For spring break, we opted to get away to Fredericksburg for a few days. On the way, we stopped off at LBJ State Park, which is where President LBJ grew up on a hill country farm. There were some exhibits on the history of the area and the Texas White House (we didn't even make it there this visit). They also have a "living history" museum in the original German settlers' cabins from the turn of the last century. It was a great break to stretch our legs and take a stroll in the gorgeous spring weather.
We got a little glimpse of early 1900s life in the cabin and house. It fit in nicely with some things that Owen had learned at school and could share, like the dogtrot cabin floor plan. I'm thankful that we don't have to can everything and make our own cheese anymore!
Finally, we rolled through Fredericksburg to our Airbnb house on the outskirts of town. The night was cooler, so it was perfect for a gathering around the firepit. We made hot dogs and smores, enjoyed the sunset, and shivered under the vast assortment of stars.
The next day we took it easy and explored the house and its rural setting a bit more. The house was a bit older (it felt like we were staying in grandma's house from the early 1980s), and they'd built several small rental cabins nearby (which was less than ideal), but they had a herd of goats and a few horses on the pasture surrounding the house. Of course, this was great entertainment for the kids!
One goat in particular was sort of a loner from the herd and extra gentle, always lingering at the fence. Because he loved the heels of bread we offered him, the kids named him "Bready." We found out later that he'd had an injured leg from birth, so he'd spent extra time with humans while he healed and got special treatment, which ostracized him from the rest of the goats.
There were three horses, two were very hungry and curious, which suited our horse fan just fine. Although we soon learned that horses have a lot of slobber! Meet Red and Mohow.
That evening we'd managed to snag a reservation for Enchanted Rock. (COVID caused the state parks to operate on a scaled-back basis with limited online reservations required for most places, so we had to plan ahead.) A short drive north, and we could see the pinkish granite dome sticking out of the ground.
This hike was a little different than that of the day before, with lots more cactus and rocks.
And, of course, the ascent up the dome! My legs were soon burning, and I was far behind the rest of the family. They went out of sight for a while, and I began to wonder if they were going to wait for me! But eventually I found them at the top.
All too soon, they were ready to start their descent down the backside, to find a side trail back around to the front. There's a reason why no one goes down the far side of the rock - it's very steep!
But we survived! And treated ourselves with ice cold snow cones near the car. The next day, we headed a bit farther out to Blanco State Park. Unfortunately, a cold front decided to blow through during lunch, and it got dark and windy. Because Blanco SP is a river park, the kids were wearing swim suits and had left their jackets back at the house. So we made do with human wind blocks and picnic blankets from the car while we ate our Fat Boy Burgers in the outdoor grove.
Blanco SP is pretty small and just includes the river banks of a section of the Blanco River on both sides where they've dammed the river. It was peaceful on a Tuesday afternoon, if a little too chilly to think about swimming.
After we walked around a bit, the sun started to come back out, and we convinced the kids to try out the water. We were too late for canoe/tube rentals, so they just stepped in. Brrr! They were in agreement (for once!) that the water was too cold to do much.
But the afternoon was still pleasant enough to sit at the riverside table, throw sticks in the water, and play some frisbee.
The Fredericksburg area is known for its wineries, but many aren't kid-friendly, and we could never get the timing to work out on its breweries either. However, we stopped at a distillery on the way back from Blanco and enjoyed some cocktails and lemonade on their patio over an entertaining game of Pictionary.
No trip to Fredericksburg is complete without a trip to the National Museum of the Pacific War, especially for a WWII history buff. Owen is "more of a plane guy", in his own words, than a "ship guy", but this museum was pretty great either way. It's such an unbelievable chapter in human history, full of tragedy and heroism. A lot of things tend to focus on the war in Europe, but the Pacific front, hopping from remote island to tiny island, was a whole other beast. There are three parts to the museum: 1) the main exhibit hall,
2) the Pacific Combat Zone, where these snipers were set up near the trenches,
and 3) the Nimitz museum, detailing the life of Fredericksburg's own Admiral Nimitz.
In between #1 and #3 is a Japanese Peace Garden.
We spent several hours at the museum and finally got too tired to read another sign or stand another moment. After a brief respite at the house, we decided we had to get some German food before we left F'burg. Mmmmm....
The restaurant, on Main Street, had preserved the original 1846 well in their waiting area. It was quite a ways down...
We didn't spend much time in downtown Fredericksburg, what with the Spring Break crowd, a pandemic still raging, and Texas having recently lifted their mask mandate. (A picture of maskless Fredericksburg crowds actually graced the NYT a few days later!) But I dragged the boys on a stroll up and down Main Street and by the historic cathedral.
It didn't take much convincing to stop in Austin on the way home. We had lunch at Central Market (one of our favorites!) and drove to a nearby park to revel in the beautiful day a bit longer before stuffing ourselves back in the car. We have to savor these spring days before the long, hot summer settles in for the next six months!
