Motorcycle Road Trip to Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country

HOT-CHI-WAH-WAH!  It was a 100F degree scorcher when we loaded Maximus the Trike and embarked on our trip to Fredericksburg.  We took mostly secondary roads, seeing lots of corn fields and pecan groves along TX-30.  Soon we were on TX-21, which follows the original route of Camino Real de los Tejas.  This royal road connected the governmental epicenter of New Spain (later to become Mexico) with missions, presidios, and economic centers within Texas.  We passed through Bastrop, the heart of the Lost Pines.  The Lost Pines are a bit of an anomaly.  You see, they represent 13 miles of an orphaned loblolly pine tree forest.  It is separated by 100+ miles from the Piney Woods region of Texas where this species of tree is native.  We stayed south of Austin on US-290, thinking we would avoid traffic—no such luck. US-290 was under major construction, so there was lots of stop-and-go congestion.  After a long, hot ride, we checked into the Econo Lodge in Fredericksburg.  Though our room had new flooring and bedding, it is still an older motor lodge.  But it was economically priced as part of our Choice Privilege Rewards Program, has a local owner/operator, and is within walking distance for us (less than a mile) from historic downtown Fredericksburg.

 

We settled in, showered, and took a quick catnap before RV friends Sherry/Matt picked us up for dinner.  They are volunteering at Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and gave up their days off to spend with us and act as our tour guides.  We dined at Pasta Bella with them.  It is a very popular (hence very noisy) Italian eatery.  In this Rambling RV Rat’s opinion, it is a bit overpriced for what I consider average-tasting Italian food--not surprising for being in a tourist town.  But having the company of good friends and their always stimulating conversation was worth every penny.  We strolled down Main Street, getting the lay of the land from Sherry/Matt.  You see, this is our first extensive visit to Fredericksburg.  We spent a day here back in 2015 enroute to our South Dakota work-camping gig at Crazy Horse Memorial.  But that only encompassed walking down Main Street and eating at Hondo’s, a unique burger joint that was featured on the Texas Bucket List show.

 

A view of Main Street.

Some scenes from...

.

...The Pioneer Museum.

Fredericksburg Public Library Building and Grounds.

A cute store display.

I stopped to chat with Ms. M&M outside a sweet shoppe.

We got up early the next morning for breakfast at the motel, then walked to the National Museum of the Pacific War, arriving just as they opened at 9 a.m.  This Museum spans 6 acres and consists of 3 separate venues to visit:  The George H. W. Bush Gallery, the Admiral Nimitz Museum, and the Pacific Combat Zone.  Admission is $24/adult, but they do offer discounts for veterans, police, teachers, children, and Seniors 65+.  Though probably one of the more expensive museum admissions we have paid, it was money well spent.  We started our self-guided tour at the Bush Gallery, which is ginormous, taking up an entire city block.   The Gallery gives a comprehensive history of the Pacific Theater battles of World War II.  I was particularly interested in the battles of New Guinea and Luzon (Philippines).  That’s where my beloved Grumpy Grandpa, who quit high school to enlist in the U.S. Army, served his Nation.   The Museum recently suffered from hail damage, so many of the accompanying artifacts were removed from their displays.  Despite this setback, the Museum does a fantastic job depicting the tactical strategies, emotions, and historical significance of the War in the Pacific.

 

The exterior of the George H. W. Bush Gallery.

Photo of Admiral Chester Nimitz, Fredericksburg's favorite native son.

Japanese submarine used at Pearl Harbor.

One of many types of aircraft used during World War II.

I sure would like to drive this beast.

Replica of the atom bomb used at Hiroshima.

Outside the Bush Gallery is the Plaza of the Presidents, highlighting the efforts of the 10 U.S. Presidents who served in World War II and the Garden of Peace, gifted to the Museum by the Japanese government in 1976.  And, most importantly, there is the Veterans Walk of Honor and Memorial Wall, paying homage to all those who served in World War II.  I am saving my cheese money to purchase a $500 plaque for my very deserving Grumpy Grandpa.

 

Plaza of the Presidents.

Veterans Walk of Honor and Memorial Wall in background.

Views of ...

...the Japanese Garden of Peace.

We went thereafter to the second venue, the Admiral Nimitz Museum located in the Nimitz Hotel.  This Museum tells the life story of Fredericksburg’s favorite native son, Chester Nimitz, the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet/Pacific Ocean Areas during World War II.  Chester’s young father died 6 months before Chester was born, resulting in he and his mother residing with Chester’s paternal German-born grandfather in the hotel he once owned/operated.  Ironically, Chester sought to attend West Point and become an Army Officer, but upon learning no appointments for Army officers were available, he applied and was awarded appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he had an illustrious and distinctive Navy career for over 60 years.  He even has an entire class of nuclear aircraft carriers named after him! 

 

Exterior of The Nimitz Hotel.

Statue of Admiral Chester Nimitz.

Displays featuring Nimitz as a young child.

The Museum had lots of interactive displays, with which I enjoyed participating.

We arrived at the final Museum venue, the Combat Zone, where actual submarines, PT boats, and bomber planes are housed.  There is also an amphitheater where reenactments of jungle warfare take place at specific times of year (unfortunately, there were none offered during our Fredericksburg visit).

Amphitheater where re-enactments take place, though none during our visit.

Educational and Administrative facilities.

Before we knew it, 3 hours had been spent learning about the Pacific Theater of World War II!  Dad would have liked even more time touring, but personally, I was suffering from information overload!  Anyway, my belly was telling me it was nearly time to meet Sherry/Matt for lunch at Woerner Warehouse Cafe.  Located within an old feed store, this popular café among locals and tourists offers a unique atmosphere for breakfast and lunch.  Reasonable prices, nice portions, and a varied menu.  You can even do some shopping within the connecting warehouse while waiting for a table.  From shabby chic furniture to antique doorknobs to a huge collection of religious artifacts, the warehouse had everything you could possibly imagine for furnishing a unique home.  We did some more walking through town, including a visit to another of the famous Texas Hill Country Painted Churches.  The arch above the alter at St. Mary’s says, “Ego Sum Panis Vitae”—I am the bread of life.  Amen to that.  We finished up our afternoon with Sherry/Matt by sampling and purchasing some delectables at Quintessential Chocolates.  They were a bit pricy but quite tasty.

Interior of Woerner Warehouse Cafe.

Interior of...

St. Mary's...

...another of the Painted Churches within the Texas Hill Country.

Later that evening we took a ride on Maximus the Trike down Old San Antonio Road, which offered beautiful pastural scenery and lots of deer sightings.  Our destination was Old Tunnel State Park.  At a mere 10 acres, it is the smallest of all Texas State Parks, operated by only 1 employee and a dedicated group of volunteers.  But truthfully there isn’t much to do here.  You see, the sole purpose of this Park is to protect the bats that make their home in an old tunnel of the Fredericksburg and Northern Railway.  The volunteers are a wealth of knowledge, and they provided us a treasure trove of bat facts:  There are more than 1,400 bat species worldwide; bats are the only flying mammal; and the Mexican freetail bat is the most populous mammal on earth.  Bats can fly about 60 miles per hour and as high as 10,000 feet above sea level!  Bats actually have 20/20 vision, so the adage, “blind as a bat” is a misnomer.  About 2 million bats reside at this Park.  Each adult female has 1 pup per year.  So, during birthing season, the population can be as much as 3 million.  Each bat eats about 30-40 moths per night.  At the time of our visit, bats were emerging from the tunnel for their dinner run at about 9 p.m.  So unfortunately, we could not see much with our naked eye or our binoculars.  But the Park volunteers passed around night vision goggles, so we were able to catch a glimpse.  Despite the disappointment of not seeing many bats that evening, it was worth the visit for the fantastic presentation by the volunteers.

 

Though we didn't see any bats with the naked eye, we viewed some beautiful scenery and blooms.  And as you will see from the below video, the butterflies were enjoying the wildflowers, too.

The arrow shows the location of the tunnel entrance from which the bats emerge.

This volunteer gave a fantastic presentation!

The following day we ate breakfast early and met up with Sherry/Matt at the Lydon B. Johnson State Park Visitor Center.  Although we have a TX State Park Pass, we didn’t need it here—admission to the Park is free for one and all.  The grounds of the Park are lovely, with many areas covered with a spectacular carpet of wildflowers.  We watched the interesting and informative film then walked over to the Saler-Beckmann Living History Farm (the area of the Park where Sherry/Matt volunteer).    We were welcomed by volunteers dressed in pioneer period costumes.  They demonstrated tasks like shelling peas, tending the corn field, and making butter.  It was all very fun and interesting, but my favorite part of the visit was meeting all the farm animals--cows, pigs (appropriately-named Ham and Bacon), chickens, gobblers, sheep, and longhorn steer.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the local bison herd—they were snubbing picture-takers that day.

Sherry/Matt, wonderful friends and excellent tour guides!

Interior of Visitor Center.

A gorgeous carpet of wildflowers.

Saler-Beckmann Living History Farm.

Hook 'Em Horns!

Porter, the 4-month old calf...

...really liked me!

This is the only bison I saw while visiting the Farm.

Group photo!

 

We loaded into Sherry/Matt’s truck and went across US-290 to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park.  After watching a film about Lady Bird Johnson, we drove over to see the reconstructed boyhood home of our 36^th President, the schoolhouse he attended, his grandparents’ log cabin, and the family cemetery where President and Lady Bird Johnson are buried with earlier generations of family.  While we were able to enter the reconstructed boyhood home and the schoolhouse, his grandparents’ home was off limits and the graveyard could only be viewed from afar.  

Exterior of schoolhouse.

Interior of schoolhouse.

Replica of Johnson's boyhood home.

Interior of boyhood home parlor.

Johnson's grandparents' farmhouse.

Johnson family graveyard.

We also drove to the Johnsons’ ranch home situated along the Pedernales River.  Because Lyndon spent more than 20% of his time as President here, it was nicknamed the Texas White House.  Unfortunately, the house is considered structurally unsound, so there are no tours offered any longer.  The swimming pool looked quite inviting, though.  Also on the premises is the airfield where the President’s plane would land when he came to the Texas White House.  The hanger, too, is no longer available for interior viewing.   We learned that, as President, Johnson aggressively pursued and prioritized making this Historic Park his legacy (some folks are so narcissistic).     But I will admit it is a spectacular spread--more than 1,500 acres of God’s Hill Country.

While my Dad practiced his roping in the barn at the Ranch home (see above video), this Mom gets a much needed reprieve during her youngster's siesta.

We all went for a late lunch at Peach Station in Blanco to meet up with Linda/Bruce, fellow LBJ State Park volunteers of Sherry/Matt (Bruce does groundskeeping and Linda volunteers at the gift shop). My family hit it off immediately with Linda/Bruce and found we had lots in common.  Mom and Linda shared an Italian heritage, we all had roots in the Northeast, and Linda/Bruce were interested in learning about volunteer opportunities at Edge of the Wilderness Discovery Center in Marcel, MN, where we volunteered last year.  We all had a terrific time—so good, we all forgot to take a photo!  That’s what happens when you combine delicious food, attentive service, and absolutely wonderful company.

  

We returned to the hotel to shower and change into our dancing duds—my family was heading to Luckenbach.  Luckenbach was established by German immigrants in 1849 as a trading post.  Its original post office structure, in use until 1971, still stands under a live oak tree.  Luckenbach was always a small town, but with a current population of 3, it teeters on ghost town status.  But this ghost town has been resurrected.  What it lacks in permanent residents, it makes up for in visitors to its Dancehall and music venue.    My parents participated in the two-step dance lessons offered at the Hall.  Bless their hearts, they get an “A” for effort, but they are a train wreck with couples dancing.  Fortunately, the lessons were only an hour long, and the band soon took the stage.  They were very entertaining and performed songs to which we could line dance.  What a great time we had! 

 

We parked in the motorcycle VIP section of town.

The Post Office used from 1850-1971.

 

After several hours of dancing, we worked up quite an appetite.  So, we headed over to West End Pizza, arriving with just enough time before closing to enjoy a vegetarian pizza.  West End provided exemplary service and was accommodating to our request to substitute their mozzarella with our non-dairy “cheese”.  The pizza dough was light, of perfect thickness, and baked to optimal temperature to achieve “bubbles”.

 

It was a terrific pizza!  But I must say I was surprised that West End Pizza charges you for a glass of water as if you order a soft drink.  

You will notice one activity missing from our busy itinerary:  wine tasting.  There are literally dozens of wineries right within Fredericksburg.  How to select which one to visit?  There are several in the area that offer you a “unique experience” like Rhinory (where you can taste wine while visiting a young rhinoceros) or Safari (where you sip wine and view exotic animals simultaneously.)  We, however, rarely indulge in spirits and have limited knowledge of wine types and nomenclature.  So, we opted to pass on visiting a winery all together.  We did want to pick-our-own peaches, which are in season usually from mid-May through mid-August, based on variety.  But we couldn’t find any grove open that fit into our timeline.  Nor were any of the fruit stands open when we passed by.  I read that peaches were smaller this year due to last year’s drought.  Perhaps the horrendous heat we are experiencing negatively impacted the peach crop as well.

  

Well, our wonderful trip to Fredericksburg had come to an end.  We said our farewells and expressed our thanks to Sherry/Matt and commenced our long, hot, sticky ride home to Livingston.