This sleepy western town is located just 25 miles from San Antonio and 40 miles from Austin, and boasts two rivers, the Comal River and the Guadalupe River. Residents and visitors to New Braunfels can step back in time with the 3.5-acre Conservation Plaza where you'll find 18 historic buildings, an old-fashioned saloon, and an 1870 schoolhouse. More local highlights include:

• Gruene Historic District. Established by German cotton farmers in the mid-1840s, the Gruene district thrived until the early 1920s when its steep economic decline was hastened by the Depression. In 1974, an architecture student saved the ghost town from being turned into condos. Today, the mercantile store built in 1878 is now a general store, the cotton mill is now a restaurant/bar, and the dance hall and saloon (which never closed) is still rocking into the night with local and prominent acts.
• Landa Park. You can enjoy this 51-acre site by land, water or locomotive via walking trails, paddle boats, or a miniature train that circles the park. There's also a picnic area, playground, mini-golf course, and arboretum.

Another unique attraction is the Schlitterbahn® Waterpark which offers 51 rivers, rides, slides and chutes, including an uphill water coaster, a surfing ride, and water playgrounds suitable for young children.