Where the Lake Meets the Charming Town Square

29 Mar Where the Lake Meets the Charming Town Square

Is there a vacation place where you can have it all? Lake life, city life and small town country life? YES! Granbury, Texas is the answer. It is the perfect blend of city, country and lake life. A hybrid town if you will. This is what we did on our trip to Granbury…

Traveling to Granbury is an easy 70-80 minute drive, give or take, depending on which part of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area you are coming from. I hadn’t been to visit Granbury in over 15 years, so I decided to plan a trip and go back this weekend for a girls trip, to see if there was anything new happening in the quaint town outside the metroplex. The good news is, Granbury is not just a fun place for a girls trip, it’s fun for EVERYONE!  There are activities for families or for just a couples trip if that is what you are craving. I wanted time with my girl tribe, and I wanted a small town country feel with plenty of options for fun. This trip turned out to be PERFECT for all our needs!

 Granbury offers an easily accessible lake, a quaint town square with a ton of boutiques and shopping options, as well as fun in the outdoors with parks and recreation.

My first stop when I rolled into town was Granbury Lake. I just couldn’t resist looking at the sparkling water and seeing the activity on the City Beach. There is a long boardwalk to stroll on, and a boat dock if you brought your boat.

—SIDE NOTE—

It’s against my religion to NOT say “ya’ll” multiple times a day, so guess how excited I was when I found a shirt to say it for me lol! I found this along with a handful of other adorable tees on Jane.com. This was perfect to add to the packing list for my girls trip. It warmed up quickly on the lake and I was happy to have this comfy shirt lakeside. It so simply advertises the fact that I may look city girl in the flesh, but you can trust I’m a country girl at heart.

When my friends arrived we headed down the street from the lake to Granbury Square. The lake and square are in very close proximity, which makes it even easier as you navigate your day.

My friends and I agreed that this was one of the most beautiful and charming squares we’ve ever been to in Texas. Check out the historic courthouse in the middle of the square looking so majestic during the day and night!

We shopped, and we shopped, and we shopped! One of my favorite stores was Pug on a Pontoon. They kept the prices very fair and had a mix of really cute apparel & accessories, along with humorous white elephant type gifts. I would recommend checking them out!

We were also pleasantly surprised by the large number of unique restaurants and eatery options. We had plenty to choose from. If you are looking for patio options, which I ALWAYS am, Granbury Square (and just off the square) won’t disappoint! At this point in our day, a mid-shopping snack was calling our name.

BEST PART OF THE TRIP RIGHT HERE———> KEEP READING———>

We dropped in at the Silver Saddle Saloon. You MUST stop here! It is NON NEGOTIABLE. Texas craft ice cream! What does that mean?? A handful of flavors infused with alcohol, hello…yes! How could we choose which scoop to get when they all looked so yummy!? We didn’t have to! They offer the 6 Shooter option…6 scoops in shot glasses. Phew, we bypassed that difficult decision that no one should ever have to make.

The flavors we tried: Sweet Texas Whiskey, Blood and Honey, Two Shots Fired, Campfire S’mores, Salty Dog, and Muddy Mess
The first 3 were alcohol infused, and the last 3 weren’t. They were all outstanding, but my favorite BY FAR was… Salty Dog! If you love a salted caramel flavor, you will love this. In fact I better stop writing about it b/c now I’m craving it. My next favorite was the Texas Whiskey, and my 3rd favorite was the muddy mess-full of brownie flavor. The Silver Saddle Saloon is a MUST TRY place in my book! 

The saloon has more than ice cream to offer. It also has live music on the weekends starting around 8pm out on the back patio. We had plans for dinner already that particular night, but we came back to the saloon the next night for dinner and music on the patio. My pulled pork sliders were delish! However, we made the mistake (or may have been intentional…) of walking back through the ice cream parlor after dinner on our way out. You will never guess what happened!? Another scoop of salty dog, coming right up! You really have to try it!!!

After all the shopping and snacking we went to dinner at Bob’s Off the Square. We had a perfect patio experience! The atmosphere is festive and fun. Stringed lights, live music and an outdoor bar. While I did see a couple of kiddos there, it was mostly an adult atmosphere. Get to Bob’s early to scout out a table, or make a reservation. Many patio tables were already reserved by the time we got there around 7pm. Also, note that during our visit, ALL orders including food orders, had to be placed at the bar. It took us a good minute to figure that one out. It is a dog friendly place, so bring your pet!

Have you ever heard of Armadillo eggs?? Yeah, I hadn’t either, until ordering appetizers at Bob’s. It’s apparently a thing. Why has it taken this long for someone to introduce me? Extra crispy fried sausage on the outside and warm, spicy jalapeno in creamy goodness on the inside. I was thankful for the introduction!

We headed back to the hotel for the night, before the call of ice cream pulled us back in.

You know…I felt a kindred spirit with Granbury folks. These folks love their breakfast, and I love breakfast foods too. The early bird catches the worm, or the pancakes and biscuits in this case, around Granbury. We didn’t make it up and out early enough to get in at Cari’s for breakfast the next day. It was top on my list as places to try for breakfast based off online reviews, but when we arrived the line was literally out the door. We were borderline hangry at this point, so we drove to Firehouse Cafe, which was also on the top of my list of places to try based on good reviews. The line of people waiting was just as long, if not longer, and made its way outside the restaurant. I’m telling you, they love breakfast! Third time was a charm, quite literally. We drove back to Granbury Square and ate outside on the front patio of the very charming Paradise Bistro & Coffee. The pancakes I ordered were amazing! Totally hit the spot. If you crave breakfast tacos, they have those too. Take my advice, if you love breakfast food as much as I do, (and apparently everyone in Granbury) get to breakfast early!   

After breakfast, we drove about 10-12 minutes away from the square to the Acton Nature Center. We came to see the butterfly garden that I had read about. We discovered that The Acton Nature Center offers a variety of outdoor activties. In addition to the butterfly garden, you can picnic under the large pavilion, hike 7 miles of nature trails, test out the sun dial, and visit the bird sanctuary. There is a barn, a windmill, and restrooms on the property. The cost is totally free!

Important to note that we only saw ONE butterfly while there. We were a little too early in the season. One of the volunteers told me that by May, everything would be in full bloom and butterflies would be prevalent. She also mentioned that the nature center had a large controlled burn last year, and that is why things looked dry. New life was emerging, and I hope I can make it back to see how gorgeous it will be in a month or two. We felt refreshed and rejuvenated after watching and listening to the birds and exploring the serene landscape. We all agreed this was definitely worth the short drive from town!

—-Pretend modeling photos up ahead—> Keep reading!!

The afternoon was filled with more shopping, and more eating, and more shopping haha! Then I had something a little different up my sleeve for the evening.

I booked a custom board design class at the DIY board project studio called Board & Brush. This was booked and paid for in advance online at https://boardandbrush.com/granbury/

I chose to make a wooden tray for my kitchen table. We spent approximately 2.5-3 hours assembling, sanding, painting, drying, waxing, and displaying our personalized wood project we made for our home. It’s quite a sense of accomplishment putting all the wood pieces together and using those power tools. I will admit, I had a lot of help….crafts are not my thing, but they made it fun and easy. I’ve done plenty of canvas painting projects with girlfriends before, and my finished product usually goes in a closet or in the trash-just keeping it real ya’ll. It was nice to make something I was happy keeping out for others to see! The owner and staff were very helpful. The atmosphere was lively with fun music. It is BYOB, and they offer bottles of water if you didn’t bring any of your own beverages (at this particular location).

We went to dinner and dessert at the Silver Saloon that night, and actually tuckered out pretty soon after from all the fun.

The next morning, we walked right outside the doors of our hotel to the City Beach, to soak up the view of the lake and cool fresh air. Overall though, we really didn’t spent a lot of time at the lake this trip. It will be more of a priority for our next trip.

We gravitated back to Granbury square for breakfast, and you guessed it…more shopping! The sun was shining, and it felt too good to not soak it up, and chat for a little while longer before the trip came to a close. We grabbed a patio table at Christina’s and enjoyed a cocktail. FYI, they offer TOGO adult beverages. You’re welcome. My togo mimosa was perfect!

Our weekend was JAM PACKED full of fun, and there was no way we could fit all of our wish list in, but we will be back! Here are a few things on our must-do for next time! Add them to your adventure!

• Brazos Drive In Movie Theatre
• Moments In Time Hiking Trail
• Local Goat Distillery
• Barking Rocks Winery
• Shanley Park
• Eagle Eye Ranch Carriage Company
• Paddle board yoga at Yogi Fit Sup Splash Yoga
• The Windmill Farm B&B in Tolar
• Sam’s Dock boat rental and party barge rental

Where we stayed:

Hilton Garden Inn on the Lake-After weighing ALL my options, I chose this hotel for several reasons. Most importantly the location. Located on the lake, with lake views from our window, and an easy entrance to the City Beach from our parking lot. Only a 2 minute drive to the square or a hike if you choose to walk. Totally doable. FYI, finding parking was never an issue for us. We always found a spot in the square to park. I also chose the Hilton based off of amenities and amount of beds per room. We used the hot tub on the property, and the pool was open as well. There was also a bar and fire pit for guests.

If you want a Bed and Breakfast that shares the same amazing location as our hotel did, try Hotel Lucy just across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn. The outside is gorgeous and the pictures online look amazing! Its next door to wonderful antique stores that are pictured in this post. Check them out! https://hotel-lucy.com/

This was a WEEKEND trip for me.

What I packed:

beach towels and lawn chairs

swimwear

active/ outdoor wear

casual dinner clothes

cowgirl boots

sweater and fleece jacket

cash & credit for shopping

bottle of wine, wine opener, small cups and snacks

phone charger

Nux Vomica 30c or 200c (homeopathic remedy for over indulgence-see packing list in menu for more details)

Granbury seems to be aging like a fine wine, only getting better with time. I encourage you to plan a day trip at least, and experience this charming and refreshing little slice of Texas. If your weekend didn’t include Armadillo Eggs and a scoop or two…or three (I won’t tell) of Salty Dog, you aren’t livin’! God Bless Texas, and God bless Salty Dog!!

Have you been to Granbury? What were your must-do’s? Where is your favorite place to eat, shop visit? Have a question about our trip?? Comment or ask your question below!