Inn at a Glance: Olivia Mansion

The stately Olivia Mansion has presided over the streets of downtown Seguin with Victorian grandeur since the 19th century. Once the estate of prominent local lawyer Emil Mosheim, the lovingly restored mansion now welcomes guests from all over with period-appropriate furnishings and grace. Each of the inn’s six stately guest rooms has its own personality and charms, including some with jetted tubs, fireplaces, and antique beds. Amenities common to each include WiFi and satellite TV.

• Start the morning right with the inn’s signature breakfast; depending on the day, options in this house-made morning spread may include omelets, blueberry crumble, Belgian waffles, or oven-roasted rosemary potatoes.
• Sit a spell on one of inn’s three wraparound porches.
• Take a quick drive to nearby attractions such as Schlitterbahn water park, or the historic Gruene Hall for a lively concert.

Seguin, Texas: Historic Pecan Town near New Braunfels

Seguin has more than earned its nickname as the Pecan Capital of Texas. It has a pecan orchard, a pecan-nutcracker museum, an annual pecan festival, and a half-ton sculpture of a pecan that’s believed to be the biggest in the world. The small town on the banks of the Guadalupe River also has a charming downtown lined with Victorian-era houses and boutiques.

Seguin is less than a fifteen minute drive from New Braunfels, where you’ll find the famous Schlitterbahn water park. Here, you can splash down high-speed water slides and scream your way up water coasters that zoom uphill. To explore nature, take a canoe down the Guadalupe River or hike the otherworldly Natural Bridge Caverns.

Nearby is the Gruene Historic District, which features original mid-nineteenth-century architecture left relatively untouched. After seeing the sights, there’s no shortage of things to do, from river-rafting and fly-fishing to wine-tastings and relaxing at the spa. In the evenings, Gruene Hall, an open air 6,000-square foot dance hall and one of Texas’ oldest music venues, showcases live country performances nightly.

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