Things to do in the Lee County seat 

By Alyssa Meinke

The heart of Giddings, home of the high school Buffaloes sports teams, is at the intersection of busy U.S. highways 290 and 77 in Lee County. The town is 55 miles east of Austin and 107 miles west of Houston. It was founded in 1871, after brothers J.D. and DeWitt Giddings financed the Houston & Texas Central Railway, which transported cotton from Houston to Dallas and fueled an economic engine for the region. Giddings was incorporated in 1913, with 2,000 residents, and a 1980s oil boom brought growth. Today Giddings has more than 5,000 residents.

WHAT TO DO

Altman Plants, 1180 Private Road 2906, 3½ miles west of downtown off U.S. 290, is the largest commercial nursery in Texas. You can stop and browse through the assortment of discounted plants for sale to the public from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. While you’re there, admire its more than 50 acres of massive greenhouses.

Check out one of the state’s largest privately collected arrowhead displays at the Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center, 276 N. Orange St., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. 
Also worth a stop is the historic 1879 Schubert-Fletcher Home housing the Lee County Museum, 183 E. Hempstead St., 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Although construction partially blocks the view, stop to admire the architecture of the Lee County Courthouse, built in 1899, 200 S. Main St., and the many murals around the city, particularly the historic Depression-era mural inside the post office, called “Cowboys Receiving the Mail,” 279 E. Austin St., which is also U.S. 290. Get more information at co.lee.tx.us and giddingstx.com.

Looking for live music or a screen to watch sports? Check out Giddings Brewhaus, 199 N. Burleson St., from 3-11 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays. Home of the “Zoch Bock,” Brewhaus serves craft beers, wines and food, from pizza and hot wings to German specialties like schnitzel. 
Before you strike out for home, hit one of the 16 lanes at Leesure Lanes bowling alley, 2249 W. U.S. 290, from 6 p.m.-midnight, Fridays and Saturdays. 

GRAB A BITE

Reba’s Pizza & Deli, 208 E. Austin St., 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, is a good spot to stop for lunch. It serves homestyle soups, wraps, salads, quiche, specialty pizza and more. Save room for homemade fudge or a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream. 

Other dining options ranked in Trip Advisor’s top restaurants in Giddings are: 

Los Patrones Mexican Grill, 2880 E. Austin St., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday. 

Taqueria Chihuahua, 1865 E. Austin St., 5:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
City Meat Market, 101 W. Austin St., 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Saturdays.

STOP AND SHOP

Giddings has several boutiques and gift shops run by local entrepreneurs. Here are three located close together: 

Ashley’s Attic, 687 E. Austin St., is a one-stop eclectic shop for gifts, clothes, accessories and Kendra Scott jewelry; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and noon-5 p.m.  Sundays. 

Gourmet Divas, at 721 E. Austin St., is a local favorite for cookware, bakeware, spices and kitchen gadgets; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays. Divas hosts cooking classes periodically; get information at facebook.com/gourmetdivastx. 

The Grapevine, 790 E. Austin St., sells gifts, apparel, footwear, home and seasonal decor, plus bags and purses, including those by Consuela; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. 

Some other shopping options:

For quilters, All Around the Block Quilt Shop, 979 N. Leon St., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays, is a haven for fabric and sewing supplies.

For antiques, stop by Whistle Stop Antiques, 1122 E. Austin St., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, or Roadhouse Antiques, 791 E. Austin St., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. 
Rejuvenation Thrift Store, 179 S. Main St., 9:30 a.m-1 pm. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; benefits local residents in need.

TIPS FROM LOCALS

If a train is chugging through town, traffic can back up on either side of the tracks on U.S. 290. If you’re headed west, take a left turn on East Hempstead Street and drive parallel to U.S. 290 to avoid traffic in town.     

Take an Instagrammable cruise through town by following the map from the Giddings Chamber of Commerce’s driving tour; get information here. 

This is part of a series of guides on spending a day in one of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative’s service area communities.
 

Portables can be helpful in a power outage, but users should practice caution

Portable generators may be a godsend during a prolonged electrical outage, but they can be dangerous and owners should be extremely careful while operating one. A portable generator typically runs on gasoline, although some use diesel or propane. Portables are by far the most frequently used type of generator, and can cost from about $400 up to $2,500. Many are purchased at large home-improvement stores.

They can provide 3,000 to 8,500 watts of power, which is enough to power a few essential items, such as a refrigerator. They cannot power an entire house. Portable generators can produce harmful levels of carbon monoxide if operated in an enclosed area, and carbon monoxide poisoning is the cause of hundreds of deaths nationally each year.

If you are getting, or already have, a portable generator, follow these tips:

• Keep the generator dry and do not use it indoors, in a garage, near open doors or windows, or in rainy or wet conditions. A generator cover can protect it from the elements.
• Never try to power your house by plugging the generator into a wall outlet in your house or garage. This dangerous practice can reverse the electricity flow and send electricity out of your house and onto power lines. This can endanger line workers and your neighbors.
• When plugging something into the generator, use the proper type of extension cord that is in good condition. Frayed or ungrounded cords could cause a fire or electric shock. Overloading a multi-plug extension cord can be dangerous.
• Keep your generator on a flat, stable surface, with its exhaust venting away from windows and doorways to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Install battery-operated carbon monoxide alarms in your home.
• Don’t overload a portable generator. Look at its power rating. Most portable generators can only power a single appliance such as a refrigerator plus a few small battery-powered devices.
• Larger, permanently mounted standby generators are more powerful, but they are much more expensive (they can start around $4,000 and rise well above $10,000) and must be installed by a licensed, qualified electrician.

Contact a Bluebonnet member service representative at 800-842-7708 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday if you are having a standby generator installed. There can be a wait time for delivery and installation.

A Bluebonnet line worker must disconnect power to the home or business where the generator is being installed, inspect the connection from the generator to the meter to make sure it meets safety requirements, and then reconnect power when the job is done.