Brenham, Texas Travel Guide

also see Washington-on-the-Brazos

Founded by German settlers, this community is the gateway to Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park, the home of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

The city is also synonymous with Blue Bell, Texas's biggest independent manufacturer of ice cream and visitors can tour the manufacturing plant.. It's as Texan as bluebonnets and two-stepping, and expatriates have been known to carry back picnic freezers full of Brenham's product.

Brenham has a host of other, less fattening attractions as well, including a historic downtown that's filled with antique and specialty shops, and residential streets that showcase splendid antebellum and Victorian homes.

Attractions:

Blue Bell Creamery. FM 566 off US 290 W. Blue Bell has been making ice cream since 1911, when they packaged their product in wooden tubs and delivered it by horse-drawn wagon. The "tasting room" here is a turn-of-the-century-style soda shop, where visitors can choose from among 25 flavors. After a free dish of your personal favorite, you can have a look around the Country Store, which sells everything from strawberry-ice-cream-scented pencils to piggy banks in the shape of the company's early delivery trucks.

Monastery of St. Clare Miniature Horse Ranch. TX 105, nine miles northeast of Brenham. This monastery is occupied by a group of Catholic nuns who raise miniature horses to support themselves. The tiny horses, some less than 34 inches tall, sell for as much as $30,000. On self-guided tours visitors see the barn and grooming facilities (with miniature carriages and harnesses) and the Mini Mansion where the horses are reared. The Art Barn brims with thousands of ceramics made by the nuns, including tiny reproductions of the horses.

Antique Rose Emporium. Specializing in antique varieties of roses, this nursery also has extensive displays. Locatedd on Route 50, 12 miles northeast of Brenham.

Antique Carousel at Fireman's Park. From Main St., take Austin Pkwy. north to Academy St. The antique carousel is located inside Fireman's Park, a popular picnic spot shaded by tall post oaks. Housed in a round building, the carousel is available for group tours and special occasions. Built before 1910 by the Hershell-Spillman Company of New York, this is one of few carousels to be constructed for a traveling carnival.

Lake Somerville State Park and Trailway. Lake Somerville offers a full menu of water activities. On land, 14 miles of trails are available for horseback riding, as well as mountain biking and hiking. Campgrounds can be used by backpackers and equestrians. The park includes two units: the Birch Creek Unit and the Nails Creek Unit.

Festivals:

May: Maifest and Brenham Ice Cream Festival

For More Information:

• visit the Brenham/Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau