48 Hours: Fredericksburg, Texas

Happy post Thanksgiving friends! I took a break last week to thoroughly enjoy all the time spent with family and also all the FOOD. We’ve now reached those few weeks in between Christmas and Thanksgiving and I have to say I’m so excited for all the festivities. Of course, those festivities look different this year (no huge holiday parties or office potlucks), but there is still so much to look forward to. I can’t wait for the tree decorating, cookie making, gift exchanges, and again, the FOOD. But for now, a brief blast from the past (aka 2 weeks ago) when I went continued my Texas explorations to Fredericksburg!

Going on a much needed 2 days girls trip to Fredericksburg was the best decision I’ve made all month! Right when I was starting to get burned out by work (its busy season for us auditors), taking a quick break and getting away to a place that was both relaxing and beautiful was perfect. Fredericksburg was also my 4th overnight trip, but 5th overall Texas trip and I’ve loved getting to see more of my home state. I never imagined that when I started making a list of places within Texas to visit that I would experience so many wonderful towns! If there is anything I’m grateful for in 2020, its that I was able to open myself up to a different type of travel. Travel shouldn’t always be about going to the flashiest or most exciting destination (although those are great too!). Sometimes its about finding somewhere underrated and discovering everything that is great about it and then sharing it with others so they can enjoy too! Fredericksburg was an amazing trip and I’m already starting a list of things I want to do on my next visit- I plan to visit again in the spring or summer when the fruits are ready for picking and the flowers are blooming so stay tuned. For now, check out where I stayed and what I did on my most recent Fredericksburg trip!

Where to Stay

Because we visited on a weekday instead of an insanely crowded weekend, we had our pick of adorable Airbnbs around town all at reasonable prices. After doing some research on Instagram, I realized that one of the highlights of Airbnbs in Fredericksburg is having a private hot tub and outdoor space to enjoy. I felt like this was super important in the current times because interacting with strangers or crowds in public is not something anyone wants to do. Our Airbnb checked every single box. There was the perfect little backyard complete with patio furniture and a smoking hot hot tub as well as cute furniture. The host was amazing- she even gave us little cookies and a small care package. The home, Silver Linings, is located one street behind Main Street, making it very convenient. We walked all along Main Street and definitely got our workout in for the day. There are a lot of homes like this one on Airbnb so I highly recommend checking them out before opting for a hotel- it just has more of a small town vibe!

What to Do and Eat

Auslander Restaurant

Fredericksburg is known as the German town in Texas so getting German food while here was a must on our list. There are several options on and around Main Street, including the fine dining (and very expensive) restaurant, Otto’s. We went with the highly recommended, Auslander Restaurant and was not disappointed. I had the schnitzel burger and fries as well as the apple strudel dessert and devoured everything within minutes. I’m usually not a big fan of German food (it can be very heavy), but was pleasantly surprised by Auslander’s flavorful and delicious food. A big bonus was that it was very reasonable priced and located right on Main Street. They offer takeout so we took our food back to our Airbnb to enjoy!

Caliche Cafe

Caliche was recommended to me via an influencer on Instagram and was one of the best parts of the trip. I filled up on a fantastic almond milk latte and maple pecan scone and fell in love with the white interiors. There is also an outdoor patio in the back perfect for enjoying your treats in a socially distanced environment. Caliche is located on Main Street and is one of many cute cafes on the street.

Main Street

I loved walking Main Street and peering into the many unique shops and cafes that lined the street. I’ve heard that Main Street can get extremely crowded on weekends, so if possible, definitely come on the weekdays because it was basically empty when we were there. Something I also discovered was that if you don’t have the time or don’t wish to drive all the way to the vineyards for on location wine tasting, almost all the major wineries have storefronts on Main Street for convenient tastings. We grabbed our Caliche coffee and spent a wonderful morning wandering the streets and exploring downtown Fredericksburg!

Woerner Warehouse

The sandwiches and salads and baked goods (all are made in house) here are delicious, but because the waitstaff and employees openly don’t wear masks (!!), I ended up getting the food to go and enjoying it back at our Airbnb. With Covid widespread everywhere in Texas, including Fredericksburg (another cafe in town was closed for the week due to a Covid breakout), I didn’t want to take any chances for exposure. The cafe is located inside a rustic home goods store with a soaring ceiling and tons of wooden dining tables (for after Covid dining!).

Wildseed Farms

Since we visited in November, most of the flowers were either dying or in the process of being replanted so we didn’t get to see any beautiful colorful blooms. But it was still an enjoyable experience exploring the walking trail that goes around the property and spotting the occasional yellow butterfly. Due to Covid, entrance to the walking trails is free! Also, if you have a green thumb, there are hundreds of different types of flower and vegetable seeds in their gift shop for purchase.

Das Peach Haus

This was one of my favorite places in Fredericksburg mainly because of the gorgeous lake and deliciously sweet peach wine. When I first walked through the nondescript brown shop of Das Peach Haus I had zero idea of the beauty that was out back. We were so lucky we came on a weekday because we literally had the entire place to ourselves and boy, was it an amazing place to experience alone. There are so many different sitting areas to just relax in and sip wine and enjoy the beautiful outdoors.

Grape Creek Winery

I didn’t think any other winery would be able to compare to Das Peach Haus, but Grape Creek was a close match. The wine is nowhere as sweet, but there is such a big variety of wines that everyone will be able to find something they enjoy. A 3 glass tasting costs $25, although there is a $40 option that includes a tour of the vineyard. We passed on the tour this time because the timing was off, but the grounds looked beautiful so I will definitely be back. They also have another sister winery on site called Heath Sparkling Wines that we are saving for a future visit. Grape Creek is one of the top wineries in the area and can get crowded on weekends so make sure to arrive early. We were lucky again that it was a weekday and we didn’t have to wait at all for our tasting.

Tubby’s Icehouse

Tubby’s is owned by the same owners as Otto’s (the popular German restaurant), but specializes in American food. Since it was a Tuesday night, I knew I had to try the green curry shrimp taco (because Taco Tuesdays, duh!) and of course, my favorite chips and queso. While the queso was actually really tasty, the taco left much to be desired. Prices are more than reasonable though and Tubby’s is a great dinner spot. They offered curbside pickup so we placed our order in advance and brought it home to enjoy in our private backyard.

Enchanted Rock

I’ve been hearing about the Enchanted Rock hike since college, but have never had the opportunity to go. Entrance fees are $8 per person (advance reservations are a must due to limited capacity restrictions) and reservations, especially weekend ones, fill up extremely quickly so make sure to book well in advance. The hike up to the summit of Enchanted Rock is marked as challenging, but its actually not too bad at all because it is a relatively short ascent. The view at the top is alright, but it is so windy up there that we hurried through all our picture taking and began our descent within minutes. There are a few other trails in the park area, but none of them are as popular or well marked as the summit hike so we ended up leaving after just doing one trail.

Bonus- Austin, TX

If you’re driving from Houston like I was, passing Austin on the way to Fredericksburg is a necessity. We broke up our drive home by stopping in South Austin for coffee and food and turned a long tedious drive into a manageable one. The road that connects Enchanted Rock and Houston is Highway 71 so I wanted to choose food options near the highway to minimize additional driving. Luckily, my favorite coffee shop, Summer Moon, is located on South 1st and has the best coffee- the Autumn Moon latte and Matcha Moon lattes are a must try! Our original plan was to have bbq, but the bbq spot we wanted to eat at changed its hours due to Covid so we ended up discovering a new hipster hot spot and finding a hidden food truck gem, Spicy Boys. Spicy Boys is an Asian fusion truck and serves korean fried chicken wings and sandwiches. Their tater tots are delicious as well!

Fredericksburg was a Texas gem and I can’t wait for a return trip- post Covid I hope! As usual, let me know of any other Texas towns that are a must visit.