Worthy stops dot road to Fredericksburg
My favorite kind of travel stays open to unexpected adventures. I found a few pit stops worth revisiting on a recent road trip from Houston to Fredericksburg, the Texas wine town with historical German charm and a major World War II museum.
Sometimes road signs lead to good spots off the beaten path, such as a few years back when I ventured through the small town of Chunky, Miss., purely because its name sounded interesting.
My first unplanned attraction along the road to Fredericksburg was the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange.
The museum, lovingly curated by volunteers who solicit donations from local families with heirlooms, surprised me with its depth and variety. Along with period displays showing what life was like in 19th-century Texas, the exhibits explain why Czechs and others Austro-Hungarian emigrants left for the New World, giving up their citizenship and with no right to return if things went poorly in America. The draw of opportunity was strong since land was hard to come by in the old country, and families were glad their men would escape a long military draft.
The easily available farmland in Texas drew new arrivals to Galveston and inland. Soon, strong ethnic networks brought more Czechs and Germans to the area, leaving a legacy from beer and kolaches to town names and music.
A small female mannequin wore the outfit that a little girl wore when she arrived; that little girl has since grown old and died, but her descendants held on to her clothes and gave them to the heritage center.
Volunteers eagerly welcome every guest to the cultural center. “It makes it all worth it when people come,” one told me wistfully, suggesting the out-of-the-way museum might not see heavy foot traffic.
But it should — it’s perfectly placed right near Texas 71 for a rest stop between Houston and the Hill Country, with plenty to entertain and educate both casual perusers as well as geneaology junkies. And any gift-shop hunters will be delighted. The little store features crafts made locally or imported from the motherland, including beautifully handpainted eggshells made into Christmas ornaments.
After working up an appetite learning about Czech culture, it was time for some kolaches. A museum volunteer recommended the nearby Weikel’s Store & Bakery, which she pitched as a Czech Buc-ee’s — surely a high compliment.
The sweets selection stretched on for case after case with options ranging from apricot and poppy-seed kolaches to Czech shortbread and klobasniky (pigs in a blanket). The kolaches were sweeter than most I’ve tasted in Houston, but I guess that’s how it’s supposed to be. With a full deli as well, Weikel’s makes a good lunch stop.
In between lunch and dinner sits Austin. Everyone has to make their own choice about what to do. Mini golf is a vacation priority of mine, so I tried the Peter Pan Mini Golf course just off Lamar, a short walk from Lady Bird Lake. .
There’s an easy course and a hard course — and they aren’t joking about the difficulty. The greens are sprinkled with subtle, expletive-inducing inclines and declines (Hill Country, indeed). Mini golf is not everyone’s idea of fun, but this course was a treat for those who appreciate the mini-sport. And it was an easy way to spend a late afternoon waiting for the capital’s Texas-size rush hour to die down.
About 20 miles west of Austin, travelers can start their food tours near Dripping Springs. Texas Hill Country Olive Co., a family-run outfit launched in 2008, charges $6 for its handful of hourlong tours on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as Sundays during the holiday season. Get tickets in advance to guarantee a spot. Other nearby options include distilleries, wineries and a brewery.
The most important stop in that area is the sprawling Salt Lick BBQ. Go for the ambience: live country music, rows of wooden picnic tables for waiting, families treating the BYOB policy like it’s a tailgate. The open pit was a sight to behold.
On a chilly weekend night, I was horrified by the wait times — but, in a rare stroke of brilliance, I walked over to the carryout booth and placed an order there (cash only). The food was ready in minutes. There were plenty of tables in the neighboring wine garden, with more than enough outdoor heating lamps to go around.
The barbecue itself was tasty but not especially memorable. I appreciate that servers ask whether you want your brisket wet, dry or burnt. The mustardbased sauce was a nice change. The sides were good, with vinegar-based coleslaw and potato salad both tasting fresh and light rather than canned and gloppy. It was all reasonably priced.
As Houston Chronicle barbecue columnist J.C. Reid put it last year, it might still be worth a visit because, “in terms of pure atmosphere, few can match this rambling amusement park of Texas barbecue.”
Once you reach Fredericksburg, of course you should partake in one of the wine tours. I thought George’s 290 Wine Tour $25 all-day shuttle pass was worth it, saving my party from drawing straws for designated-driver duties and hiking back and forth from parking lots.
I’ll leave the wine evaluation to the experts, but don’t be surprised if you get exactly what you’d expect at the Fat Ass Winery, where I narrowly escaped a bachelorette party pounding shots of the signature “peach wine.”
But there were bright spots. I savored the tempranillos at Inwood Estates, one of the first stops on the shuttle route. The tasting room wasn’t crowded, and the employee behind the bar clearly enjoyed spreading the gospel of Texas wine.
Aside from food and drink, you really shouldn’t miss the National Museum of the Pacific War.
There are live demonstrations some weekends. On Veteran’s Day weekend, more than 50 people donned replica uniforms for an island-fighting simulation, firing World War II-era weapons, including a real flamethrower whose fireballs made me want to surrender at the first opportunity.
The museum itself was exhaustive, in good and bad ways. The collection of personal artifacts and oral histories make visitors think about the individuals fighting the terrible war. There’s also a remarkable array of genuine military hardware, from the top of a submarine to full-size military vehicles.
My paternal grandfather, who died before I reached elementary school, had fought on Papua New Guinea and other islands. I left with a much better understanding of the hell that was his war.
The museum might have been less overwhelming if I’d taken the recommended two full days. But the exhibits began to feel repetitive, with a lengthy tick-tock of battle after battle. The forest was lost for the trees.
The casual visitor might appreciate differentiated signage — perhaps a single panel of text made prominent in each area with a 30,000-foot overview, with smaller text and less prominent placement for the minutiae that only history buffs would need.
On my way out of town, Enchanted Rock made for an easy day hike, a nice way to pretend I was working off the calories of the previous day’s “peach wine.”
Fredericksburg made for a great weekend away. The drive from Houston isn’t too long for a two-night trip. But I think the adventure is much improved if there’s time on either end for spontaneous stops along the way.