Sunday, February 01, 2004

SOME ACCOMMODATIONS:

Ant Street Inn, 107 W. Commerce St., Brenham, TX; 1-800-481-1951; www.antstreetinn.com. Former commercial building filled with an eclectic collection of Victorian antiques. One room still has the freight elevator as "sculpture" at the end of the bed. The more expensive rooms have deep, large bathtubs. $115-$235, includes full breakfast.

There are more than 30 bed-and-breakfast accommodations in Washington County, some with only one or two rooms, many in historic buildings. For brochures, call the Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-888-273-6426.

Pecan Street Inn Bed and Breakfast, 1010 Pecan St., Bastrop, TX 78602; 1-512-321-3315; www.pecanstreetinn.com. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Turn-of-the-century Victorian with five antique-filled guest rooms. $75-$150, gourmet breakfast included.

Belle Oaks Inn, 222 St. Peter St., Box 57, Gonzales, TX 78629; 1-830-857-8613; www.belleoaksinn.com. Gardens, swimming pool. $75-$175, includes Continental breakfast.

SOME RESTAURANTS:

Brenham

Volare, 205 S. Baylor St.; 1-979-836-1514. Italian. Lunch, Wed.-Sun, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dinner, Wed.-Sun., from 5 p.m. Chef Silvio DiGennaro, lately of southern Italy, now of Brenham, Texas, prepares such dishes as mushrooms stuffed with crab meat, spinach and parmesan cheese, pastas, chicken marsala and veal scallopine. Entrees, $9-$22.

Must Be Heaven, 107 W. Alamo St.; 1-979-830-8536. Sandwiches, quiches, homemade soups, salads, pies and Blue Bell ice cream. Open Mon.-Sat., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. A facsimile of an old-fashioned sandwich shop/ice cream parlor. (Owner Charlie Pyle is a descendent of two of the 59 men who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.) Under $10.

Big Daddy's Barbecue, 1309 Prairie Lea St.; 1-979-830-1619. In a gas station. Great barbecue cooked over a coal-and wood-burning fire in the back of the gas station. Also wonderful cole slaw and potato salad made from recipes handed down to owner Nathan Winkelmann by his German grandmother. Under $10.

Ernie's Grill, 103 S. Baylor; 1-979-836-7545. Grilled meat, salads, sandwiches. Open for lunch, Tues.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner, Tues.-Thurs. 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 5 -10 p.m. Dinner entrees from $8.

Fluff Top Restaurant, 210 E. Alamo; 1-979-836-9441. Where Brenham eats breakfast and lunch except on Mondays, when the Fluff Top is closed. Cute cafe with white tablecloths and a hand-painted sign on the window that says, "God Bless America." Under $10.

Chappell Hill

Bevers Kitchen, 5162 Main St.; 1-979-836-4178. Open Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Home-style cooking, homemade pies. Entrees, from $4.

Gonzales

Gonzales Food Market, 311 St. Lawrence St.; 1-800-269-5342; www.gonzalesfoodmarket.com. Pit-smoked barbecue. Under $10. Will also freeze barbecue orders and Fed Ex them out of state.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Feb. 28 and 29: Texas Independence Celebration, Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park, Washington, TX 77880; 1-936-878-2214; www.birthplaceoftexas.com. Re-enactments. Historic crafts demonstrations. Food vendors.

An original document of the Texas Declaration of Independence will be on display. Free.

March 27 and 28: Goliad Massacre, Fort Defiance Living History Program, Presidio La Bahia, Goliad; 1-361-645-3752; www.presidiolabahia.org.

April 3 and 4: Runaway Scrape Reenactment, George Ranch Historical Park, Richmond; 1-281-343-0218; www.georgeranch.org.

April 24: San Jacinto Day Festival and San Jacinto Battle Re-enactment, San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Park, Houston/LaPorte; 1-281-479-2421; www.sanjacinto-museum.org. Free.

ATTRACTIONS

Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historical Park, Washington, TX 77880; 1-936-878-2214; www.birthplaceoftexas.com. Park and grounds open daily, 8 a.m. to dark. Free. Barrington Living History Farm, open Wed.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Christmas. Adults, $4, students, $2.

Star of the Republic Museum, open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults, $2, students, $1. Six and under, free.

Texas Baptist Historical Center Museum, near the junction of FM 50 and FM 390, Independence, TX; 1-979-836-5117. Open Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Sam Houston and Baylor University memorabilia.

Goliad State Historical Site, 108 Park Road 6, TX 77963; 1-361-645-3405; www.tpwd.state.tx.us. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Christmas. Admission, $2; seniors, $1; children 12 and under, free.

Presidio La Bahia, Highway 183, Goliad, TX 77963; 1-361-645-3752; www.presidiolabahia.org. Open 9 a.m.-4:45 p.m. daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and Easter. Admission, $3; seniors, $2.50; children, 6-11, $1.

San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, Highway 134 in La Porte, 22 miles from downtown Houston; 1-281-479-2431; www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/sanjac. Open daily 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Nov. 1-April 30; and 8 a.m.-9 p.m. from May 1-Oct. 31. Free.

San Jacinto Museum of History: 1-281-479-2421; www.sanjacinto-museum.org. Museum open 9 a.m.-6 p.m., daily. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Basic museum admission, free, with fees to board the battleship Texas, to visit the observation floor or to see "Texas Forever," a multi-screen slide projector show. Museum highlights Texas history from the Colonial Spanish period through the Civil War.

FOR FURTHER READING

Handbook of Texas Online at www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online contains extensive information about Texas history.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 314 S. Austin St., Brenham, TX 77833; 1-888-273-6426; www.BrenhamTexas.co.

Gonzales Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, 414 St. Lawrence St., Gonzales, TX 78629; 1-830-672-6532; www.gonzalestexas.com.

Bastrop Chamber of Commerce, 927 Main St., Bastrop, TX 78602-3809; 1-512-321-2419; www.bastropchamber.com .

Goliad Chamber of Commerce, 131 S. Courthouse Square, Goliad TX 77963; 1-361-645-3563; www.goliadcc.org.

Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, 901 Bagby No. 100, Houston, TX 77002; 1-800-365-7575; www.houston-guide.com.

Texas Independence Trail; 1-877-558-7245; www.texasindependencetrail.org.

-- Terese Loeb Kreuzer

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