FREDERICKSBURG

Frohe Weihnachten!

That’s Merry Christmas in German!  I learned that recently while checking out what the German town of Fredericksburg has to offer for the Christmas season.

I stayed at the Main Street B&B, which is exactly where you think is.  It’s a perfect location for exploring the down town shops, museums and restaurants, and it has a balcony that overlooks Main Street.

I booked room 205, which had an electric fireplace (not as good as the real thing, but it kept me warm), a large whirlpool tub and a kitchenette among other amenities.  There’s also a pool out back.

I’ll admit, it wasn’t the nicest B&B I’ve stayed in, but it was certainly clean, spacious and definitely suitable for several nights’ stay.  The staff was very helpful and friendly too.  One thing I didn’t particularly enjoy about booking a room in Fredericksburg is that there are so many B&Bs to choose from, and they’re sort of grouped together under a few parent companies.  It’s difficult to tell online exactly what you’ll get.  (I’ve been spoiled by the fantastically amazing Belle Oaks Inn in Gonzalez and Spencer House in Waco.)

Anyway, once I was all settled in, I walked down Main Street, popping in to little shops along the way.  That’s the best part of Fredericksburg, really.  There are dozens of local shops that offer everything from antiques to gifts to the completely unusual.

Around 4 p.m. I reached a park with a big Christmas tree.  I heard rumors of outdoor ice skating.  Behind the Vereins Kirche Museum (I’ll tell you more about that later), lied a make-shift outdoor ice skating rink!  Of course, it’s called the Eisbahn!

For $10, you get skates and a stamp that allows you to come and go as you please all day.  It’s open until Jan 5, 2014.  Click here for hours and more info.  

It was great fun!  Perfect for kids!

When my fingers and toes froze and my legs turned to jello, I got out my camera and walked around the park admiring the holiday decor.

Of course, they had the traditional Christmas tree.

But they also had a German Christmas pyramid, which is a 26 ft. tall, spinning, wooden nativity set.  This particular pyramid was hand-crafted in Germany and was first displayed in Fredericksburg in 2009.

As the sun set, I kept shooting the lights in the park and the down town area.  There’s really a lovely display of lights.

It was dinner time and I was in the mood for some fine dining.  I took a suggestion and drove a few miles from down town to The Cotton Gin Cabernet Grill.

I started with the Jumbo Lump Crab Gratin (jumbo lump crab broiled with red chile garlic butter, asiago & breadcrumbs).  It was okay, but not as good as I expected.  For my entree I had Grilled Texas Quail (jalapeno stuffed & bacon wrapped), which was delicious!  Dessert was the Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake.  I don’t think I need to review that.  Any time those four words are together, you know it’s going to be amazing.

The Cabernet Grill had a pretty good menu with a decent selection of wines.  It’s worth a try if you’re in Fredericksburg.

After dinner I returned to the Main Street B&B for the night.

About 8:15 a.m. there was a knock at the door.  My breakfast had arrived!

Not a bad little breakfast – a biscuit, breakfast potatoes, a mini quiche, a slice of grapefruit, a danish and a glass of orange juice.

After breakfast, I checked out and walked across the street to the National Museum of the Pacific War.

This is actually several museums in one.  Your ticket gets you in to the Admiral Nimitz Museum, the George H.W. Bush Gallery and the Nimitz Education and Research Center.  Also on the property are the Japanese Garden of Peace, the Memorial Courtyard and the Plaza of Presidents, which are all open to the public for free.

It’s really a fabulous facility!  I can’t say enough good things about it!

It’s so huge that I don’t think I can describe everything.  I’ll hit the highlights.

The Nimitz Museum is small, but incredibly personal.  It chronicles the life of Admiral Nimitz and his family, and includes several family heirlooms.

The Memorial Courtyard is moving, with memorial plaques with names and photos of those who served during WWII.

My favorite place, though, was the Bush Gallery.  It’s huge, so allow yourself plenty of time.  (Your ticket allows you entrance to all of the exhibits for 48 hours.)

The Bush Gallery tells the story of the Pacific War from beginning to end.  It starts off as simply a nice presentation, with photos and artifacts from soldiers.  Then, it quickly turns in to a personal experience when you walk in to a room with a real submarine and a striking multimedia presentation depicting the attack on Pearl Harbor.  It stopped me in my tracks.

From then on, I kept stopping, looking around and saying to myself, “this is a world-class museum.”

The personalization of it really hits home.  Letters, clothing, quotes, personal stories – they all added to the experience.  There were large items too, like planes, vehicles, fragments of ships and bombshells.

I could go on and on about this museum.  You really must visit!

My time was getting short, but I still had two places left on my list.  First up was the Vereins Kirche Museum.

It’s a little octagonal building amidst the Christmas decorations and it’s a replica of Fredericksburg’s first church.

The original one-room building was located about 150-yards away from where the replica stands now, but it was torn down in 1896.  Had it stayed in it’s original location, it would be in the middle of Hwy 290 now.  The replica was completed in 1935.

It was used as a church, a town hall, a meeting place and for lots of general purposes.  Now it houses a small museum dedicated to the history of Fredericksburg.  It only takes a few minutes to walk through, so peak in if you have the chance.

My last stop on the trip was Fredericksburg Bakery.  It opened in 1917, making it the oldest business in town.  I figured they probably knew how to whip up some lunch and a pastry or two.

I had a sandwich on home made 9-grain bread, which was delicious, then treated myself to a chocolate croissant.  It was the best chocolate croissant I’ve had in a very long time!

My stomach was happy and it was time to hit the road, feeling more in the Christmas spirit than I had 24-hours before.

This is my last 24inTX post for 2013.  I’m taking a break for Christmas, but I’ll be back in January with new adventures to share!  Thank you so much for reading and letting my guide you through this amazing state!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Here are a few links to help you plan your trip:
Main Street B&B  (located on Main St., across from the Pacific War Museum)
Eisbahn  (outdoor ice skating through Jan. 5)
The Cotton Gin Cabernet Grill  (fine dining at the Cotton Gin Village)
National Museum of the Pacific War  (including all of the other exhibits)
Vereins Kirche Museum  (history of Fredericksburg)
Fredericksburg Bakery  (for the best pastries in town)
Visit Fredericksburg  (tourist info)