Try Fredericksburg, Texas
for a Great Girlfriends’ Getaway Trip
by Jo Ann Holt
I was recently invited on a trip to Fredericksburg with
the irresistible title of “Girlfriends Getaway Trip.”
Like most Texans, I’ve always loved to visit the Hill Country, and
Fredericksburg is a delightful town in the center of the rolling Texas hills
that has managed to hold onto its distinct German/American culture while
celebrating its Southwestern roots.
But I hadn’t thought about it as a destination for “just the girls,”
until this trip changed my mind.
There is so much to do with special appeal for women:
shopping, eating, visiting wineries, touring the chocolate factory, more
shopping, and unwinding in a state-of-the-art new Nature’s Spa located on a
Herb Farm just a few blocks off Main Street.
Now I can’t wait to return with my daughter and my sister for another
“girls only” trip.
Even with the hundreds of Bed and Breakfast
establishments located in and around Fredericksburg, it can be difficult to
find a vacancy on weekends, when the shoppers and sightseers come to town.
It’s even more difficult in the spring, when the bluebonnets and
other wildflowers are in bloom, or in the summer when the peach orchards are
ripe with those amazing Freestone peaches, the best you’ll ever taste.
It is highly recommended to book your stay for a weekday, or better
still, 3-4 week days, unless you schedule your trip far in advance.
 We stayed at the Fredericksburg Herb Farm, which lived
up to its promise as “an oasis of tranquility for anyone seeking a slower,
more gentle pace – rich in color; tranquil in feel; with aromatic plants and
a roaming cat or two.” Owners
Richard and Rosemary Estenson have converted the working herb farm (dating
back to 1882)into a perfect little retreat, complete with a high end
restaurant housed in the original Rock House where the farm’s first owners
lived, 14 guest cottages, walking gardens, and the new full-service Nature’s
Spa. Chef Asa Thornton is
responsible for the delicious gourmet meals served in the Rock House Bistro
which seats up to 88 people for lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch.
Our accommodations were in cottages constructed to
duplicate the historic Sunday Haus – distinctly shaped one-room edifices
with pitched roofs and wide welcoming front porches that were used as
weekend in-town homes by the early German settlers.
Each of the 400-square-foot guest cottages featured a private bath,
king-size bed, ceiling fan, flat screen TV, high speed Internet, microwave
oven, coffeemaker, small refrigerator, and morning delivery of fresh
breakfast pastries. The most
welcoming touch, though, were the front porch rockers and sidewalk swings
that took me back to my childhood, reminding me of lazy summer days sitting
on my grandmother’s front porch in another small town in Texas.
 The just-opened 5,000-square-foot spa includes
reception area, quiet room for relaxation, double treatment room and five
standard treatment rooms, a wet room for scrubs, a room for manicures and
pedicures, an aesthetician treatment center, far infrared sauna, and indoor
and outdoor relaxation settings.
We spent an afternoon trying various invigorating massages, facials and
other treatments at the full-service spa, bound to become a favorite
destination for Fredericksburg locals and tourists alike.
“Preserving the culture of the rural lifestyle is what
we envision for the Fredericksburg Herb Farm.
It’s taking the simplicity of a canning shed, with its wholesome
elements, and creating a business around this natural setting.
In that same aspect, the feeling of relaxation is what we have in
mind for our guests –where an excellent meal, a glass of wine and perhaps a
nap or a stroll through the gardens is on the agenda for the day,” says
Richard Estenson. “Like all of
our properties, the theme salutes the city of Fredericksburg – this rural
yet thriving community. We hope
to positively add to the visitor’s overall experience of Fredericksburg.”
Entrepreneurs like the Estensons are largely
responsible for turning Fredericksburg into such a popular tourist
destination. Before buying the
herb farm, they developed the Fredericksburg Brewing Company, one of the
town’s most popular venues, and then the 1940s-era Hangar Hotel, Airport
Diner, Airport Conference Center and entertainment venue Pacific Showroom.
Touring and sampling at the Quintessential Chocolates
Co., Inc., where owner Lecia Duke and her staff have recreated the art of
casting “Liqueur Praline” or the European style Liquid Center Chocolates for
the past 25 years, was a highlight of the getaway trip.
A visit to Artisans at Rocky Hill was another great experience, where
we met some of the artists whose textiles, mosaics, wood furnishings,
pottery, bronze sculpture, fused glass, mirrors, jewelry and other fine arts
and crafts were on display.
 For wine lovers, the Texas
Wine Tours van took us to three of the area’s favorite wineries, including
Grape Creek Vineyards , Torre di Pietra Winery and Becker Vineyards,
specializing in European style wines with a Lone Star twist and great
hospitality. Many of the grapes
actually come from West Texas and the Panhandle area of Texas, since that
climate has proved perfect for grape growing.
 Other must-see attractions
in Fredericksburg include the new George H. W. Bush Gallery and The Center
for Pacific War Studies at the National Museum of the Pacific War, the only
museum in the U.S. dedicated to telling the story of the Pacific Theater in
WWII. Since a native son, Fleet
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces for the
Pacific Ocean Area, this museum has become a popular gathering place for
historians and veterans (including a surprising number of visitors from
Japan, who applauded the curators for their authentic research).
I’ve promised to
take my American History professor and Vietnam Veteran husband back with me
for this tour; he only asked that it be during peach season.
Before planning a trip, call the Fredericksburg Visitor
Information Center’s toll free number (1-888-997-3600) for a free packet of
visitor information. They are
extremely experienced and helpful people.
www.fredericksburg-texas.com
www.VisitFredericksburgTX.org
www.FredericksburgHerbFarm.com
www.artisansatrockyhill.com
www.chocolat-tx.us
www.wineroad290.com.
Photo credits:
Courtesy Fredericksburg Visitors Information Center
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