Fredericksburg is one of Tim’s and I’s favorite weekend getaways when we’re looking for good food, good wine, and good shopping. The history of Fredericksburg is rich, and the town is full of fun activities for couples and families alike. Visiting Fredericksburg, nestled in the heart of the Texas hill country, is like visiting an authentic German town of a bygone era. Many of the town’s buildings have managed to keep their original Old World charm.
Fredericksburg also boasts a charming selection of locally owned restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and wineries. The neat thing about Fredericksburg is that it can be a romantic getaway for two or an amazing family destination with plenty of activities for kids. So let’s get started!
One of the family focused destinations that Fredericksburg offers is the Enchanted Rock State Park which has great hiking that will leave you feeling like you could climb Mt. Everest… not actually but you will feel accomplished! There is also a fun smaller pioneer museum right in the heart of Fredericksburg as well as the Nimitz Museum. Just outside Fredericksburg in Stonewall is Lyndon B. Johnson State Park, a more historic site. This site includes a visitor center as well as LBJ’s boyhood home and farmstead. The visitor center at the State Park as well as the farm includes interactive tours and abundant wildlife including longhorn, buffalo and deer as well as a yearly spring wildflower festival.
Shopping on Main Street is a main attraction where you will find a great selection of clothing, furniture, jewelry, artwork, and of course those knick knacks you just cannot live without. Along Main Street are restaurants and wine shops perfect to step into for a cold beer or a glass of wine. One of our favorite stops is Rustlin’ Rob’s! This is a must see where you can shop for hot sauce, salsa, jelly, jam, mustard, barbecue sauce, chili and dry mixes. They allow you to sample their products which makes it the perfect stop after you have picked up that chilled beer for an afternoon snack.
Another shop that we enjoy and our kids love is Phil Jackson’s Granite and Iron Store. This store is huge and has fun items to browse. One year our son found a great magnifying glass that he just could not live without. Last but not least, another shop that cannot be missed,= is Dogologie for our furry friends. We have found so many unique and cute items for our dogs such as fun chew toys. Overall, the shops on Main Street are all neat to explore and many have things us ladies enjoy but there are also many shops Tim loves.
Now for the wine! Along wine road 290 you will find many wineries nestled in on beautiful rolling hill country land that each offer their own events, tours, music, wine tastings and even picnics. A few that we have visited in the past and loved for the experience were Torre Di Pietra and Becker. Becker has a fun yearly grape stomp and lavender festival but is also just fun grounds for kids to explore. This trip we visited Grape Creek which has grown tremendously over our last few visits but has kept its friendly Italian feel. Grape Creek has a fun tour of all the ins and outs of the winery with a tasting to complete the tour. The grounds are so beautiful to look at that we enjoyed relaxing with a glass of wine following the tour and listening to the live music. When you get ready to hit the Texas Wine Trail, there are a few wine tour shuttle busses that allow you to sit back, relax and enjoy the day with family and friends. On your way out to all of the wineries be sure and tour Circle E Candles and Wildseed Farms. Wildseed Farms is a fun way to view a real wildflower farm and Circle E Candles offers a showroom with hand poured delightfully fragrant candles. Circle E Candles has been a long time favorite of mine that makes the house smell amazing!
After shopping and tasting some wine you will definitely be ready for a great meal. Tim and I visited the Sunset Grill and had a delicious brunch as well as a great dinner at the Cabernet Grill. The Sunset Grill is a sweet Miami feeling spot that offers what I consider the best breakfast in town, as well as a great lunch. Please check out our full review on the Cabernet Grill. Overall we enjoyed ourselves and the property is beautiful.
Last but not least, is finding the perfect place to stay. Visit Absolute Charm which offers the most luxurious B&B’s as well as vacation rentals in Fredericksburg. On their website you are able to filter the type of accommodations you would like to meet your specific needs. Their process from booking, to checking in and out is simple and efficient. There are many other sites to help with booking, but I appreciate the honest pictures and representation of the various B&B’s Absolute Charm offers. It is also really nice to be able to apply filters for exactly what you are looking for whether it’s staying in a place with a hot tub, keeping in a specific price range or staying in a specific area. We have used Absolute Charm for every trip to Fredericksburg and have never been disappointed with our accomodations.
There is truly something for everyone in Fredericksburg and for those not into shopping, wine or museum touring there are even spas and golf courses. Make Fredericksburg your next romantic getaway or family vacation, and you will not be disappointed!
