A Day in Nature near Boerne, Texas

This is part two of a three-part series. To see the rest, check out our day in Austin and the third day, which we spent in San Antonio.

On our way to Boerne from Austin, we stopped at Target and got the girls’ swimsuits. I also figured out I wanted to make a charcuterie board while we were on our trip- getting things like a cheese and meat tray while they were shopping.

Then we drove another hour south, stopping at a P. Terry’s restaurant before arriving at our new home away from home for the week. We hung out and watched TV for a bit—nothing too exciting. We were tired and ready for day two, and Guadalupe State Park and Cascade Caverns were on the list.

Black Rifle Coffee Co. – Boerne

Going to Black Rifle Coffee Co. was high on my list of things to do because Brandon wasn’t much of a coffee drinker. He would buy their coffee, telling me to make it cold for him. He would drink it instead of tea from time to time. He mainly bought it because he liked what they stood for.

That all being said, I had been to one of their coffee shops in Fort Worth and had a terrible experience. It was the girls and me, plus a friend of theirs. We all got drinks, and… they were all disgusting. I was hoping the Boerne crew would redeem the shops as a whole in my eyes. They really never got the chance.

The customer experience was pretty good; they were very nice and offered to make me a cafe au lait because their espresso machine was not working properly. Ugh! I ordered one anyway and sat down to enjoy the scenery for about an hour or two before I had to wake the girls.

One day, I will get to a Black Rifle shop and try their espresso again; this time, we were just too busy, and we wanted to visit too many other shops.

Richter Bakhaus and The Cup at Bergheim

If you happen to find yourself in Boerne, you must check out Richter bakhaus. They have the largest cinnamon rolls I’ve ever had. We bought one for eight dollars and were able to eat to our contentment the day we bought them, and we still had leftovers for our last morning in town.

The cinnamon rolls were light and fluffy, and the cream cheese icing that was added after heating up tasted like silky sweet butter. It was soft and delicious.

We opted to go to another coffee shop because we needed espresso… and what better excuse to buy more coffee? I searched locations between our house and Guadalupe River State Park, and we chose The Cup at Bergheim.

Given that it was ten thirty am on a Tuesday, few people were in the coffee shop, mainly the workers and a group of women having a bible study.
Nevaeh had lavender tea and a green citrus lemonade. She said, “It was good enough that I went back for another cup, wasn’t it?”
Bre got a white mocha that was “pretty good. Not too sweet, not too bitter. I could still taste the coffee”.
I had the barista special and agreed with them- it was good.

I liked the ambiance of the location as well. Being next to a gas station, the restaurant was good overall, but just that. Good. Not outstanding or memorable.

Tip: If you’re staying for a while and want a fun cooking class to go to, The Cup at Bergheim has some as well, be sure to check out their Instagram feed.

Guadalupe State Park

We were fortunate enough to figure out the best trail fairly quickly. I think we might have hiked a quarter mile before we found the river, which was a great place for Vaeh and me to jump rocks across to the other side.

I recommend not doing this with shoes you plan on keeping dry. It took about four stones before I took my shoes and socks off and left them behind. Worked out well for me, too, because I was able to get my toes wet without freaking out.

After rock hopping, the girls put on their swimsuits, and we got in the water at the other end of the trail. It was beautiful and clear- though Vaeh was pretty much done when the little fishies started nibbling my toes.

So we got lost and walked way back to the restrooms (because they were super clean), changed clothes, and got ready for our next stop.

Cascade Caverns

Cascade Caverns is located in Boerne. We got to the area and noticed the giant dinosaur statue almost immediately. After getting out, we also picked up a gold mining area and the gift shop, where you purchase your tickets.

The lady who sold us the tickets was also our tour guide. She was a native of the area and can remember many interesting facts about the location from when she was younger.

This is a great place to learn about the area’s history, especially the caverns themselves. For example, Alfred Gray bought the land from a widow and began a dairy farm. One day he couldn’t find one of his cows, come to find out, she had fallen into the hole that eventually started his search as he found Cascade Caverns.

Within the cave, there are the second tiniest bats in the world. They migrate north in the summer, but another colony of the same bats comes in from southern Mexico to inhabit the location. These bats do not stay clustered together and blend in very well with the ceiling. You can also find salamanders that are native to cascade caverns- as this is the ONLY place in the world where you can find them. We also saw the occasional cricket and the king frog who sat across from the waterfall.

Interestingly enough- the waterfall is now self-pumped by the cavern’s owners; otherwise, it would flow too fast and erode the area.

It was a great hike, full of information and a bit of wonder. Highly recommend!

Wrapping Up the Day

After a day at the river and caverns, the girls and I were ready to wind down. Originally we had planned to play Monopoly. Instead, we ate fajitas and watched a movie, which was one of Brandon’s favorite things to do anyway, so all was well.