Fredericksburg

San Antonians and Austinites flock to Fredericksburg in droves on the weekends -- and with good reason. The town has outstanding shopping, lots of historic sites (so you can pretend you're not just there to shop), and some of the most unusual accommodations around, all in a pretty rural setting.

Fredericksburg may have become fairly touristy, but it also remains devoted to its European past. Baron Ottfried Hans von Meusebach was one of 10 nobles who formed a society designed to help Germans resettle in Texas, where they would be safe from political persecution and economic hardship. In 1846, he took 120 settlers in ox-drawn carts from New Braunfels to this site, which he named for Prince Frederick of Prussia. The town's mile-long main street is still wide enough for a team of oxen to turn around in (although that hasn't been tested lately). The permanent peace treaty Meusebach negotiated with the Comanches in 1847, claimed to be the only one in the United States that was ever honored, and the gold rush of 1849 -- Fredericksburg was the last place California-bound prospectors could get supplies -- both helped the town thrive. Fredericksburg became and remains the seat of Gillespie County, the largest peach-producing county in the state -- which explains the many roadside stands selling the fruit from late May through mid-August, and the profusion of peachy products found around this area.

What to See & Do

In Town -- For a virtual preview, go to www.fredericksburg-texas.com. Once you're in town, the Visitor Information Center, 302 E. Austin St., Fredericksburg, TX 78624 (tel. 888/997-3600 or 830/997-6523), can direct you to the many points of interest in the town's historic district. It's open weekdays 8:30am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to noon and 1 to 5pm, Sunday noon to 4pm. Points of interest include a number of little Sunday Houses, built by German settlers in distant rural areas because they needed a place to stay overnight when they came to town to trade or attend church. You'll also notice many homes built in the Hill Country version of the German fachwerk design, made out of limestone with diagonal wood supports.

The unusual octagonal Vereins Kirche (Society Church) in Market Square once functioned as a town hall, school, and storehouse. A 1935 replica of the original 1847 building now holds the archives of the Gillespie County Historical Society. It's open 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday, 1 to 4pm Sunday, and admission is $1 per person. The Historical Society also maintains the Pioneer Museum Complex, 309 W. Main St., anchored by the 1849 Kammlah House, which was a family residence and general store until the 1920s. It's open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 1 to 5pm; the admission price is $4 for ages 11 and older and includes entry to the Vereins Kirche. Among the other historical structures here are a one-room schoolhouse and a blacksmith's forge. For information on both places and on the other historical structures in town, phone tel. 830/997-2835 or log on to www.pioneermuseum.com.

The 1852 Steamboat Hotel, originally owned by the grandfather of World War II naval hero Chester A. Nimitz, is now part of the National Museum of the Pacific War, 311 E. Austin St. (tel. 830/997-4379; www.nimitz-museum.org), a 9-acre Texas State Historical Park and the world's only museum focusing solely on the Pacific theater. It just keeps expanding and getting better. In addition to the exhibits in the steamboat-shaped hotel devoted to Nimitz and his comrades, there are also the Japanese Garden of Peace, a gift from the people of Japan; the Memorial Wall, the equivalent of the Vietnam wall for Pacific War veterans; the life-size Pacific Combat Zone (2 1/2 blocks east of the museum), which replicates a World War II battle scene; and the George Bush Gallery, where you can see a captured Japanese midget submarine and a multimedia simulation of a bombing raid on Guadalcanal. The Center for Pacific War Studies, a major research facility, is slated to open by the end of the decade as part of an expansion that will double the exhibition area of the George Bush Gallery. Until then, limited access to the library archives can be arranged by special request. Indoor exhibits are open daily from 9am to 5pm but are closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Adult admission is $6; seniors, military, and veterans $5; students pay $4; and children younger than 6 enter free.

If you're interested in saddles, chaps, spurs, sheriffs' badges, and other cowboy-o-bilia, visit Gish's Old West Museum, 502 N. Milam St. (tel. 830/997-2794). A successful illustrator for Sears & Roebuck, Joe Gish started buying Western props to help him with his art. After more than 40 years of trading and buying with the best, he has gathered a very impressive collection. Joe opens the museum when he's around (he generally is), but if you don't want to take a chance, phone ahead to make an appointment.

Nearby -- One of the many attractions in the Fredericksburg vicinity is Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park, 2 miles southwest of town off Highway 16 (tel. 830/997-4202; www.fbgtx.org/departments/ladybirdpark.htm). It features an 18-hole golf course; a baseball field; basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts; an Olympic-size swimming pool (open summer only); a lake for fishing; and a wilderness trail.

Bats & Ostriches Along a Back Road to Fredericksburg -- If you missed the bats in Austin, you've got a chance to see even more in an abandoned railroad tunnel supervised by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. From Comfort, take Highway 473 North 4 or 5 miles. When the road winds to the right toward Sisterdale, keep going straight on Old Highway 9. After another 8 or 9 miles, you'll spot a parking lot and a mound of large rocks on top of a hill. During migration season (May-Oct), you can watch as many as 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats set off on a food foray around dusk. There's no charge to witness the phenomenon from the Upper Viewing Area, near the parking lot; it's open daily. If you want a closer view and an educational presentation lasting about 30 minutes to an hour, come to the Lower Viewing Area, open from Thursday through Sunday ($5 adults, $3 seniors, $2 children 6-16). There are 60 seats, filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area (tel. 830/990-2860; www.tpwd.state.tx.us/wma/find_a_wma/list/?id=17) to find out when its occupants are likely to flee the bat cave, as well as other information.

Even if you don't stop for the bats, this is a wonderfully scenic route to Fredericksburg. You won't see any road signs, but have faith -- this really will take you to town, eventually. You're likely to spot grazing goats and cows and even some strutting ostriches.

Wine Not?

Sonoma has nothing to sweat about yet, but Texas has got a grape thing going these days, and many of the state's wineries are cropping up in the Hill Country. The Fredericksburg area alone hosts eight of them. In the heart of town, the family-run Fredericksburg Winery, 237 W. Main St. (tel. 830/990-8747), sells its own hand-bottled, hand-corked, and hand-labeled vintages, and specializes in dessert wines. Perhaps the most respected winemaker in the vicinity is Becker Vineyards, 10 miles east of town on Highway 290, off Jenschke Lane (tel. 830/644-2681). All the region's wineries offer tours and tastings. For more details, pick up a free copy of the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail brochure in the Fredericksburg Visitor Center, or log on to www.texaswinetrail.com.

A visit to the Wildseed Farms, 7 miles east on Highway 290 (tel. 830/990-1393; www.wildseedfarms.com), will disabuse you of any naive notions you may have had that wildflowers grew wild. At this working wildflower farm, from April through July, beautiful fields of blossoms are harvested for seeds that are sold throughout the world. During the growing season, for $5 you can grab a bucket and pick bluebonnets, poppies, or whatever's blooming when you visit. There are a gift shop and the Brew-Bonnet beer garden, which sells light snacks. Entry to the grounds, open 9:30am to 6pm daily, is free but you'll have to pay ($4 adults, $3.50 seniors and ages 4-12) to visit the latest addition, the Butterfly Haus, featuring pretty flitters native to Texas.

For a scenic loop drive, head northwest to Willow City. The 13-mile route, which leads back to Highway 16, is especially spectacular in wildflower season.

Note: The loop is also seriously clogged with traffic when the flowers put in their springtime appearance. You might want to avoid the route at that time of year, and just use your blooming imagination.

Take FM 965 some 18 miles north to reach Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (tel. 325/247-3903; www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/enchantd), a 640-acre, pink-granite dome that draws hordes of hikers. The creaking noises that emanate from it at night -- likely caused by the cooling of the rock's outer surface -- led the area's Native American tribes to believe that evil spirits inhabited the rock. Because of the rock's popularity, a limit is placed on visitors. If the park is considered full -- which frequently occurs on weekends and holidays -- you will be asked to return around 5pm. It's best to call in advance to check. The park is open daily 8am to 10pm; day-use entrance fees are $6 adults and free for children 12 and under.

Shopping

Ladies and gentleman, start your acquisition engines. If you're pressed for time, concentrate on Main Street between Elk and Milam (although the blocks west of Market Square, recently dubbed Uptown, are fast becoming prime retail estate, too). Warning: You may OD on cuteness. More than 100 specialty shops, many of them in mid-19th-century houses, feature work by Hill Country artisans. You'll find candles, lace coverlets, cuckoo clocks, hand-woven rugs, even dulcimers. At Homestead, 230 E. Main (tel. 830/997-5551; www.homesteadstores.com), an ultrafashionable, three-story home furnishings emporium, European rural retro (chain-distressed wrought-iron beds from France, for example) meets contemporary natural fabrics. Pooch people will go barking mad over Dogologie, 148b W. Main St. (tel. 830/997-5855; www.dogologie.com), carrying everything the fashionable canine might need. For something less effete, check out Texas Jack's, 117 N. Adams St. (tel. 830/997-3213; www.texasjacks.com), which has outfitted actors for Western films and TV shows, including Lonesome Dove, Tombstone, and Gunsmoke. This is the place to stock up on red long johns. Interest in the handcrafted wares of Chocolat, 330 W. Main St. (tel. 800/842-3382 or 830/990-9382), tends to transcend all gender and political divides.

Becoming increasingly well-known via its mail-order business is the Fredericksburg Herb Farm, 405 Whitney St. (tel. 800/259-HERB or 830/997-8615; www.fredericksburgherbfarm.com), just a bit south of town. You can visit the flower beds that produce salad dressings, teas, fragrances, and air fresheners (including lavender, one of the area's major crops these days), and then sample some of them in the on-site restaurant (lunch only; moderate), B&B, and day spa.

Where to Stay

Perhaps even more than for its shopping, Fredericksburg is well known for its appealing accommodations. In addition to the usual rural motels, the town boasts more than 300 bed-and-breakfasts and gastehauses (guest cottages). If you choose one of the latter, you can spend the night in anything from an 1865 homestead with its own wishing well to a bedroom above an old bakery or a limestone Sunday House. Most gastehauses are romantic havens complete with robes, fireplaces, and even spas. And, unlike the typical B&B, these places ensure privacy because either breakfast is provided the night before--the perishables are left in a refrigerator -- or guests are given coupons to enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant. Gastehauses are comparatively reasonable; for about $110 to $175, you can get loads of history and charm. The five main services that book this type of lodging are Be My Guest, 110 N. Milam (tel. 866/997-7227 or 830/997-7227; www.bemyguestfredericksburgtexas.com); First Class Bed & Breakfast Reservation Service, 909 E. Main (tel. 888/991-6749 or 830/997-0443; www.fredericksburg-lodging.com); Gästehaus Schmidt, 231 W. Main St. (tel. 866/427-8374 or 830/997-5612; www.fbglodging.com); Hill Country Lodging & Reservation Service, 215 W. Main St. (tel. 800/745-3591 or 830/990-8455; www.fredericksburgbedbreakfast.com); and Main Street B&B Reservation Service, 337 E. Main (tel. 888/559-8555 or 830/997-0153; www.travelmainstreet.com). Specializing in the more familiar type of B&B is Fredericksburg Traditional Bed & Breakfast Inns (tel. 800/494-4678; www.fredericksburgtrad.com).

Opened in 2004, the Hangar Hotel, 155 Airport Rd., Fredericksburg, TX 78624 (tel. 830/997-9990; www.hangarhotel.com), lends some variety to Fredricksburg's mix of B&Bs and motels. It banks on nostalgia for the World War II flyboy era. Located, like the name suggests, at the town's tiny private airport, this hotel hearkens back to the 1940s with its clean-lined art moderne-style rooms, as well as an officer's club (democratically open to all) and retro diner. The re-creation isn't taken too far: Rooms have all the mod-cons. Rates -- which include one $5 "food ration," good at the diner, per night--run from $139 to $149 on weekends, $109 during the week.

Where to Dine

Fredericksburg's dining scene is very diverse, catering to the traditional and the trendy alike. The former tend to frequent the Altdorf Biergarten, 301 W. Main St. (tel. 830/997-7865), open Wednesday to Monday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for brunch, and Friedhelm's Bavarian Inn, 905 W. Main St. (tel. 830/997-6300), open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner, both featuring moderately priced, hearty schnitzels, dumplings, and sauerbraten, and large selections of German beer. The Fredericksburg Brewing Co., 245 E. Main St. (tel. 830/997-1646), offers its own home brews and, in addition to the typical pub food, dishes up lots of lighter selections. Book one of the rooms upstairs and you can crawl into bed after a pizza and a pint of Pedernales Pilsner. It's open daily for lunch and dinner; prices are moderate. For blue-plate specials and huge breakfasts of eggs, biscuits, and gravy, locals converge on Andy's Steak & Seafood Grill, 413 S. Washington St. (tel. 830/997-3744), open since 1957. Andy's is open daily for breakfast and lunch, for dinner Monday through Saturday; meals are inexpensive to moderate.

Theoretically geared toward those seeking lighter fare, Arriba Cafe, 249 E. Main St. (tel. 830/990-0498), serves huge sandwiches (take advantage of the half sizes) and salads -- not to mention incredible pastries from the Rather Sweet bakery downstairs. Lunch is offered Monday through Saturday, and the bakery is open on those days from 8am to 5pm. Local foodies like to roost in The Nest, 607 S. Washington St. (tel. 830/990-8383), which features updated American cuisine in a lovely old house Thursday through Monday evenings; meals are expensive. Equally popular and a bit more cutting edge, the contemporary-chic Navajo Grill, 803 E. Main St. (tel. 830/990-8289), offers food inspired by New Orleans, the Southwest, and occasionally the Caribbean. It's open nightly for dinner and on Sunday for brunch, and meals are expensive. Oenophiles will adore Cuvée, 342 W. Main St. (tel. 830/990-1600), with its excellent selection of wines by the glass and weekly changing menu (anything from a Middle Eastern platter designed to be shared to full steak dinners). It's open for lunch Thursday through Saturday, for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Prices range from moderate to expensive. Call or log on to www.cuveewine.net to check about wine and food classes.

Straddling the line between gourmet and gemütlich, the Cotton Gin, 2805 S. Hwy. 16 (tel. 830/990-5734), dishes up fare that's just plain good -- and plenty of it. Dishes tend toward Tex-Mex (say, shrimp simmered with chiles and smothered in cheese and bacon) but also include crossovers like eggplant pirogi. There's a lunch buffet during the week, and dinner is served Monday through Saturday. Entrees range from moderate to expensive.

Nightlife

Yes, Fredericksburg's got nightlife, or at least what passes for it in the Hill Country. Some of the live music action takes place a bit outside of the center of town. At the Hill Top Café, about 11 miles north of town on I-87 (tel. 830/997-8922), you might find the owner, a former member of the band Asleep at the Wheel, very much awake at the piano, jamming with friends. (The Cajun and Greek food's good too.) Luckenbach also hosts lots of good bands.

And lately, Fredericksburg's main (and side) streets have also come alive with the sound of music -- everything from rockabilly and jazz to oompah--especially from Thursday through Saturday nights. An offshoot of The Luckenbach Dancehall, Hondo's on Main, 312 W. Main St. (tel. 830/997-1633), also tends to feature Texas roots bands. Several of the places listed in the "Where to Dine" section, above (including Andy's, the Fredericksburg Brewing Co., and Cuvée) also double as live music venues. Check with the Visitor Information Center for a complete weekly listing.

Going Back (in Time) to Luckenbach

About 11 miles southeast of Fredericksburg on R.R. 1376, but light-years away in spirit, the town of Luckenbach (pop. 25) was immortalized in song by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. The town pretty much consists of a dance hall and a post office/general store/bar. But it's a very mellow place to hang out. Someone's almost always strumming a guitar, and on weekend afternoons and evenings, Jerry Jeff Walker or Robert Earl Keen might be among the names who turn up at the dance hall. Tying the knot? You can rent the dance hall -- or even the entire town. Call tel. 830/997-3224 for details. And to get a feel for the town, log on to www.luckenbachtexas.com.

Whenever you visit, lots of beer is likely to be involved, so consider staying at the Full Moon Inn, 3234 Luckenbach Rd., Fredericksburg, TX 78624 (tel. 800/997-1124 or 830/997-2205; www.luckenbachtx.com), just half a mile from the action on a rise overlooking the wildflower-dotted countryside. The best of the accommodations, which range in price from $125 to $200, is the 1800s log cabin, large enough to sleep four. Rooter Boy, the resident pot-bellied pig, is usually around to greet guests.