Tag Archives: History

Fredericksburg – Food, Beer and Wine

Fredericksburg is a great little town and a tourist hot spot. It shouldn’t be any surprise as there’s plenty to do in town. One of the great things is if you are into trying lots of need food and drinks… this is a pretty good place to go.

Candy shops. There seems to be a lot of them but don’t be “good” and pass them up. They literally have everything. I grabbed a couple chocolate truffles at one and it was so worth it!

Chocolate covered everything. Pickles…. I’m not so sure…

Fredericksburg is known for wine. Coming into town, you will notice a ton of vineyards. If you have a chance (or enough time really) be sure to stop by one. If not, head into town and check out a tasting room. I stopped by Grape Creek Vineyards on Main Street. Head on in and try out six different wines, learn a bit about each of them and you get to keep a very large wine glass. I’ve only done a few wine tastings but this one was great. One on one, I learned quite a bit about the wine and the best part, it was very savory!

Wine came before dinner while I was in Fredericksburg. Once I was done the wine tasting, I headed next door to the Fredericksburg Brewery. There couldn’t have been a better choice. The atmosphere was great, beer was phenomenal and the spinach artichoke pizza with grilled chicken was out of this world. I even had someone come up to me and ask me what I was eating so he could order it.

Have you had a chance to swing by Fredericksburg? What’s your favorite vineyard or place to eat in town?

One of the Greatest Towns In Texas

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Luckenbach, TX. Population: 3

By far one of my favorite places in this state. I light up whenever I talk about it and there’s not even that much there. Maybe that’s why I love it so! Maybe it’s because of the song. I’m not sure.

If you ever find yourself on Highway 290 between Fredericksburg and Johnson City, do yourself a favor and take a little detour. You’ll turn off 290, drive about ten minutes up the road and be careful not to miss your turn. You’ll find the general store (with a bar in the back), the dancehall and outdoor stage. Deep in the heart of Texas.

The general store has a lot of items that you can purchase. People come here from near and far, for good reason. This place is awesome! I mean, there’s even a cat that roams around, I like to think it’s the soul of one of original people from Luckenbach.

Luckenbach is incredibly unique. There are pictures, money, signatures, stickers, hats and pretty much anything you can think of covering the walls, ceilings and floor in the bar. It’s pretty awesome just checking out everything there and each time you go, there’s something new. (I stopped by twice on this trip. Once obviously wasn’t enough.)

While I was in the general store, a couple people were talking about the history of the town. Apparently, years ago, the town went up for sale. A local rancher purchased the town as it was a middle point between himself and a few friends. They used it as a place to get together in between their ranches and catch up, enjoy some tunes and have a few cold ones.

Had to get a picture with the bartender! When in Luckenbach, drink a Shiner. It’s the Texas way.

My first time visiting Luckenbach was a few years ago. When we had stopped, we asked the bartender who he had seen walk thru there. They pointed us to a man who was sitting on a bar stool and said “You should ask him. He’s been here a while.”. Well, this man had a patch on one eye and proceeded to tell us that Kenny Chesney was there the week prior, he had seen them all, George Strait, Willie and the list went on and on. To be a fly on the wall.

(Above) This band was playing in the dancehall on Saturday night.
(Below) This band was playing on the outdoor stage on Sunday morning.

Even the armadillos get in on the fun!
If you’re ever in the area, be sure to stop by. If you’ve been, I’d love to hear about your experience!

Texas Tuesday link up with Amanda from Princess of the Panhandle and Crystal from Masons Mama. This is a chance for any blogger to participate in a post on the greatness of Texas! There’s so much to explore!

The Enchanted Rock

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One of the items on my Texas Bucket List is to hike the Enchanted Rock. When I was in Fredericksburg last month, it was the perfect opportunity! There’s a lot of history and beauty in this area and the landmark itself is really something to see in person. I mean just look at it, it’s massive!

The Enchanted Rock is a 425 foot high, pink granite exfoliation dome rock. The natural area covers 1,643.5 acres just north of Fredericksburg but the rock itself covers 640 acres. It’s an easy, scenic drive (20-30 minutes). You will drive thru the hill country and it’s just astounding. In 1970, the rock was designated a National Nature Landmark and in 1984 was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History tells the tale that this rock has been visited by humans for over 11,000 years. Long time, eh?!

Tonkawan Indians believed the rock was in fact enchanted. They claimed that they saw “ghost fires” at the top and often heard “cracking and groaning” noises coming from the rock. Only in 1723, when the Spanish began colonizing Texas, did one of the first documented explorations of the area begin.

Here is an excerpt from the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area website regarding the history of the rock:

“A conquistador captured by the Tonkawa described how he escaped by losing himself in the rock area, giving rise to an Indian legend of a “pale man swallowed by a rock and reborn as one of their own.” The Indians believed he wove enchantments on the area, but he explained that the rock wove the spells. “When I was swallowed by the rock, I joined the many spirits who enchant this place.”

There are three different trails to hike up the Enchanted Rock. I did the direct route, the Summit Hike which was about .75 miles straight up. I’m not going to lie, it’s a little steep so brace yourself if you happen to sit down on a rock on the way up and turn around but definitely do-able. More importantly, entirely worth the view at the top. It’s absolutely amazing. (I’m scared of heights and I’m telling you that so don’t hold back!)

Hailing from the Green Mountain State, I can’t really say that we have landscape quite like this and it was extraordinary to sit at the summit and just try to soak it all in. There’s no view obstruction on this hike.

If you have a chance to check out the park, definitely do so. Take a day trip (there were generations of families hiking the mountain) or stay for the weekend and camp out. I would suggest going first thing in the morning as I arrived around 9:30am by the time I was leaving, the parking lot was full and there was a line to get in.

For more information, please check out the Enchanted Rock State Natural Park website.

Texas Tuesday link up with Amanda from Princess of the Panhandle and Crystal from Masons Mama. This is a chance for any blogger to participate in a post on the greatness of Texas and for you to see what Texas has to offer! There’s so much to explore!