Fredericksburg Bachelorette Party Guide
Photography by: Sarah Campbell
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It is my friend Heather's wedding week! This Friday Nick and I (along with all the other people who are going to watch the Final 4) are going to Houston, to celebrate. Technically it is in Magnolia, but that's essentially Houston;) I thought it was only fitting that I recap her bachelorette party this week, so here goes!
It was my second time to Fredericksburg - I first went last Fourth of July Weekend, with Nick.( I recapped that trip here + gave tips for visiting). Anyway, this time around, it was a different kind of trip. Traveling with 7 other girls, is crazy, but oh, so fun! It was the fun little get-together, so I hope it will help you plan a wonderful girls weekend!
We went early, March, which just so happens to be SXSW - if you're coming from Dallas or need to access 35, I suggest taking a different way. I took a back way, and it helped so much! Obama was in town, and it would have taken me forever to arrive. Fredericksburg is about 1.5 hours from Austin, so you don't need to go through the city, unless you just want to. I will say that on the back roads, you're pretty much driving alone and there is spotty cell phone service, so make sure people know where you are, in case something goes wrong, like a flat tire. I was driving alone, so I kept Nick updated on my whereabouts. P.S. It was so pretty and the roads were so empty, I stopped several times to take pictures. This was one of them;)
Friday- Everyone drove in, so we were pretty much hanging out before dinner. The road to Fredericksburg gets really dark, so I always try to leave with enough drive time, to get there when it is still light outside.
We stayed at the Legacy Inn - I believe they are on Air B&B, so it's essentially a house you can rent out! We had a total of 8 people attend, and there was more than enough room! (there were even beds that we didn't use) The owner was so nice - she left us snacks and sweets. The best part was honestly that it was walking distance from downtown. I don't recommend limiting your wine experiences to downtown, so I'm really just referencing the closeness to restaurants and other fun shops!
Once everyone arrived, we walked downtown, to find a place to eat. Everything is essentially located on Main Street, so it isn't hard to find things. We ended up eating at Burger Burger - their sweet potato fries are awesome! The only thing I'd recommend is trying to make a reservation, especially if you have a large group. We didn't have one, but it was okay, because we were able to walk around town, while we waited; however, most stores (not restaurants) close before or around dinner time, so keep that in mind.
Next, we just walked home and did Heather's lingerie shower. I know some girls do their's separately and some do them at their bachelorette party. Totally up to you!
Saturday- We weren't out super late, but we did stay up talking. So, Saturday, we slept and lounged until around 10am and made breakfast at the house. I made sure to eat more bread/a little more than I normally would, because I knew I'd be drinking all day and that we probably wouldn't eat lunch.
After everyone was ready, we walked downtown, to 290 Wine Shuttle. It cost me $26 because I was paying with a credit card, but the normal cost is $24.99. I highly recommend using some form of shuttle, because you don't want someone to miss out on drinking, because they have to drive. They were great -I believe our driver was "Big T". Everyone has to get off at the first spot, which was Grapecreek. After you are done there, you just have to wait and another shuttle will come pick you up and take you where you want to go!
Like I said, our first stop was Grapecreek Vineyards, which I had actually visited before! I really enjoyed it - our barista Dillon was great. I would have purchased their 2013 Rendezvous and 2013 Mosaic, but we wanted to get to the next winery. Side note-most tastings will cost you around $15, which usually includes about 6 wine tastings and a complimentary glass.
Our next stop was my favorite, and where my friend Sarah, took these photos. Becker Vineyards is not only pretty, but it is tasty! I ended up purchasing their 2014 Prarie Rotie, and almost bought their 2012 Raven. If you want to visit Becker, which I obviously recommend, get there early. They stop taking people in at 3:30pm. Side note- most places have snacks you can buy. I just brought a protein bar and snacked on that - it's cheaper, pack-able, and gets the job done! P.S. This winery is where I posted this picture of me, on Instagram!
Our last stop of the day was Fat Ass Ranch and Winery. Honestly it's not about the wine, it's more about the scene. A lot of people suggest that you end up here. We didn't do a tasting - we just got a glass of wine. It was fine and about $8. They have live music that is stellar and fun for dancing, so that was my favorite part of the winery. They advertise that they have tacos, but when I got there, they were selling them for $10! $10 for 2 tacos? No thanks! I did try a bit of them, but they were just average. If you're drunk and hungry, the $10 might be worth it though;) P.S. This was a group picture of us, via my Instagram!
After we were wined out, we went back to the house and relaxed/took naps. Our nice driver from 920 shuttles made us a reservation at Mamacita's - a local Tex Mex restaurant. We all split pitchers of margaritas and ate our hearts content of chips and salsa. I got the chicken fajita taco salad and it was HUGE! So if you get that, it is perfect for sharing.
Next stop after dinner, was Crossroads Saloon. It is also a steakhouse, but we just went in the bar section. There was a band playing, so we had to pay a $10 cover, which I thought was pretty hefty...especially for someone I had never heard of. The dance floor was fun, but honestly there were a lot of weirdos. We made Heather do this dare deck-of-cards game we had, so that made it better:) It was definitely a fun place to go to, just don't know that I would pay the cover for it again - try to go when there isn't one!
After that, we went home and talked for a little bit, then went to bed. CRAZY, I know. We did stop and have pictures made with firefighters, though ;)
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Sunday - We all needed to get back to reality, so it wasn't that relaxed of a morning. Some girls even had to leave before 7am! Along with the bride, and a couple other girls, I went to breakfast at Mahaley's Cafe. It was a quaint little joint - yummy and definitely cheaper than the other places we ate. I had the open-face breakfast tacos and they were great!
Shortly after that, I topped off my gas tank and was off to Dallas. I went through Waco this time though, and wished I hadn't. I hit traffic about 30 miles outside of Waco, and it tacked on a good 30-45 minutes! I didn't go through back roads again, because it had been raining and I didn't want to risk driving through flooded areas, but otherwise I think it would have been a good route back!
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Overall, it was a great weekend! I hope you have some ideas for planning your own trip, now! Don't forget, I gave more information on my first Fredericksburg post. You can read that here.
5 Tips for a Fredericksburg Bachelorette Weekend:
-Drink Water. You should be drinking your weight divided by two, in ml every day, but on weekends where you are on the move, in the sun, and drinking wine, you should drink more water. You don't want your fun weekend to end before it starts, simply because you got dehydrated and sick. Plus, water is good for your skin. Drink up!
-Bring Snacks. I am always hungry, so I have snacks with me on the reg, but this is even more important, especially if you choose to drink a lot. Like I said above, a good protein bar is the perfect route! Right now my favorites are G2G Bars. They are on the pricey side, but are all natural and actually delicious! You can get 15% off w/code ELLE.
-Wear a hat/sunscreen. I have fair skin, so I think about sunburn quite often. It gets hot, so a hat will keep you cool, shaded, and sunburnt-less. Plus, so many are in right now, you have your choice from a lot. Did I mention that they look cool in pictures, too?
-Wear comfortable shoes. You're walking around a lot - we never drove anywhere...how's that for perspective?! I would recommend closed toed shoes, especially if you are taking wine tours, but, they don't have to be tennis shoes (even though they make cute ones, these days). I wore flat booties, and they worked like a charm. On that note...wear something cute, but comfortable on your body, too. These One Teaspoon Shorts are loose, so they don't ever pull, and graphic tees are so in, I knew I couldn't go wrong with this look.
-Don't match. Oops. Did I say that? Honestly you do you, but it looks silly to all come matching. I think tanks and shirts are cute, but if you're going to do that, let your bridal party style it their own way. Heather got us cute matching sunglasses, so we all coordinated, but not in an in-your-face way.
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Have you ever been to Fredericksburg? Do you have any tips or suggestions I left off? Happy drinking!
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