Shiner, Texas

We weren't that far from Shiner while staying in Gonzales, so even though we've been before, we decided it would make a nice day trip.  We went to a playground close-by on the way to the Shiner brewery that was primarily swings that go super-high, super tall slides, and a "spinny thing" or carousel, you know the things you can't even look at when you're over 30 without feeling dizzy!  The girls had a blast!

Having only been on two brewery tours, I can't exactly say I'm an expert, but let's just say that the Budweiser tour we took in California can't even come close to holding a candle to the Shiner tour!  Every drop of Shiner beer sold anywhere is brewed right here in this brewery!  Pretty cool!  They offer two tours daily, Monday through Friday, 11:00 & 1:30. Our tour guide (totally don't remember her name) was great for the brewery tour, and made our girls feel welcome.  Needless to say, our four kiddos were the only kids on the tour.  She let Genna operate the elevator, which made her feel super special! We were able to stand and watch production for awhile and witness how things really work (like when a bottle goes down on the line and holds up the process until it's spotted & removed, or when the conveyor for the crowns get jammed).

You can't take photos on the inside, but here is the outside

This pretty much explains it

After the tour, we went to the gift shop where you can watch a video on the history of Shiner, and you can also sample four different varieties of Shiner.  They offer lemonade and water for the kids and anyone who wants them.  Of course the girls were drinking lemonade.  When Genna finished her first lemonade, she walked up to the counter with me, and politely asked, "I'd like to try the blue one next, please!"  Hilarious...of course, the blue one was beer, Shiner Blonde, but the pretty blue color on the dispenser looked appealing to her!

We finished our day in Shiner by driving to the Municipal Park and playing at two different playgrounds.  We also saw that they have several RV sites with full hook-ups.  It would be a great place to overnight if you're going to tour the Shiner Brewery and have kids as the campsites are so close to two playgrounds.