Fredericksburg for art, wine and history
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To take a piece of the Hill Country home with you, Wildseed Farms offers a variety of native plants and wildflower seeds suited for any part of the country.
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For the amateur photographer, the Texas Hill Country is a bonanza in spring with fields awash with wildflowers and wildlife.
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A big part of Fredericksburg’s charm is its small town feel. In downtown Fredericksburg, there is something for everyone.
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At the Herb Farm, you can buy some amazing homemade jams, dips, lotions, candles and other items. Here, Richard Estenson, owner of Fredericksburg Herb Farm, serves miniature peach pies to guests.
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The Hangar Hotel is a fun place to stay in Fredericksburg. It is situated right on the runway of the town’s small airport. Rooms are excellent and the hotel also features a unique WWII style conference center, an ice-cream parlor/diner and an island tiki style night club.
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Sample a flight of hand crafted beers from Fredericksburg Brewing Company on Main Street.
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Fredericksburg is chock full of inspiration. From rustic to modern, painters, glass blowers, sculptors, crafters, furniture makers have numerous outlets for their wares in this artistic community.
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Tree-lined downtown Fredericksburg is full of shopping, dining and sightseeing opportunities for visitors and locals.
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For a hand crafted beer and authentic German cuisine, the Fredericksburg Brewing Company is a great place to take a break and absorb the local color.
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Many a diplomatic discussion took place in the shade of this large oak in front of the Johnson mansion.
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The cattle are branded humanely at the working LBJ Ranch.
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LBJ lived in this home until he was 5 years old.
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- To take a piece of the Hill Country home with you, Wildseed Farms offers a variety of native plants and wildflower seeds suited for any part of the country.
-
- For the amateur photographer, the Texas Hill Country is a bonanza in spring with fields awash with wildflowers and wildlife.
-
- A big part of Fredericksburg’s charm is its small town feel. In downtown Fredericksburg, there is something for everyone.
-
- At the Herb Farm, you can buy some amazing homemade jams, dips, lotions, candles and other items. Here, Richard Estenson, owner of Fredericksburg Herb Farm, serves miniature peach pies to guests.
-
- The Hangar Hotel is a fun place to stay in Fredericksburg. It is situated right on the runway of the town’s small airport. Rooms are excellent and the hotel also features a unique WWII style conference center, an ice-cream parlor/diner and an island tiki style night club.
-
- Sample a flight of hand crafted beers from Fredericksburg Brewing Company on Main Street.
-
- Fredericksburg is chock full of inspiration. From rustic to modern, painters, glass blowers, sculptors, crafters, furniture makers have numerous outlets for their wares in this artistic community.
-
- Tree-lined downtown Fredericksburg is full of shopping, dining and sightseeing opportunities for visitors and locals.
-
- For a hand crafted beer and authentic German cuisine, the Fredericksburg Brewing Company is a great place to take a break and absorb the local color.
-
- Many a diplomatic discussion took place in the shade of this large oak in front of the Johnson mansion.
-
- The cattle are branded humanely at the working LBJ Ranch.
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- LBJ lived in this home until he was 5 years old.
For travel on a dime, Texas Hill Country is close to home yet worlds away
With the economy in a state of flux, no doubt many families are looking for great family vacation destinations that won’t drain their savings. Getting away from home with the family is a great time to bond, rejuvinate and make lasting memories–all things that are even more valuable when the stresses of the real world are as tense as they are these days.
I have had some great opportunities over the last few years to travel to some cities I may never have seen if not for my job. These places are near and far, exotic and rustic, exclusive and inclusive. Here is a little about one such trip– to Fredericksburg, a quaint little town in the Texas Hill Country.
Why is Fredericksburg so great? The quaint German town is chock-full of delicious food, Texas wine and eclectic shopping mixed with just the right amount of historic nostalgia. Steeped in Texas and German history, the small-town atmosphere is tempered with modern conveniences and an artsy edge that is sure to satisfy even the most seasoned traveler.
Fredericksburg was named after a German nobleman, Prince Frederick of Prussia. The society was settled in the mid 1800s by German immigrants who were given package deals on land and transport from the old world to the new. Though sickness and lack of food killed many of those who set out from Germany bound for Fredericksburg, those who did arrive prospered and left an indelible mark on their new hometown.
True to its small-town charm, Main Street runs through the heart of Fredericksburg, lined with original limestone and “fachwerk” framed facades. Amid the structures are at least 700 historically significant structures including beautiful churches and the famed Fredericksburg “Sunday Houses,” which were the weekend homes of the earliest settlers who lived most of the week in rural settings far from the downtown center of business and social events. Nowadays, those Sunday Houses are perfect little guest houses, most of which boast fully equipped kitchenettes.
In the spring, the Hill Country is awash in the Monet-esque hues of Lady Bird Johnson’s wildflowers, a stunning landscape to take in as you devour the most succulent peaches you will ever feast on. You can explore the many vintners of the ripening Texas wine country or relive history at the national Museum of the Pacific War, one of the most moving tributes to World War II you will ever experience.
Fredericksburg is a perfect place to take a walking tour of art studios, a bicycle ride through the hilly countryside, a hike up to the top of Enchanted Rock, the second highest granite dome in the country, or to just shop-til-you-drop then eat and drink yourself into a delicious oblivion.
Many a diplomatic discussion took place in the shade of this large oak in front of the Johnson mansion.
Many a diplomatic discussion took place in the shade of this large oak in front of the Johnson mansion.
While you’re in Hill Country territory… visit the LBJ Ranch and boyhood home.
Lyndon B. Johnson is often remembered as the Vietnam War president. And while he was accountable for escalating American involvement in the war, he also was responsible for designing human-rights legislation that included civil-rights laws, Medicare and Medicaid, education reform and his War on Poverty.
A visit to the southern Hill Country in Texas wouldn’t be complete without visiting several historical sites where Johnson and his family lived, and where presidential history was made. Johnson’s boyhood home in Johnson City and the Stonewall home in which he was born — on the same land where Johnson later built his mansion — are monuments to the legacy of the 36th president that no traveler in Texas should miss.
The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park has two separate districts about 15 miles apart. A stopover at the LBJ Visitor Center in Johnson City is a good way to begin a day exploring the Johnson family history. The visitor center offers a close-up look at Johnson, his wife, Ladybird, and their daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines.
LBJ moved into this home when he was five years old.
Across the street from the visitor center is Johnson’s boyhood home. Johnson’s family moved to this home when he was 5 years old in September 1913. The home is preserved with original furniture and family photos hanging on the walls, giving it a transcendent quality that makes visitors feel that a young LBJ could come bounding through the doors at any time.
From the boyhood home, you can tour the Johnson Settlement, which consists of an exhibit center that tells the story of cowboys, cattle drives and Texas frontier life.
From there, head to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park to tour the reconstructed home of Johnson’s birth and the mansion in which Johnson, his wife and daughters lived in during the family’s presidential years and beyond, which became known as the Texas White House.
On the front lawn of the mansion, positioned under a giant shade tree is a white wrought iron table surrounded by 10 matching chairs. The chairs are now empty but were often photographed occupied by Johnson and political dignitaries he entertained at his mansion.
The cattle are branded humanely at the working LBJ Ranch.
While at the historical park, tourists can visit the Johnson Family Cemetery, the president’s grandparents’ farmhouse, the show barn, a still operational barn that was built for the care and training of cattle, and other interesting sites. Bus tours of the ranch are offered from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The cost is $3 per person and free for children younger than 6. Board the bus at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site Visitors Center. For more information, call (830) 868-7128 or go online to www.nps.gov/lyjo.
Lyndon B. Johnson is often remembered as the Vietnam War president. And while he was accountable for escalating American involvement in the war, he also was responsible for designing human-rights legislation that included civil-rights laws, Medicare and Medicaid, education reform and his War on Poverty.
A visit to the southern Hill Country in Texas wouldn’t be complete without visiting several historical sites where Johnson and his family lived, and where presidential history was made. Johnson’s boyhood home in Johnson City and the Stonewall home in which he was born — on the same land where Johnson later built his mansion — are monuments to the legacy of the 36th president that no traveler in Texas should miss.
The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park has two separate districts about 15 miles apart. A stopover at the LBJ Visitor Center in Johnson City is a good way to begin a day exploring the Johnson family history. The visitor center offers a close-up look at Johnson, his wife, Ladybird, and their daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines.
Across the street from the visitor center is Johnson’s boyhood home. Johnson’s family moved to this home when he was 5 years old in September 1913. The home is preserved with original furniture and family photos hanging on the walls, giving it a transcendent quality that makes visitors feel that a young LBJ could come bounding through the doors at any time.
From the boyhood home, you can tour the Johnson Settlement, which consists of an exhibit center that tells the story of cowboys, cattle drives and Texas frontier life.
From there, head to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park to tour the reconstructed home of Johnson’s birth and the mansion in which Johnson, his wife and daughters lived in during the family’s presidential years and beyond, which became known as the Texas White House.
On the front lawn of the mansion, positioned under a giant shade tree is a white wrought iron table surrounded by 10 matching chairs. The chairs are now empty but were often photographed occupied by Johnson and political dignitaries he entertained at his mansion.
While at the historical park, tourists can visit the Johnson Family Cemetery, the president’s grandparents’ farmhouse, the show barn, a still operational barn that was built for the care and training of cattle, and other interesting sites. Bus tours of the ranch are offered from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The cost is $3 per person and free for children younger than 6. Board the bus at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site Visitors Center. For more information, call (830) 868-7128 or go online to www.nps.gov/lyjo.
All photos by Heather Warlick-Moore
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