son, Henry D. Gruene, built his home (now Gruene Mansion Inn) and planted his surrounding land with cotton. Having become the number one cash crop, the cotton business soon brought 20 to 30 families to Henry D.'s lands.

"Henry D. built houses in various styles -- a Victorian cottage (now Lone Star), a large brick home, and a frame house (now Gruene Haus) for the foreman of his farm."

These buildings are now businesses or serve as bed and breakfast accommodations.  Some may appear rough on the outside but are very nice inside and definitely give you a feel for earlier times in Texas history.

"The first mercantile store (now Gruene General Store) was built in 1878."

"A cotton gin (now Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar) powered by the Guadalupe River was added soon after." 

"Further construction during this profitable time included a dance hall and saloon (Gruene Hall), which became the center of the community's social life."  Gruene Hall continues to be very busy with music playing every weekend.  Lots of big names got their start here.  It's worth a visit just to see all the posters inside even if someone is not playing.

"As the town continued to prosper, a new mercantile building (now Gruene Antique Company) sprang up in 1904." 

"However, the death of Henry D. in 1920 marked the downfall of Gruene's development and good fortune. In 1922, the original cotton gin burned and was replaced by a modern electric model down the road (now Adobe Verde). Yet, the economic disasters of the boll weevil and the Depression were too much for the family businesses and they went under, except for Gruene Hall, which never closed.

1974 - Today

Today, Gruene is once again a thriving community, but for decades it was little more than a ghost town. This changed the day that Pat Molak, frustrated with big-city life, wandered into town and began to breathe life back into this piece of Texas history.

Molak purchased Gruene Hall in 1975. A few unavoidable repairs were made to the Hall, but little else was necessary. Left uncorrupted, the 6,000 square-foot, open-air dance hall became a virtual magnet, a starting point for many of Texas' up-and-coming performers, and once again, the heart of Gruene.

With the help of his friend Mary Jane Nalley, he worked to preserve the authentic, turn-of-the-century look and feel of Gruene by purchasing and repairing several of the town's most notable structures and transforming them into thriving businesses. These developments seemed to rekindle the spark of Gruene, and soon the town's familiar charm began to shine again.

Gruene itself has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, and many of the buildings that were rescued by Molak and Nalley have been awarded a Texas medallion from the Texas Historical Commission. It has also been recognized by the Texas travel industry as a premiere attraction for visitors, which is no surprise to its merchants and guests.

Even with the remarkable growth of this once sleepy little town, the main focus of Gruene is, and continues to be, bonafide Texas. Everything from the wares they sell to the music they play speaks to Molak and Nalley's commitment to preserving the authenticity of Gruene and providing its guests with an experience that has the signature seal of the Lone Star State."

Strolling on through town, you will find lots more to see.  This may not be Cabela's or Bass Pro but they do have a fair amount of merchandise.

You will find places serving Texas wine where you can sit inside or out under shady trees at picnic tables.

Commemorative stones provide info about early settlers.

Some antiques sit waiting to be used outside one business just to give you a feel for earlier times.

As you stroll down the hill toward the river, you'll find another winery to visit.

Gruene is also famous for other summertime activities.  Although this is near the end of September, the river still draws tubers.  Although we haven't had rain for a long time, there is still enough water here to enjoy a float.

You will find several outfitters down the hill from the main part of town that provide tubes and transportation back once you float on down the river.

Continuing around the loop, Buck's Pottery is both a place to buy as well as to see pottery being made.

The Tea Room closes well before dinner so you might want to visit here earlier in the day.

We are now in "Uptown" Gruene where the monthly Market Days are set up.  There are lots of tents with lots of goods for sale.  Entrepreneurs are busy marketing their often homemade crafts.

If you need a "pick-me-up" coffee, you'll find the Gruene Coffee Haus open for business--market days or not.  They roast their own beans and serve a wide variety of refreshments.  Another bonus is the choice of inside or outside seating.  You might also want to visit the "Pickle Haus" right next door for everything you can imagine pickle-wise.

There are other shops such as Cactus Jacks available even when it is not market weekend.

Have you ever seen wind chimes this large?  They make a wonderful deep sound when there is sufficient wind to move them.

I always enjoy visiting Gruene even when monthly market days are not in session.  It's a nice walk around the time with interesting things to look at so I hope you'll get a chance to visit too.  See http://www.gruenetexas.com/ for more information.