My wife had a great idea this past weekend.

She suggested we take a little family road trip up to Gruene.

There’s a restaurant there that we really like, and it has been several years since we went there.

The past two months have been pretty stressful on all of us.

Pretty much every weekend since mid-August has been consumed by work in some form or another, so there really haven’t been many opportunities for rest and relaxation as a family, together.

Of course, when you have three kids, ages 1, 3 and 5 – there is always the concern of whether or not we will become embarrassed by their behavior when we go to a nice restaurant in a public setting.

I think you have to take that risk every once in a while.

How will kids learn to behave in public if you never take them anywhere?

As it turns out, their mom and I were very impressed with them – they were on their very best behavior which made it a very enjoyable trip for all of us.

Gruene is a really neat place.

There is a lot of history there, and in a way, it’s a bit like time travel. Many things there haven’t changed in many years.

Gruene’s motto is, "Gently resisting change since 1872."

It’s a beautiful spot on the banks of the Guadalupe River near New Braunfels.

You can catch some great live music at Gruene Hall, there are shops and restaurants and lots to see and do.

With soaring gas prices, we don’t travel nearly as much as we used to, but still, once in a while, it can be a special treat that helps replenish our spirits and reconnect our family.

I’m not sure why we only go to Gruene once every five years or so. From where we live in Cestohowa, it’s really not any farther than San Antonio.

Our kids enjoyed exploring what was for them a brand new place, and for mom and dad, it was great family time together.

If you’ve never visited Gruene, I’d encourage you to find a lazy weekend afternoon to go take a look around.

I don’t think you’ll regret it.