When you think of the Texas Hill Country the first thing to come to mind is the all too famous gem of Fredericksburg. For many years we’ve talked about how it would be a nice place to go for a weekend but we never really got around to it. This year we had no plans for a trip since we were going to be welcoming our second baby girl, but we played with the idea of taking a little getaway to the Texas Hill Country as a family of four whenever we found the right time. Right after our daughter was born we decided to go ahead with our Hill Country adventure and booked a place for the early part of fall, right after the heat and summer crowds had gone down some.
Since having kids we typically plan our trips to be at a slower pace so the whole family doesn’t get burned out. I usually do a lot of research in advance of places to go, things to see, and places to eat. We normally will make a flexible itinerary in the week leading to the trip so that we have a game plan, even though we know the kids' needs, and life, don’t always align with those plans. When looking into Fredericksburg I was really trying to find things to do that would be entertaining for the kids but still allow us adults a little taste of the Texas wine country experience.
I was surprised to discover just how family friendly this little town is, despite being surrounded by dozens of wineries and the town itself being a center of tasting rooms and breweries. We were there for two nights, which really only gave us a full day to experience this charming town. While we didn’t see everything, we certainly were able to see plenty in one day that really let us savor much of what Fredericksburg has to offer.
Our first stop was visiting the local Catholic Church, St. Mary’s, which sits one block from Main Street. We had wanted to attend daily mass that morning but we didn’t manage to get out the door in time with the girls, but that just meant we got to visit the church all by ourselves which personally I love. I feel like being alone with Christ in a new church is such a special feeling. It is just you and Him. This stunning church was filled with details, many paying homage to the German heritage of the town in its architecture and artwork. One unique detail I found beautiful was the number of Saint statues that stood within the three alter’s. There was also the beautiful woodwork along the pulpit that was stunning to see. There really was so much attention to detail that you are left rather breathless considering it isn’t a very large church. In a way it almost felt like a miniature cathedral. I would say that this was the best way to start our Hill Country adventure.
Since I am in the middle of breastfeeding, wine tasting wasn’t at the top of the list, but we did want to go to a winery or two for the outdoor experience. We picked two that we found would be family friendly, and really have something to do that would entertain the kids. The first was Wildseed Farms which is the largest wildflower farm in the country, along with its own garden center and winery. We went in the morning while the weather was still cool, which made the whole experience that much nicer. The pumpkins were out everywhere in the nursery center which was the perfect treat for our oldest who couldn’t decide which little pumpkin she liked the most. From the nursery we walked over to the wildflower garden and field that is free for all guests. This trail first takes you through a butterfly garden with some fountains and mini ponds, and then leads out to their wildflower fields that have designated walking areas. The entire experience was special as we experienced butterflies fluttering all about us as we took in the beautiful sight of wildflowers of various kinds growing all around. With rows of cosmos and sunflowers filling our view with bright autumn colors, this was truly a little girl's paradise.
Our second vineyard visit was Das Peach Haus which sits right outside of town. This little gem has just about everything you need for a wine country experience. The property houses their farm general store which is filled with delicious jams, preserves, sauces, and dips that are all sourced from the farm, and some have even received national recognition. There is also a distillery and a separate wine tasting room next to the general store with wines from the vineyard there on the property. One unique thing about this place is that there are several cabin rentals along the property which provide for a one of a kind lodging experience. Behind the general store sits a quaint little pond surrounded by tall pine trees and Andorondick chairs. You will find some picnic tables sitting beneath the shade of the pine trees along with some outdoor games that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. This little paradise was probably our favorite part of the whole property. Our daughter spent the entire time looking for turtles and spotting fish on the dock overlooking the pond. Though we didn’t eat there, this would have been a great place to have a picnic and the outdoor space really was a wonderful place for kids to run around and play.
The historic main street was honestly much nicer than I expected it to be. For one it was much larger than I had anticipated with shops, tasting rooms, and boutiques of all sorts lined up each providing a unique shopping experience. We spent most of the day walking up and down main street, popping in and out of shops and taking in the well preserved buildings of this Hill Country town. I loved how well the history of the town was preserved while being used to serve the modern tastes of today. It truly felt like the past was still present in the modern day and there were countless little tributes to the past that added to the town's charm. One of those would be the old fire engines that sit in front of the beautiful fire station. Another was the historic library that sits across from the Marktplatz, which is where the farmers market has been held since the town was founded and where countless festivals are held throughout the year. The library turned out to be an unplanned addition which ended up being one of our favorite moments during the trip. It was open and the kind librarian was so welcoming and showed us all the toys and stations that were available for the kids to use. It is safe to say that the library was our daughter's favorite part since she didn’t want to leave. It was also beautiful to see that the original library was still being used to this day, and preserving its original architecture.
Everywhere we went we were greeted with warm smiles and even though we were pushing along a stroller with two little ones, we never felt unwelcomed. We checked out a few homegoods stores, many offering locally sourced goods such as peach jams and sauces. I would say many would be great places to get some Christmas shopping done with each one providing an array of goods from clothing and accessories, to bakeware and home decor. If I’ll be completely honest, it wasn’t the homegood stores that excited me the most. It was the kid stores.
I knew there was one kids clothing and toy store from my research, but I was in for a treat when we discovered another two during our walk down the strip. Since having kids, I am reliving my childhood and have discovered that my favorite store to visit is a small town toy store. After having our oldest, it has become a bit of a tradition to find a local toy store on our trips and let the little kid in us come out. Our two favorites were Fredericksburg Natural Baby and Recess which had a large selection of toys, many of various brands we love like Tender Leaf and Le Toy Van. However, the best part was many of their toys were out on display so kids could actually play with them. The only problem with that was our daughter didn’t want to leave. It took some strong convincing to get her to calmly follow directions and our inner kid didn’t want play time to end. It was nice though to have several stores that were so well catered to kids with the town being so popular for adult getaways. This really helped make the whole experience feel like there really was something to enjoy for all ages.
A visit to a town filled with German heritage wouldn’t be complete without savoring some local German food. A little tradition we have when we visit a new place is to try some pastries from a local bakery. That morning we ventured to Pritzer Sweet Shop where we tried their famous sweet pretzel and their apple crisps. This little shop is truly the tiniest thing you will find, with only enough room inside for their counter and display case full of sweets, it really is the sweetest little shop. We enjoyed our sweet treats while sitting outside the shop on a bench, and probably for the best as our oldest had icing flakes falling everywhere as she enjoyed her sweet pretzel. For lunch, we stopped by Fredericksburg Brewing Co. which offers a variety of traditional German dishes along with many of your other traditional burgers and comfort foods. We of course sampled a few of their brews as we each enjoyed a rather large plate of wiener schnitzel and spaetzle. To say we left very well satisfied would be an understatement. To top our culinary experience we walked over to Oro Bianco which is perhaps the best gelato place you will find in Texas. They are a Hill Country creamery that makes the creamiest gelato by using water buffalo milk from their own buffalo ranch in the area. Oro Bianco truly knows how to pay homage to the traditional Italian ways of making gelato. Their selection of flavors is made with all natural ingredients, many from local and seasonal produce. The rich flavor speaks for itself. Though we got to sample several of their flavors, we eventually settled on their chocolate hazelnut and indulged in its creamy goodness while sitting outside in the Italian inspired courtyard by the fountain. It was the perfect way to end our day in Fredericksburg.
Though there were many things we didn’t get to see or do, such as the WW2 museum or the LBJ Park and Ranch, we did leave feeling like we had gotten to truly embrace the Napa of Texas. What made it special was being able to enjoy the experience with our girls and feeling like this was very much a place we could come as a family. It was a short little getaway, but one that was worth the drive and one that now holds a sweet little place in our hearts. We could certainly see ourselves going back in the future and feeling like there will still be much to see and a few sweet spots worth a second visit. If you find yourself in need of a quick little getaway in Texas, don’t overlook the gem of the Texas Hill Country.
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