Category Archives: Texas

Becker Vineyards, Fredericksburg, Texas, Stonewall, Wine, Texas Hill Country, Wine Trail

Becker Vineyards

When Spencer and I first met, we had a little debate on the best wine in Texas. I was on a white wine kick and he swore up and down that it was Becker Vineyard’s Malbec. Between you and me, he may have been right as it’s been one of my favorites ever since. It was only appropriate that when we took our trip to Fredericksburg, Texas, Becker Vineyards was a must on our list.

Fredericksburg has many options for wine tastings, either at a property outside of town or in town on the Urban Wine Walk. For us, we traversed a little of both worlds but started out the day visiting a couple vineyards outside of town. About a 15 minute drive outside of town, we arrived on a rainy, rainy mid-week morning. Luckily of us – we were the first customers of the day and had the entire place to ourselves for a little bit. (Tip: To avoid the majority of tourists, visit Fredericksburg mid-week.) Although, we didn’t get to explore the grounds nearly as much as we wished due to the rain, we savored and tasted the wines like the King and Queen of Texas!

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For $15, we sampled six different wines and received a crystal wine glass as a souvenir. With over 15 different wines to choose from, picking was not the easiest thing to do. We made it a point to try as many new wines as possible. I ended up walking away with a 2014 Reserve Roussanne. Now we’re saving it for a special occasion.

Fredericksburg, Texas, VisitFredTX, Wine Trail, Hill Country, Fredericksburg To Do, Becker Vineyards, Wine Trail

It’s a completely different experience to go to a tasting when you’re the only ones there. It’s really special. You have a chance to speak with the staff and get personal and learn a little more about them and the area. The locals give the best travel advice. One thing that I consistently ran into on this trip and meeting new people was that they’re now doing what they love. For instance, the gentleman that helped us, use to be an engineer. He moved back home to Fredericksburg, now lives on the family ranch. In the morning he tends to his cattle and property and then comes in and pours (and gets to meet incredible people passing through). More so – you could tell that he really enjoyed what he did! That, to me, is hitting the sweet spot in life. On a more “visitor level”, it’s an opportunity to learn more about the vineyard itself. We learned a little more about Dr. and Mrs. Becker, the start of the vineyard and the meaning behind some of the art on the labels. To learn more about the mission of a business is fascinating and a look into the heart of the company.

Becker has everything a wine lover on the wine trail could love. Driving up, we were greeted by rows and rows of grapevines.

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Upon arrival, we noticed the elegant property.

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Walking in, we were first welcomed by a small shop filled with wine items and lavender. Come to know, lavender can be made into any kind of product and Becker Vineyards has it.

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The tasting room is grand. Obviously, there’s a magnitude of wine available and information on their wine club as well as wine accessories. There’s a small deli area where anyone can purchase meats and cheese to accompany their tasting. There’s also mementos from prestigious events where Becker Vineyards has been served. See for yourself…
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Before we left, we went and ventured outside a little. A cabin so cute and quaint immediately grabs the attention. If it wasn’t raining, we definitely would’ve stayed longer.

Becker-Vineyards_0268 Becker-Vineyards_0262Wine tasting at the actual property is a completely different experience and unique. It provides a chance for the vineyard to show a little more of their personality and vibrancy. It’s an experience that you share with others and an opportunity to meet other people in an environment that you both enjoy.

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For us, Becker Vineyards played a part in how we met and got to know each other (and still joke about it today). It’s also one of absolute favorites which we will now add to our memory collection and cannot wait to visit again.

What is your favorite type of wine? Have you ever visited Becker Vineyards?

For more options on how to best spend your time in Fredericksburg, see
48 Hours in Fredericksburg, Texas!
Fredericksburg, Texas, VisitFredTX, Wine Trail, Hill Country, Fredericksburg To Do, Becker Vineyards

Dripping Springs, Liney Moon, Cottage, Texas, Travel Texas, Accomodations

The Liney Moon – Dripping Springs, Texas

Disclaimer: The Liney Moon provided a complimentary two-night stay in exchange for sharing my experience with readers. As always, 100% of opinions, photos and content are my own. #ad

When traveling, its important to ensure items that are not on the “regularly seen” list, are seen.  I love character, originality and charm mixed in with a little simplicity and local flare. On a recent trip to the Hill Country, we decided to stay and explore Dripping Springs. We’ve heard so much about the area, it was time we had a first hand account of what there was to offer.

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In researching accommodations, I came across The Liney Moon. First, it’s not the typical B&B, inn or hotel that we all see pop-up in internet search results, but I was intrigued. I mean, look at the cottages themselves. Something out of the ordinary!

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The Liney Moon is two types of accommodations, a large home (The Stellar House) or small cottages to rent.

The Stellar House is home to the large party of guests. If traveling with many guests or if a wedding is in the works, this may be more accommodating or appealing. With over 2300 sq. feet of living space, the house holds 1 double, 10 queen and 5 twin beds. See what I mean? Large party.

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During our stay we stayed in one of the ten cottages on the property (two are handicap accessible). Now, these are pretty neat. Each cottage sit on their own section of the property in a horseshoe setting (we could not see The Stellar House). Each has their own parking space, a porch and face out into the center lawn area which houses picnic tables, a few chairs and a grill. On the outside, they all look pretty similar but on the inside is when the local flare takes shape.

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Each cottage has it’s own theme based on a local organization within Dripping Springs. We stayed in the Verde Cottage which is based on the Verde Restaurant in town. A tequila sign sits over the full-sized bed (how fitting knowing my love for the special beverage). Equipped with a TV, small microwave and refrigerator and other artwork showcasing the Verde Restaurant, the room came together.

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This cottage was handicap accessible with a ramp outside to come in, extra room along both sides of the TV / mini-fridge area and an extra large shower in the bathroom. There was plenty of space. This room had a full size bed (as opposed to a queen) with the additional roll-out twin size bed for extra guests. Liney-Moon_0526 LineyMoon_0530

The Liney Moon is just a short drive outside of town. During our stay and exploration of the area, we noticed there were a lot of weddings within a short drive (couple miles) so this may be a great option if in town for an event.

More so this is a great place to getaway, unplug and relax. I refer to it as elaborate camping. This still supplies electricity and plumbing with the ability to sleep comfortably at night in a bed and still check out of the everyday world. Sometimes, we don’t know how much we need to unplug until we’re forced to. Time to turn off the cell phones. A lot of people may find this a downside when staying somewhere but the cottages have no internet access and we had little cell service. There’s a phone inside, however no internet. Gasp! This really forced me put down my phone and embrace the time I had to be away from it all in the world.

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Sometimes, you need a one-of-a-kind place to really take a break. Be prepared for no WI-fi in the cottages and I would suggest bringing extra beverages and water. There are locations to check out nearby including some that we checked out including Deep Eddy Vodka distillery, enjoyed a great pizza in town and spent a day in Austin (a short drive away).

For more information:
The Liney Moon
5401 W Fitzhugh Road
Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Distance: About 30 minutes from downtown Austin and an hour from Fredericksburg.

The 6666 Pullman Train Car, Fredericksburg, Texas, Train Car, Presidential Train Car

The 6666 Pullman Train Car

It’s amazing the things that you can find when traveling somewhere new and sometimes it really pays off taking a turn just for the heck of it, unsure what’s waiting to be seen around the corner. Not far from Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas lies a piece of history – the 6666 Pullman Train Car.

When we were in Fredericksburg in March, we decided to spend a little time before a wine tasting driving around town. Low and behold, we found this train car with a United States Presidential Seal. It’s taken some digging but I may have found the secret to this unusual find.

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In 1894, Pullman built this train car which was purchased by S. Burde Burnett, a famous cattleman in North Texas and the Quanah’s route of directors, shortly after. Burnett grew to be one of the largest cattleman in the Southwest and as his business grew, he found that he had greater needs to travel. He purchased the train car in order to ease his needs to travel between Fort Worth and his ranch, The Four Sixes Ranch in Wichita County.

The 6666 Pullman Train Car, Fredericksburg, Texas, Train Car

There are a few ideas where the name ‘6666’ derived from. One theory states it was the hand he played to win the ranch in a game of poker. The more accurate account states that Burnett purchased a herd of cattle from another rancher in Denton County in 1871 and Burnett kept the brand.

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This train car was not only owned by one of the more famous cattleman in Texas but it was also used by President Theodore Roosevelt (on one of his hunting trips) and Comanche Chief Quanah Parker.

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Throughout the years the train car has been bought by multiple owners however today it is owned by Fischer & Wieser in Fredericksburg, a specialty foods company. It is said to a guesthouse or a small B&B. Little did we know it was a place to stay while in town but it was pretty neat to find something so unique exploring town.

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Facts and information on the 6666 Pullman Train Car can be found at:
Cozy Up, Texas: The 6666 Pullman Train Car
Fredericksburg Lodging
Fredericksburg Lodging – Historical Information