Start with a small Texas town. Add a sprinkling of cultural attractions, a pinch of recreational sites, a dash of locally owned businesses and a heaping helping of restored historic buildings and what do you have? The recipe for a perfect getaway.

Boerne, located 27 miles northwest of San Antonio on I-10, has refined its recipe for community charisma as the city has grown and prospered. Indeed, it may have just found the secret ingredient aimed at attracting daytrippers: historic sites tucked in a natural setting.

Boerne (pronounced "Bernie") was founded by German immigrants, members of the same group who settled nearby New Braunfels. They named the town for author Ludwig Borne, whose writings inspired many men to leave Germany for the New World. During the 1880s, Boerne became known as a health spot, and vacationers came by railroad to soak in mineral water spas and enjoy the clean country air. Although no mineral spas remain today, Boerne still offers a quiet country atmosphere and plenty of attractions to fill a day trip. This year Boerne celebrates its 150th anniversary on July 24 and 25 with two days of parades, concerts, and special activities.

If you arrive in Boerne on a weekday or on Saturday morning, start your visit at the Chamber of Commerce office at One Main Plaza. Here you can pick up some free maps and brochures to area attractions and shopping areas.

Also on the Main Plaza you'll find Ye Kendall Inn. In 1859 the owners of this two-story structure began renting rooms to stagecoach travelers, eventually developing the property into an inn. Over the years, its famous guests included Confederate President Jefferson Davis and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Today it's still a bed and breakfast, with rooms furnished with period antiques. If the sight of those antiques makes you ready to shop, you're in luck: shoppers will find over 100 antiques dealers selling their wares downtown.

Agriculture was important to the history of this community, and its contribution is remembered at the Agricultural Heritage Center, on Texas 46. This museum features farm and ranch tools used by pioneers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including a working steam-operated blacksmith shop. Six acres surrounding the museum are covered with hand drawn plows, wagons, early tractors and woodworking tools.

Outdoor lovers will be thrilled with Boerne's many natural attractions, ones located both above and below ground. Cibolo Wilderness Trail, a 70-acre greenbelt in Boerne City Park just of TX 46, preserves some of the natural habitat of this area with a reclaimed prairie and marsh. You'll find several walking trails, including an historic farm trail, a prairie trail, a creekside trail, and a marsh loop. The trails wind past native plants as well as birds and animals indigenous to the Hill Country. Look for great horned owl, opossum, white tailed deer, and cottontail rabbits in the Cibolo Wilderness.

After a hike, there's no better way to cool off that to head to the cool, dark recesses of a cave. Cascade Caverns, located off exit 543 on I-10, has welcomed the public since 1932, but it's clear that both man and animals have been using the cave much longer. One of the first visitors over 50,000 years ago was a mastodon whose bones remain in the cave today. Later, ancient Indian tribes held ceremonies within the cave's first room, fearing to venture beyond the reassuring sunlight. Those early visitors missed the highlight of the cavern: a spectacular 100-foot waterfall. Today guided tours on well-lighted paths take visitors through the cave's rooms.

Travelers also enjoy tours of Cave Without A Name, located on Kreutzberg Road 11 miles from Boerne. This 50-million-year-old cave boasts many beautiful formations. A guided tour takes visitors through a series of rooms, including one with Texas-sized stalagmites. Graveled walks wind through the cavern, and no difficult climbing is necessary. Tours are given daily except Friday.

If all this hiking works up your appetite, then pack a picnic and head to the riverbanks. River Road Park, a grassy shoreline along Cibolo Creek, is a popular fishing and picnicking spot and the perfect place for a little R&R. Another popular option is Guadalupe River State Park, located 13 miles east of Boerne on TX 46. This riverbank park, flanked with limestone bluffs, offers camping, fishing, swimming, and birdwatching.

Summer also brings seasonal fun to Boerne. A favorite activity on the Main Plaza is Abendkonzerte, summer concerts performed by the Boerne Village Band. For nearly a century and a half this German band (the oldest continuously active German band in the country and the oldest in the world outside of Munich) has entertained residents and visitors with their Old World sound. Abendkonzerte takes place on selected Tuesday nights throughout the summer.

For information:

• Boerne Chamber of Commerce

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