Cows, Wind, and Cactus

A New Normal

Our last “normal”, unimpeded vacation, was in the summer of 2019. This was a trip to New England. We ventured to an island off the coast of South Carolina last summer, but there were restrictions. Our twin daughters graduated high school since the pandemic began. Both now enjoy the freedom of semi-adulthood. This year, our son, will graduate and I am sure he too will hit the ground running just as fast as his sisters. The entire dynamic of our family has changed. While the new dynamic is not bad, it just takes a moment for this momma’s heart to adjust.

As I made plans, I asked the kids if they wanted to join us. The speed in which the horror and fear crossed their collective face was almost comical. After being drug all over the country for many years, they were quite happy to sit this one out. Whatever. We are cool and they know it.

Getting There Is Half the Fun

Armed with the knowledge this would be an adult only trip, I could have my itinerary as I wanted. If we were not in Colorado, Utah, or New Mexico, Tim had no input. San Antonio was the ultimate destination. Using my superior Google mapping skills, I realized San Antonio is a bit of distance. We did not want to arrive in San Antonio exhausted. According to every “Best Small Towns to Visit in the South”, Fredericksburg, Texas would make an excellent rest stop. This quaint town had a lot to offer. With German influenced everything, wineries, and being the center of Texas Hill Country, the town did not disappoint.

I am sure most people have seen Texas on a map. The size of the state cannot be truly appreciated unless you are driving to reach a destination. I am not entirely certain we did not hit a vortex that bent time and space. There are metropolis(es?) and sprawling cities in Texas, but there is also a never-ending open space that feels very Kansas-esque. After driving what seemed to be one light year, we arrived at our first destination.

The Local Scene

We considered numerous types of accommodations. Hotels, both within Fredericksburg, and surrounding areas were investigated. Vacation rentals of ranches and houses were perused. Many of which seemed to have an abundance of cow skulls and crosses on the walls. I would prefer the events that leads to this necessary combination of accessories remain a mystery. We eventually decided to stay in the middle of town. Crosses in conjunction with cow skulls were nowhere in sight.

If you are going to eat and imbibe properly, staying within walking distance of your accommodations is a must. With people watching being a hobby, a bed and breakfast with a balcony was my ideal location. The fact is was located above a bakery in the middle of town was simply a bonus.

After unloading the car and gathering our bearings, we located a Biergarten to unwind and get a bite. I ordered my beloved Rueben sandwich with a side of German potato salad. While the hint of vinegar did make it passable, my mom’s potato salad is still better. Tim had a plate of various sausages. He did not use the ground German mustard that accompanied the dish. His meal could not have been great without the main ingredient. After dinner and a stroll through downtown, we returned to the balcony and planned the next day’s adventure.

The Nitty (Windy) Gritty

Southern Texas, the Wild West, and the high desert are all places of low moisture, high heat, and blistering wind. The vegetation that can survive in such conditions are not always the most lush or burdened with leaves or flowers. This is not to say the landscape is not uniquely beautiful. However, it does take your eyes just a moment to gathered enough moisture to blink in the presence of the constant dust filled wind to truly enjoy. Free range cattle was a new experience. Just cows roaming about wherever they please. In the road, the bushes, the ditch, literally just wherever they wanted. The extroverted bovine hung out by the road to greet visitors while the more introverted were cleverly camouflaged among the cactus.

We had hoped to catch the famous bluebonnets of Texas in bloom. Alas, I believe we were just a bit early for a proper showing. We were lucky enough to locate a single flower. This is the one, the only one we saw. I would attempt to give directions to this lone flower, but could not be very accurate. Best I remember, drive down some Farm to Market road. After crossing at least 10 cattle grates, turn by the cow hiding behind the tree. Drive until you see a flash of blue.

Hills, Water and a Bat Cave

We spent the majority of Saturday driving around, enjoying the scenery. We drove over the hills and through the pastures. Subie Lou, in true Texas fashion of “Don’t Mess With Texas” did her first water crossing experience. By my estimation, the distance of water traversed was half a mile and almost a foot deep. Tim’s estimate was a little over 100 yards and 6 inches at the deepest portion. One of us is highly delusional, not going to say who. As our drive continued, we passed a cowboy Jurassic Park looking ranch offering bat cave tours. I cannot say that differently to make it make any more sense. While the landscape was different than what we are accustomed to seeing, it really was breathtaking.

Back to the Watering Hole

We returned back to civilization, shook the dust from our boots, some may call them tennis shoes, and headed out for our last German meal of the trip. I do not recall the name of the dish I ordered. The deliciousness was thinly sliced roast tightly rolled around pickles, onions, bacon and mustard. This rested on a yummy bed of spatzel. It was absolutely fabulous. Tim enjoyed the Chickenschnitzel. Even though it resembled fancy shake and bake, it too, was delicious.

Being properly stuffed, we decide to spend just a bit of time in the local shops. I purchase a couple of favorite commidities that are hard to come by in Arkansas. These included the aforementioned ground German mustard, and candied jalapeños. I also added ghost pepper jelly for special occasions. We headed back to our room after shopping to prepare for our next destination of San Antonio. We had a nightcap on the balcony before heading to bed.

On to Road Again

The next morning we awoke to the heavenly scent of cookies and pastries baking below. Each morning the bakery left each room a box of their goodies on the counter in the kitchen. A perfect snack for the road. One brownie, later known as squished sweater brownie, proved to be survival food the following day, but more on that later.

Being a history nerd, I thought I should visit the Alamo at least once. We gathered our belongings, bid farewell to Fredericksburg and routed Subie Lou in the more southernly direction towards the Riverwalk of San Antonio. Until next time Fredericksburg…

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