Fredericksburg, Texas

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For our first wedding anniversary, Billy and I decided to stay for an extended weekend in Fredericksburg, Texas. We’ve been through there before while seeing state parks (Old Tunnel, LBJ, and Enchanted Rock are all nearby) and thought it would be fun to spend some time exploring the town. Fredericksburg is located an hour and a half west of Austin, TX and an hour and fifteen minutes north of San Antonio, TX. It’s the perfect town for a gateway. There is a plethora of shops to visit, endless restaurant choices, historical sites and museums galore, and wine tastings for days.

Here’s a quick rundown of where we stayed, what we did, and where we ate. We had an absolute blast during our visit to Fredericksburg, and we hope you get to do the same!

Amore Dolce

We stayed at a wonderful little Airbnb called Amore Dolce. It was our first Airbnb experience, and it did not disappoint! It was originally a carriage house and is now the perfect small getaway. There is a king-size bed downstairs as well as a single bed at the end of the room (it’s an open floor plan, so make sure you’re cozy with your friends if there are three of you staying). There is also a small kitchen/dining area as well as an incredible bathroom. The jacuzzi tub was fantastic! Upstairs is a small loft area with seating and a TV. The real winner is the hot tub out back! It is a small place but was the perfect size for us. We had plenty of space and thoroughly enjoyed the amenities!

It is also the perfect distance from Main Street. It’s close enough that access to Main Street is easy and walkable but far enough away that you aren’t swept up in the traffic and noise. For a full tour, check out our vlog!

Things We Did

1. National Museum of the Pacific War

We only had two hours at the National Museum of the Pacific War. We bought tickets online, and that was the only time slot left available. A word of caution: two hours isn’t enough. We could have easily spent the ENTIRE day here. The museum is massive, with the George H. W. Bush gallery itself holding well over 900 artifacts. Add in the Admiral Nimitz Gallery and Pacific Combat Zone (located a few blocks down the street), and you’ll be busy for hours. We didn’t have time to take in the Pacific Combat Zone. We would have had to practically run through the museum! It’s an incredible museum and well worth the trip. There is much to learn and plenty to keep you occupied!

2. The Pioneer Museum

We hadn’t intended to go to the Pioneer Museum, but it started raining on us as we were walking down Main Street, so we decided to duck in and stay dry. It’s a great museum with tons of historical buildings to walk through and explore. I love getting to glimpse into a life that was lived not too long ago. It’s crazy how far we’ve and how fast we’ve gotten here! It makes you truly appreciate the things that we take for granted. You’ll also get a quick history lesson on how and why German immigrants settled in this part of Texas.

3. Willow City Loop

We wanted a place to watch the sunset, and while looking through TripAdvisor, we came across the Willow City Loop. It’s about an hour long and forms a loop from Fredericksburg to Willow City and back. We didn’t get to drive the entire thing, but we found an incredible spot to sit and watch the sun go down on our anniversary. It was magical! There are mostly ranches in the area and it is all private property, so be mindful not to block someone’s driveway or pull into their grass. It was a beautiful evening and was incredibly quiet. All we could hear were birds chirping and coyotes calling to one another. Bliss!

Food For Everyone

Fredericksburg, TX is known for its German cuisine, but they have endless restaurants that range from BBQ to Italian to Mexican and everything in between. With all of this at our fingertips, we ended up ordering pizza for dinner on our first night there. We were exhausted and decided delivery was the way to go! If anyone’s curious, we got Domino’s, and it was delicious. We each got a medium pizza and ate on it for the next few days, which helped save a bit of money. Honestly, if it weren’t for Covid, we’d probably have eaten out for every meal. We don’t eat out too often (except for Freebirds, our soft spot), so we usually treat ourselves when on vacation. In the end, we still didn’t feel comfortable being around a crowd, so we only ate out when we could eat outside and a good distance from other diners.

Our first meal out was at Altdorf German Biergarten. We were drawn there because it has a seating area out front that was practically empty. We ordered a German pretzel for an appetizer, and I immediately regretted not ordering another two for my lunch. They were so soft and yummy! I ordered the potato skins (another appetizer) for my lunch, and Billy got the German hotdog. The food was good and the price was even better! I’m not in the swing of documenting these types of things yet, so I only got photos from Altdorf’s. Sorry!

Dinner

We had dinner at Mac’s BBQ, and while the food was good, I think we’d have had a better experience if we’d have gone earlier. By the time we got there, they were out of almost everything, and the staff was worn out from a long day. What we did get was good, I just wish we could have tried more! Billy is not a fan of spicy food and ended up with a bunch of jalapeno sausage because they were running out of the regular kind. So, not the best experience, but I think that was solely due to timing. Based on the food that we had, I’d go back in a heartbeat!

We tried takeout from Pasta Bella the next night. We opted for takeout because they don’t have outdoor seating, and when we drove by, it was PACKED. There was a massive crowd of people outside that were all waiting for a table. So we decided to go back to our Airbnb and call in an order. We tried the manicotti and the #1 on the menu (sauteed sausage, bell peppers, and onion over pasta). It was delicious! Definitely, a place that we’ll go back to on our next visit.

Things We’d Like To Do Next Time

As stated earlier, Fredericksburg is an incredible place to visit with so much to do. Next time we come, we’d love to stay in the Hangar Hotel, a vintage-style hotel at the airport. Straight out of the ’40s, the hotel is built to look like a WWII airplane hangar on the outside with a 1940s vibe inside. Yes, please!! You can grab breakfast and lunch next door in the Airport Diner, another vintage hit. We’d also like to try one of the many wineries or wine tours in town.

Until next time, we’ll look back with fond memories of our stay in Fredericksburg. If you’ve been, let us know your favorite places in the comments!

Want to see Fredericksburg in action? Check out our vlogs for our first day and second day in town!
Cheers,
Lydia