Fredericksburg has always been on my bucket list and with it being just under 5 hours away from Dallas, I finally decided to visit! John luckily had two weeks off in between job changes, so this was a perfect time to go on a short road trip to a city nearby.
As if I wasn’t already excited for the wineries, Chip and Jo’s famous Magnolia is on the way in Waco, so I had to make a stop. This fixer upper power couple just opened up their first restaurant, Magnolia Table, and we were lucky enough to visit on the day of their Grand Opening. The food was DELICIOUS. Lavender lattes, lemon lavender donut holes, Jo’s homemade biscuits…Yes please. And as far as the décor, no explanation needed. Gorgeous as always. Classic Jo.
John and I have visited a few wineries in the past, but never anything like the Hill Country. The drive is beautiful and you pass through so many cute towns. We checked into our B&B, and immediately fell in love. Absolute Charm online has so many bed and breakfasts to choose from and I chose Inn on the Creek, the Tuscan Suite. It was exactly as described, but I made the mistake of choosing one without a shower. The suite did have a huge European standing tub, and I was 100% okay with that. I think John took his first bath since he was a toddler (LOL) but he actually didn’t mind!
Day 1:
- Explore Main Street: First, we went to The Elk Store, which is a whiskey distillery, and we had to try their Old Fashioned. When it comes to whiskey or the vineyard, we both agreed hat the wine could wait. Their Old Fashioned was amazing (as they always are) and we left with a jar of their maraschino cherries. The best Old Fashions always have a cherry.
- AusLander and Biergarten for lunch: This is a German restaurant with a Texas vibe, so us Schulmeisters had to test out how the German food was. A+ rating for us. Bratwurst, sharing size beer mugs, and German hot potato salad (sounds weird, but it was so yummy).
- Grape Creek Winery: we didn’t have time to visit this famous vineyard, but there are tons of tasting rooms on Main Street with the same wines. We took home a bottle of the Mosaic, a red blend.
- Fat Ass Ranch and Winery: We bought the Country Peach. We still haven’t opened this, but we are planning to make mimosas with it or pour over some vanilla ice cream!
- Dinner: Pasta Bella. A small, hole in the wall Italian restaurant near Main Street. Very good!
Day 2:
- Breakfast: Java Ranch. Best vanilla lattes and kolaches
- Enchanted Rock: I love to hike and since it was a short drive away, I decided to add this to the list. It was a pretty muggy day and there was a chance of rain, so we decided to do Loop Trail, which is about 2 hours roundtrip. Unfortunately, wewere about an hour in when it started drizzling, so we headed back. The views we saw were still great!
- Texas Wine Tours: There are hundreds of wineries to choose from, and with this trip being so last minute, we decided to go with a tour bus I found online that chooses the wineries for you. Texas Wine Tours picked us up from our B&B and we joined a few other groups on the ride down highway 281. This is the main road here all of the vineyards are. We vis
ited William Chris vineyard, Texas Hill Winery and 4.0 Cellars. We took home a bottle of the Barbera Kick Butt Cab from Texas Hill, and the La Harencia from 4.0 Cellars. I highly recommend using Texas Wine Tours! They made everything so easy and our driver was very knowledgeable. They also have snacks and drinks on the bus for no extra charge. - Dinner: West End Pizza. Parmesan chicken pizza. Yes, it’s a thing. Yes, it’s as good as it sounds.
Fredericksburg is the perfect destination for a romantic getaway or a girl’s trip! You can stay for just a couple of days or an entire week. There is plenty to see and do, and I can’t wait to plan another trip!
