I'm In the Mood for LOVE...
Written: Nov 08 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cool nights, cool brewskis, cool place...
Cons: .
The Bottom Line: Romance is in the air! Beer is in the garden!
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Texas Hill Country |
Romantic long weekends are one of life's many wonderful gifts. A special someone, a cool fall evening, a gourmet dinner, a bottle of wine, a bit of wrestling under a warm quilt in a cozy room in an historic bed and breakfast, a long soak in a burbling jacuzzi, and absolutely no set schedule --- well, not until Monday morning, anyway.
Short getaways are a chance to unplug the phone (and the internet) and to blow off everybody in the world for a couple days of recharging. Getaways are highly under-rated.
When I was living in the mid-Atlantic region, it was easy to always do wonderfully romantic weekends, because the region has so many inherently romantic towns and mountains and secluded bays and islands.
It's a little tougher when you live in Texas, but there is one part of Texas that can definitely hold its own against the best romantic weekend spots that any other state in the union can provide. That one little slice of Texas is the Hill Country region that stretches out westward from Austin and San Antonio.
Most years, I've headed for the hills in the spring time. Spring is a beautiful time of year in the Texas Hill Country --- it's when the rolling fields are blanketed in lush carpets of blue and yellow and red and pink and white wildflowers. Everywhere, as far as the eye can see, flowers and flowers.
This year, I managed to get away for a couple days in November. First time I've done a fall trip to the Hill Country. Early November is a great time to be in Texas --- the days are sunny and mild, and the temperatures are warm in the afternoons and cool in the evenings. It doesn't get much better than this...
Of course there's a hundred and seventy two different ways to spin a Hill Country weekend, and I can't yet speak to all of 'em. But I can tell you about a few great things to see and do and eat and experience out in Hill Country.
Sights Worth Seeing, Things Worth Doing...
It's a romantic weekend, right? So, ladies, what could be more romantic than showing your man you love him? And the best way to do that is to take him to a war museum and then maybe to a brewpub to drink beer. Right? Uhhh...right? (Okay, so it sounded good to me at the time...)
Maybe you'll be able to find some common ground of your own. Here's a few things that *I* think are cool in and around Fredericksburg...
Admiral Nimitz Museum
You sure can't smell any sea spray from the Hill Country region, but that can't keep a born sea dog from escaping. One of America's most important World War II military minds, Admiral Chester Nimitz, called the Hill Country "home". The Nimitz family ran a hotel in Fredericksburg, and these days you can relive the life and times of the Admiral at the man's museum. At least is always has been known as "The Nimitz Museum", even though some folks (probably a bunch of damn foriegners from some weird country like Massachusetts) are trying to get folks used to calling it "The National Museum of the Pacific War", mostly because they've expanded the place and added galleries for things that aren't directly Nimitz oriented. I still think they ought to just focus on Nimitz and be done with it.
Nimitz is the home-town hero. Let the place be his shrine, that's what I say.
I also say, stop by and check the place out. There's plenty of planes, and guns, and gizmos and interactive displays of stuff --- both American and Japanese --- from many different battles. There's dioramas and maps and wall diagrams showing strategies of major battles, and there's even a huge model of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CV-68).
Galleries and Shops
For a little town, Fredericksburg is blessed with a plethora of cool little art galleries, antique shops, boutiques, and oddity shops. Not to mention some cool little bakeries and candy shops. Just stroll down Main Street. Guys, if you love your lady, you'll let her poke around in all those stupid little shops, and then, maybe she'll let you go drink some beer or do that war museum anyway. Worth a shot...
Enchanted Rock State Park
I don't know if any wizards came around cast spells on "the rock", but I do know that a lot of folks like driving the 15 minutes or so from Fredericksburg to go see "the rock". Pink granite rock formations, reflecting the sun's ever changing light --- especially at sunset --- set against the backdrop of gullies and hills and mesquite, is what gives the park its name.
We Got Your Johnson Right Here...
I once dated a woman who was a big Johnson admirer. That's probably why she went out with me in the first place. Because I too admired the man known simply as "LBJ". Lyndon Johnson was born and raised in the Texas Hill Country, and there's more than a few monuments and memorials to the Prez around this part of the Lone Star State. You could head on over to Johnson City, or maybe mosey over towards the LBJ State Park. If you do the LBJ Ranch tour, you can see where the Prez hung his hat while escaping from Washington politics. Yep. This Hill Country offers lots of chances for you to reach out and touch some Johnson.
Butterfly Ranch
Yippe yi yay! If you want to rope yourself a few Monarch butterflies, check out the butterfly ranch in the old Loeffler-Weber House. You can see how naturalists hatch up a batch of butterflies, and of course, you can buy plenty of tacky butterfly souvenirs.
Wineries
Believe it or not, Texas has its very own "wine country", and it just so happens to be Hill Country. Within 15 minutes of Fredericksburg there's probably that many small wineries --- most with tasting rooms and tours. They even do a local wine festival in late October.
Food Worth Eating, Drinks Worth Drinking...
Forget about the diet! A trip to Fredericksburg is a trip to focus on your Germanic side.
There's basic steakhouses, and barbecue places, and even a couple ordinary chain grease pits. But what makes the entire Hill Country area so special is its "Old Europe" feeling of stepping back to a time and place where nobody looks at you twice just because you're wearing lederhosen and playing a polka on your accordian in between pulls on your big fat stein overflowing with fresh lager beer.
When in Rome, do as the Romans, and when Romans go to Fredericksburg, they eat and drink like a German!
There are several good German restaurants around town, not to mention some darn fine beer gardens. Wursts, kraut, schnitzel, strudel --- my waist line is groaning at the mere thought of it all, even as my tongue starts salivating like old man Pavlov's hund. Here's a couple places you might want to try:
* Der Lindenbaum: OMG! The last time I had sauerbraten this good, I was 12 years old and probably complainint because my folks dragged me to these places in Amana Iowa. I don't know if they still do German food as good as a German up there in Amana, but they sure as heck do in Fredericksburg Texas!! The sauerbraten is simply sublime, with such a rich, tongue tingling tang that it's almost a shame to have to wash it down with a big fat mug of Spaten Optimator, but hey, somebody has to do it!
* Altdorf Biergarten: Awesome looking place with lots of casual outdoor tables. Didn't actually get to try the food here, but it's on the list for next time.
* Auslander Biergarten: Another great old-world style, casual restaurant. Everything on the menu is German. Nothing on the menu is more than about $14, so it won't bust your budget. Best of all is the awesome beer menu. The bar must have at least 20 taps, and they lean heavily towards either local craft beers (they've got your Real Ale, they've got your Live Oak, they've even got your Shiner) or German standard bearers. No worries if you had a hankering for something English or Belgian, since the extensive list of bottled brews includes everything from Samuel Smith to Chimay. If you're thirsty, you're here...unless you're somewhere else in Fredericksburg because everybody in this town drinks GOOD beer! (Did I freakin' die and go to heaven, or what??)
Beds Worth Sleeping On, Breakfasts Worth Eating...
Well, if all the great food and great beer weren't heavenly enough, I can actually score some points with my honey by getting a cozy B&B room while still working in some chilly brewskis!
How do I score such a coup?
I book a Bed & Brew room above the Fredericksburg Brewing Company!!! It's cozy. It's quaint. It's $99. There's even running beer in every room! Okay, so I made that up. You have to walk downstairs to the on-premises biergarten if you get thirsty, but I hardly think that's such a hardship now, is it? And just in case you want to eat on site, don't get surprised if the menu is heavy on the German fare. It's a Hill Country thang (the Opa sausages kick some serious dirndlschlummer!).
If you're not into the Bed & Brew concept, you have a ton of other options. The best are B&B inns, and there's a ton of them on every street in town. I'm not going to try to recommend any of them, instead, I'll just mention that you can find out about 'em by going to the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce web site (www.fredericksburg-texas.com) and click Lodging. They'll also tell you about nearby ranches, parks, campgrounds, and other places you might lay your head.
Bottom Line...Love Is In the Air...
The Texas Hill Country is beautiful any time of year, but its especially inviting in the cool spring and fall months when the strolling is easy and the biergartens just couldn't be more inviting. There's a lot of cozy bed and breakfast inns, lots of fun little shops, and enough local interest sights to keep you and your honey busy for a weekend of togetherness. And if things don't work out and you end up having another one of your lovers spats, look at the bright side, there's tons of places to drink too! (Ain't I a softie?!)
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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