With the craziness that has been this year, I was eager to ditch the city lights for some country nights and what better place to go than the Texas Hill Country?! I rounded up two of my favorite gals and we got to work planning our weekend getaway!
Fredericksburg is a hot spot for food, fun, and most notably wine! The 290 Wine Trail spans over 30 miles of wineries and countless shops, eateries, and local attractions but what most of you guys might not realize is there are several charming towns that are just a short drive away that are absolutely worth visiting as well!
We stayed in Stonewall, TX located about 15 minutes from downtown Fredericksburg at the Stonewall Motor Lodge. This twelve room roadside motel was built back in the 1960s and was the center of media frenzy as President LBJ was sworn in after the tragic assination of JKF. Celebrities, secret service and politicians frequented the property. Emerging from its rich history, it has been reinvigorated and upgraded to accommodate the travelers of today.
I was in the Press Room which back in the 60s even had a darkroom for the press to develop their photographs when they were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of LBJ! Being a photographer myself this was something really special to experience.
The other girls stayed in a cabin that was as equally as cute and rustic as the entire property! Two double beds, a vintage mini fridge, and parking at the door made this super convenient!
There’s also a rooftop deck that is perfect for stargazing (we actually were lucky enough to see a huge shooting star) and another outdoor communal area, The Barn with a tv and seating areas. Both spaces were sticked with hand sanitizer and bug spray which we all forgot to pack! The property is on over 3 acres so you really get the full small town experience here!
We left Dallas around 10am on a Friday and arrived at Stonewall Motor Lodge around 2:30pm, we did stop a time or two for potty breaks and didn’t hit any traffic other than getting out of Dallas. Our first stop after checking in was to the Fredericksburg Visitor’s Center! We got to watch a short film about the history of the town and how it became the tourist attraction it is today. The visitors center is open daily and the film is free to watch and runs every 15 minutes.
Then we were off to sip our first taste of wine at Das Peach Haus! I’ve heard a lot about this spot but never really understood what it was…I was thinking a bunch of peach trees in a field and it’s SO much more! A gorgeous indoor/outdoor space with a market, wine, and pure enjoyment all around! We tasted peach and light white wines while browsing for jams and sauces to bring back home then enjoyed the sunshine and scenery!
By this time we were starving! Luckily we weren’t far from Main St. in downtown Fredericksburg and happened across a taqueria with a lovely patio, Bejas Bejas! My first thought…MARGS, score! We ordered one of each taco on the menu and washed them down with margaritas! I mean we are in Texas after all!
That was about it for day one. We hopped around Main Street for a bit but were all exhausted from the drive and needed to relax because Saturday was packed full of fun and we wanted to be fully rested! We did grab some snacks and went to hang out on the rooftop at Stonewall Motor Lodge which is when we saw the huge shooting star! Pure magic!
As we woke up the next morning, all quite pleased with ourselves for not being up hungover, we grabbed our coffee to go thanks to the Keurigs in every room at Stonewall Motor Lodge, and headed to Kuhlman Cellars also in Stonewall! We scheduled an Aromas Wine Tasting where we learned how to decipher different smells in wine and how each person can detect different notes. It was pretty interesting and a great start to the day! After the tasting we ordered lunch at the winery and took in the stunning views of the vineyards. It was so peaceful and relaxing we didn’t want to leave….but alas…our journey must continue!
Our second Stonewall, TX winery was Pedernales Cellars that sits on 145 acres and has been family owned for six generations. We were greeted with warm smiles and live music playing in the background. Families and couples were having picnics on the spacious lawn taking in the beautiful fall weather. I tasted a rose and that was it! I was sold! Bought a bottle and thoroughly enjoyed it! We got a sneak peek into the cellar where we took the opportunity to snap some pics and enjoy the cool wine storage temps at around 50 degrees!
Our third stop of the day and our last winery on the 290 Trail was 4.0 Cellars back in Fredericksburg! Palm trees and a secret garden style entrance greeted us as we walked through the spacious outdoor seating areas and into our wine and cheese pairing. It was led by a hilarious man, Martin, who made this experience so memorable! As he explained the artisan cheeses and we sipped from whites to reds, we were overcome with laughter and the overall energy that filled their tasting room. Of course we had to get a photo with Martin to commemorate all the fun we just had!
Our final stop of the best day we’ve all had in months was to Altstadt Brewery. Now I didn’t even know Fredericksburg had a brewery so this was super exciting! We got a behind the scenes tour of this massive property and oh my goodness is it incredible! So many private rooms for special events, the actual brewery, and a huge banquet hall! We got an authentic Oktoberfest vibe and shouted PROST many, many times while cheersing out oversized brews! We ate Bavarian Pretzels and couldn’t pass up their Altstadt Burger! There couldn’t have been a more perfect way to wrap up our weekend in this quaint German town!
No trip to the Texas Hill Country is complete without a hike up the infamous Enchanted Rock! I used to come here as a kid all the time with my family. We’d picnic after the trek down and listen to my grandparents bicker bc me and my cousins were doing something that annoyed them! It was my first time back since I was probably in junior high and those fond memories came flooding back. The hike up was much harder all these years later but we braved the Texas “fall” heat and made it the 425 foot rock and stopped to catch our breath as we took in the stunning views! If you are planning a trip out, reservations are required and they do book up weeks in advance, especially on weekends so plan ahead!
I hope y’all enjoyed reading about our trip to Texas wine country! If you have any questions or need any recs, drop me a line! All safety protocols were followed at ALL wineries we visited as well as the brewery and with so much outdoor space, it made social distancing a breeze!
A huge thank you to everyone who helped us plan this trip including the Fredericksburg CVB, Katie-Rose Watson, Stonewall Motor Lodge for the accommodations, and Big Thirst Marketing!
Leisurely Leah 