When we visited the Texas Hill Country last year, just prior to the start of the pandemic, we fell in love with the area. The time was February, so it was still chilly and things weren’t blooming. We’d heard wildflower season was a good time to visit, so we put it on our 2021 schedule. Those flowers did not disappoint!
We spent a week based in Fredericksburg at the Oakwood RV Resort. The central location allowed us to explore this cute German town, as well as a variety of sights that were new to us.
One day we visited the National Museum of the Pacific War which featured an in-depth treatment of the events leading to the U.S. involvement in the Pacific theater through the end of WWII. Admiral Nimitz, the leader of the Pacific fleet, was born in Fredericksburg and the museum sits in and around his family property. Since Dad was a Navy man in the Pacific, in Leyte Gulf, we were particularly interested in those details.
Over several days we explored Fredericksburg’s cute downtown area and enjoyed the fabulous German pastries which abound in this town.
We also had fun poking around the many varied shops that line Main Street in Fredericksburg. We bought a few t-shirts, hats, and Bob even tried a few things on!
There are more than 50 wineries and tasting rooms located in and around Fredericksburg — not to mention dozens more wineries located within an hour or two drive of Fredericksburg. We visited just one but it was a good one.
Das Peach Haus sits on a large orchard and features seating around a beautiful lake. It was a nice place to relax with a glass of wine and finish up a busy day of shopping.
A highlight of our return visit to the Hill Country was the Burnet Bluebonnet Festival. The cute little town of Burnet really turns out to celebrate the iconic flowers which dot the roadsides. We wandered the large vendor area, listened to some real Texas music, and soaked in the festivities.
For some reason, bluebonnets make everyone want to have a photo shoot. We saw people pulled to the side of the road everywhere to get an iconic shot with the blooms. We had to join in on the fun!
One of our favorite activities in the Hill Country is to drop in to Luckenbach for a Lone Star. The old west ghost town was made famous by Waylon Jennings in his song, “Luckenbach, Texas – Back to the Basics of Love.” Every afternoon at 5:00 p.m. local artists gather with their guitars for a picker’s circle. The unplugged, acoustic, informal concert is always different and always fun.
While we were in Fredericksburg we were able to snag appointments to get our COVID-19 vaccine. We opted for the one shot Johnson & Johnson shot and we are both feeling fine.
The big draw to this area was, of course, the flowers. Several times we drove the Willow City Loop, one of the famous country roads that feature abundant wildflowers. Each trip around the 13-mile loop was different, depending on what was blooming most that day. Bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush, Primrose, Daisy, and so many more could be found in the meadows and roadsides throughout the countryside.
We also visited the nation’s largest working wildflower farm, Wildseed Farms, which is right outside of Fredericksburg. The poppy fields were stunning, planted to commemorate World War I and to honor the service and sacrifices of our military.
Just across the street from Wildseed is the Jenschke Orchards, which features u-pick fruit throughout the year. We were lucky to be here at peak strawberry season and took advantage of the ruby red berries that were growing in abundance.
A week is not nearly enough time to fully explore the Texas Hill Country, and we still have a list of things to do on our next visit. For now, we are heading west towards Arizona and are looking forward to a warm reunion with family and friend
However, our time in Blanco was short as we were headed for our week-long stay in Kerrville, about an hour and a half to the west. 
On display at the ranch is LBJ’s smaller jet, dubbed Air Force 1 1/2. The big jets were too big for the ranch’s airstrip so LBJ and his visitors used smaller planes to get to the ranch. The airstrip still dominates the pastures behind the ranch house.
The LBJ Ranch is still a working cattle ranch and is home to cattle which traces its lineage to the champions that LBJ bred. Walking through the show barn and seeing the LBJ-branded cattle made it all the more fun. These cows have it made!
However, it wasn’t without some lingering pain afterwards. We’ll head back to the doctor when we return to Arizona next month. Luckily I can still enjoy a good picnic, even if my feet hurt!
After our hike we did some exploring of the very cute town of Fredericksburg and did some shopping. Both Steve and Mia were patient while I “poked my head into” most of the shops along Main Street. Maybe it was the free LoneStar beer that was handed out at several of the shops that made it tolerable for Steve!
We even had our picture taken at the kissing booth, with Mia as the focus of our shared affection. 
Traveling with her continues to be a lot of fun. She doesn’t like to be left in the trailer and makes a lot of noise if we do. However, she loves to ride in the truck in her crate, and she’ll wait for us patiently if we leave her in there. So far the weather has been cool enough so she’s been able to come along. We are hoping that continues and she is too. 
While in the Hill Country we also visited other cute towns including Bandera, Boerne, Medina, and Comfort. Between the towns are humongous ranches, many with strange animals in the pastures. It seems that exotic animals are a popular collector’s item for rich Texas ranchers. Anyone know what these are?
We also spent a a few hours on Kerrville’s local mountain biking trails. While we didn’t do any wine or craft beer tasting while here, we expect that will change once we hit our next stop, New Braunfels. Stay tuned!
On one of the sunny days we took the bikes out to explore the area. SPI has some beautiful beach boardwalks that allowed us to bike right alongside the sand and surf. 
On another day we took a drive towards Brownsville and stumbled upon the 
While in SPI we stayed at the KOA. We are becoming KOA regulars and this location had its pros and cons. We enjoyed meeting snowbirds from all the “cold” locations during the campground’s social activities. In the week we were there we attended a sunrise breakfast, ice cream social, and watched water zumba while sitting out by the pool. Even Mia, the camping queen, enjoyed the views.
The KOA was a little cramped and we would have enjoyed a little more space. However, we’re leaning that it’s common to be packed into many of the RV resorts.
We missed the ranch tour but tried our hand at roping. Clearly we are both novices at this skill and need to leave it to the ranch hands.
Our last stop in Kingsville was at the King Ranch Saddle Shop, which produces and sells luxury leather goods including incredibly made saddles that any horseman would love. We know a few folks who would have been in heaven in this place.
Marnie and Steve Travel 