Fredericksburg

After climbing Enchanted Rock we stopped in Fredericksburg, a popular weekend destination for people in Central Texas, specifically those from Austin and San Antonio, who come for the bed and breakfasts, abundant hunting, fishing, antique stores, the German influence in the form of bakeries, restaurants, stores, and peaches. Fredericksburg and the surrounding area are home to over 300 B&B's.

Fredericksburg is also home to a unique form of residential architecture called "Sunday Houses". These houses were built by the early German settlers of Fredericksburg as weekend homes, since a large majority of the counties' population lived in outlying rural areas. The settlers would use these homes while in town for the weekend; often to patronize local merchants and attend church services. The form of these houses often consisted of several rooms downstairs, with an upstairs sleeping loft that was accessed by an outside staircase. Many of these are now bed and breakfasts.

Fredericksburg is located near the center of the wine industry in central Texas. The designated American Viticultural Areas of Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country AVA and the much larger Texas Hill Country AVA both include Fredericksburg inside their boundaries. Fredericksburg is a common starting point or destination for tourists visiting wineries in the Texas Hill Country.

The town is also notable as the home of Texas German, a German dialect spoken by the first generations of settlers who initially refused to learn English.

Here we're enjoying schnitzel, bratwurst, apple strudel and some German folk music!