Last week my husband and I went away for our first trip since having two kids!!! It’s crazy to think it’s been years and years since we did a trip just us. Between traveling for holidays (and moving!) we just haven’t had the time to make it happen. But we decided we *needed* to make it happen – and so we planned a trip to Fredericksburg.
We picked Fredericksburg because it was under 90 minutes from our house. It’s super easy to access from both San Antonio and Austin! And not having to get on a plane was a huge plus for us from a money and ease perspective.
I read a lot of blog posts about Fredericksburg and what to do, so I want to share what we really did to help anyone planning a trip. We loved it and will definitely be back!!! You can use the links below to quickly jump to a section 🙂
What We Did / Where We Ate / Where We Stayed
What We Did
Hiked Enchanted Rock
Enchanted Rock State Park is about 20 minutes north of Fredericksburg and is a must-do. We hiked to the summit (about 0.6 STRAIGHT UP!) and then hiked around the bottom of the Rock. We hiked for a total of 3.5 miles and it was gorgeous! We had beautiful spring flowers and a breeze. The perfect, perfect day for a hike. I highly recommend going – be sure to get tickets ahead of time on their website because the slots fill up. Reservations are mandatory for weekends and holidays.
Shopped and Explored Downtown
The downtown area of Fredericksburg is super cute and walkable. There are so many shops and wine bars and fun eateries. We got toys for the kids at Natural Baby and hats from Camp Hayden. I exercised restraint and didn’t go crazy shopping but you could truly just spend the afternoon shopping and walking around.
National Museum of the Pacific War
This isn’t on many itineraries – that I saw at least – but it is definitely something you should add to your list. The National Museum of the Pacific War tells the story of the Pacific War in World War II and it was so well done. It was HUGE! We spent almost 3 hours there and couldn’t even read ever plaque or piece of information. It was one of the best war museums I’ve been to – this is coming from someone who minored in Museology and was the President of the Museum Club in college 🙂 It was so well done and I highly recommend visiting.
Wineries, Wineries, Wineries!
The reason Fredericksburg is so popular is because of the wineries – and they are gorgeous! We only went to two and we enjoyed both. We went to Signor Vineyards which is about 10 minutes from downtown. It was such a gorgeous setting and would be so fun with a group of friends. We enjoyed their rose!
We also went to Becker Vineyards which is a bit further from downtown but had a much more expansive feel. It felt like you were on a working vineyard (you are) instead of just on a main highway like all the other wineries. It was more peaceful and felt more like a California winery instead of just a tasting room/area. Becker was our favorite spot and we also loved their wine!
Where We Ate
There are SO SO SO many restaurants in Fredericksburg. You could eat a new place for lunch and dinner daily for what feels like weeks. So here are the places we went:
- Sunset Grill – We had a delicious breakfast here! It’s definitely a local spot and we had amazing omelettes.
- Old German Bakery – You *must* visit and get a baked good of some sort from their case. We had a raspberry Danish of some sort and it was HEAVENLY. The breakfast was good (not as good as Sunset IMO) but the pastries are what set them apart.
- Woerner Warehouse (top photo) – This is a perfect spot for a sandwich or salad for lunch. I had the greek salad which was great and my husband had a turkey sandwich that was also delicious. It has lots of fun things to shop and areas to explore if you’re waiting for a table!
- Hill & Vine – We had a great dinner here (enjoyed their fried chicken sandwiches!) and it would be super perfect for lunch also. The outdoor area was expansive and I bet it gets super popular on weekends. Add this to your list for a good meal!
- Pasta Bella – The smallest restaurant and it had a wait within 10 minutes of opening! It was truly some of the best Italian we have had in a long time!!! The chicken parmesan was divine – so so so yummy.
- Hondo’s (above) – we went to Hondo’s for our last dinner and it was the perfect choice. Live music, eating outside, great weather, delicious margaritas – it was perfection! This is also a must on your list! We had great food and it was a super chill vibe (you order at the bar) and an easy place to hang.
Where We Stayed
Airbnb seems to be the name of the game – there are SO SO many. We stayed in one that was less than 10 minutes from downtown! It was perfect because it was private (downtown can get super super crazy busy) but easy to access everything. We looked at staying at the Hoffman Haus but it was sold out! There are so many Bed & Breakfasts also if you want to go that route – tons and tons of options.
We had a fantastic time in Fredericksburg and it was the perfect spring trip. It would be such a fun spot for a couples trip or a girls trip! I understand now why it’s so popular and I bet it gets truly crazy on weekends. We were lucky to be there during the week so we didn’t experience any waits or crowds – win win 🙂
We will definitely be back! Let me know if you have any questions on any of the places mentioned above!
