Take a tour with me

I love our town. Actually, it's a city. And according to recent reports, it's the fastest growing city of it's size in the United States. But I call it a town, because it has that type of feel. It's actually a suburb, so I feel we have the best of both worlds...it's quaint and friendly and feels like a smaller town, but it has everything you'd want located right here. I really love the old, historical areas best.

Our city happens to be the county seat. Because of this, there is a historic downtown and courthouse square. Texas is known for having beautiful historical courthouses. While ours is pretty, it's definitely not the most elaborate. But "the square" is wonderful even so! We live a short 5 minutes from the square. It's peppered with adorable little cafes, antique shops, galleries and more. I really enjoy it and spend quite a bit of time down there...sometimes to shop, browse, people watch or have a glass of wine at my favorite winery.

Lining the streets surrounding the square are beautiful old homes of several different styles: Victorian, Frank Lloyd Wright, farmhouse, craftsman, cottage. They are all stunning in their own way. Most are private residences. A few are B&Bs.

Come visit with me!

Here is our courthouse. It's very sweet. It's been recently restored and now serves as the performing arts center.





The courthouse has seen several renovations over the years since it was built in 1874.

Here it is in 1908.



Another look in 1927.



In 1939.



Notice the cars parked outside from each picture? Cool!

If you were to take a stroll, here is some of what you'd see.











My favorite shop. It's a little pet boutique called Reigning Cats and Dogs. How cute is that?! The lady who owns the shop is very sweet and is a fellow animal rescuer. She usually has at least one of her 3 dogs up there with her, along with a cat or two. She sells everything from fancy collars to beds, treats, toys and more. I love her store. It's a fun place to visit.



This place used to be an antique mall. It went out of business, and half of it now is a coffee shop/Mediterranean restaurant and the other half is a children's clothing store. I haven't eaten dinner there, but we've had coffee/tea, and it's really good.



My favorite winery.







Even Cissy had fun at the winery. Some folks at the next table gave her pieces of cheese from their wine and cheese tray. She also got lots of lovin's from everyone.







Here's a sweet old-fashioned family-run pharmacy that has been around for well over 100 years. We didn't realize until we were down there a couple of weeks ago that they have been hit with hard times due to the economy. It's a shame. I saw on the news recently that the owners are hoping an investor will come in and save this piece of history.









I love our "town."