Travel Guide: Fredericksburg
Madewell Top | J. Crew Shorts (Factory version here) | Kimchi Blue Belt | J. Crew Necklace | Kendra Scott Earrings | Loren Hope Bracelet | Urban Outfitters Watch | Jack Rogers Loafers | Ralph Lauren Sunglasses | Essie Nail Polish
Happy middle of the week, y'all! My brain doesn't even know what day it is, because I took a half day last Friday to go to the lake with some friends, and took Monday off for my birthday. (see how I celebrated here) This Friday I am taking a half day to visit my sister in College Station, so it's not even a real week for me, but happy hump day to you anyway!
My boyfriend and I went to Fredericksburg, TX, for July 4th weekend, so I thought I'd put together a little travel guide for y'all! On this new website (which I still can't get over. I LOVE it!), I will be talking more about travel, including my tips and must sees. Fredericksburg is in the Texas Hill Country and is known for its vast amount of vineyards, wineries and tourism. While we have been to Dripping Springs (another post for another time, but we LOVE DS), neither of us had ever been to Fredericksburg. I hope you enjoy our list!
Visit:
1) Alexander Vineyards. This is actually an anomaly of Fredericksburg, and just happened to be the first place we went. It doesn't have any vines or Texas grapes, but does have plans to grow some in the near future.. The owner actually imports European grapes (mainly from France) and makes wine from those. They are in the middle of building their tasting room, so right now it is in a house, that backs up to a field (here's a pic from my insta), but their wine was quite impressive- we left with a bottle of Bordeaux. Their champagne was amazing, but a little costly (at least $60 a pop) - It was definitely was worth it, just not in my budget.
2) Grape Creek Vineyards. This is probably what you think of, if you have ever pictured Fredericksburg. It is a large setting, with lots of people and lots of wine. We liked several bottles, but because of what we had already purchased, decided to take home a 2013 Muscat Canelli. We haven't had it yet- I am saving it for one of these last sweet days of summer! See our picture there, here!
3) Messina Hoff Winery. This is the main location of their 3 wineries; the other 2 are in Grapevine (a suburb of DFW) and Bryan (a city outside of College Station). I'm actually going to the Bryan location this weekend- I can't wait! We both liked the winery, because it wasn't as crowded, wasn't too big, and super cute! Our favorites were the Paulo wines, which are only available at Fredericksburg. We bought one of those and another one of their house reds.
4) Otto's. This was my favorite place we dined. It is authentic German food- if you didn't know, Fredericksburg is a German town, so if you want the real deal, go here! The food was very good and the restaurant is tiny, so you know it has to be tasty!
5) Vaudville. My second favorite place we ate, this is located on Main street in Downtown Fredericksburg. The restaurant is actually in the basement- the top floor is an adorable decor shop. If you don't want a whole meal, you could easily go in for dessert or a drink.
6) Marburger Orchard. If you visit Fredericksburg during harvesting season, you're going to want to come here! They have Pick-Your-Own peaches, strawberries, and blackberries. My bf and I love picking peaches and Fredericksburg is known for its fruit, so we just had to go!
7) Enchanted Rock. We did this on our way out of town and it is definitely worth it. Be sure to wear tennis shoes, sunscreen, and workout gear. I saw one girl wearing a maxi dress and slingbacks...I'm not sure how she made it, because it is a lot steeper than it looks! You do have to pay to enter, but it is a state park, so your money is just being pumped back into the wildlife there. Here is a pic of me from the top!
Tips:
1) Don't stay in Fredericksburg. Or at least don't stay downtown. Traveling can be expensive and you want to use your money on the food and wine you came for, right? I found that Downtown was overpriced and overrun. We stayed in Comfort, a town about 20 minutes away. They even have a couple wineries that we want to try, next time we go there! The Fredericksburg wineries often have cute bed and breakfasts attached to them, which would be a good option too. Sure, you should walk through downtown at least once, but you don't need to be walking distance from anything down there, so stay elsewhere.
2) You don't have to drink all the wine. This may be common sense, but on the off chance that it's not, know that it is okay! We had our fair share of not-so-great wines that I won't mention on here, but there is a container for you to pour yours into and it is completely acceptable to do so. Plus, if you're not on a "tour bus", you'll need to be able to drive. We didn't take a bus, but we also never drank a full glass of wine while we were tasting. Be smart about your intake and don't drink and drive.
3) Stay more than a day. We arrived Thursday, July 2nd, so we had a full day to spend on the 3rd. We would have spent more time on the 4th, but most things close down, as they have a HUGE Fourth of July parade. Ideally, we would have liked to have another day, but made do with 1. I think 2 days is definitely doable and 3 days is perfect if you want to stretch it out longer. We didn't stay a while, but definitely were there long enough to scratch the surface. There are supposed to be a lot more wineries popping up in the next couple of years, so we will go again soon and report back to you!
Have you ever been to Fredericksbug? Is there anything that you would add?
Are you planning a trip there? Here's an image for your Pinterest board, so you can reference my list later. Feel free to contact me here, to ask for more in depth reviews of places we went!
And while we are on the subject of travel, I have an AMAZING giveaway for y'all! (Don't forget about my birthday bash giveaway that I am hosting here- it's just me you have to follow and it includes over $200 worth of goodies! You have until 8/7 to enter.) "Every year the women of New York leave the past behind and look forward to the future. This is known as Fashion Week." - Carrie Bradshaw, Sex & The City.
How long have you been dreaming of travelling to New York for fashion week? I know I have been dreaming of it since I was a kid. I have teamed up with some amazing bloggers and we are bringing you a one of a kind giveaway! Enter below to win A TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY DURING FASHION WEEK!!!
Where? New York City, When? September 11-13th.
Prize Includes: A $400 flight voucher, two free nights at the Hudson Hotel, and a $400 SHOPPING SPREE!!!
*Each entrant can enter up to 161 times. All entries will be verified. Each entry improves your chance of winning! Must be 18+ years older to enter. International applicants welcome! This giveaway will end at midnight on August 12th and the winner will be picked at random. If you win, you must answer our email within 48 hours to claim the prize or it will go to the next winner.
Good luck y'all!
Like what you read? Click here to subscribe and receive every post in your inbox!
