If you like day drinking, eating greasy (but delicious) foods, and waking up in a tent with a hangover, boy do I have the trip for you. I won’t waste any time on sugar coating anything or making it out to be any more glamorous than it was, so throw the camping gear in the truck, grab the Advil, and let’s go.

Oh, and don’t let what I said fool you, we’re going to have a blast.

Day One: We ride.

From Austin, we head, north? But wait, Fredericksburg is west of Austin. Yeah, I know, but you can’t tell me what to do. We opted for a much more scenic route that is perfect for this time of year. With the windows down and the radio up, we hit Highway 29 West and left the big city life behind. There’s a few little (but growing) gems along the way such as Liberty Hill, Bertram, and Burnet, each with their own unique charm and long list of pit stop options, but once outside of Burnet, some of the prettiest parts of the world await.

Just west of Burnet lies Buchanan Dam which makes up Lake Buchanan to its north, and Inks Lake to the south. You just get a glimpse of them, but it’s a nice precursor to even prettier country ahead. On through the rolling hills and winding roads, civilization seems to drop off the map. This is where it gets good as it’s just you, the open road, and some amazing roadside scenery. The next town is Llano, and it has a vibe all of its own. This is where you’ll head south on Highway 16 and cross the Llano river via one of the most well-restored truss bridges from yesteryear. The Roy B. Inks bridge has so much character but it has its work cut out for it as it competes daily with the Llano River Lake below. I don’t know what it is about this little lake, but every time I see it it feels like I’ve gone back in time. In fact the entire town of Llano does this for me. Anyway, enough about Llano but stay tuned for a fun filled day trip here some day down the road.

Once outside of Llano, it’s back to open road and majestic views as you navigate this must-drive stretch of Texas Highway.

About 25 miles later, we hit our first stop, The Pecan Grove Store. Located just on the outskirts of Fredericksburg, this historic treasure welcomes any and all who pass by on a given day who seek a pit stop that features the coldest beer in Texas, some of the most delicious grub, and a friendly atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. You won’t meet a stranger here, I guarantee it.

As if it needed any other selling points, it’s nestled right beside Marschall Creek and under some of the biggest pecan and oak trees you’ll find in the area. It would be the perfect place for, oh, I don’t know, a Biergarten maybe? Oh wait, that’s exactly what it is. With plenty of picnic tables, a stage for live bands, and countless old relics from the days of old, it’s one of those places you could sit at for hours and never experience a dull moment.

All of the scenic hill country driving worked up quite the appetite so we grabbed a beer perused the menu. We settled on the “Gyrger”, a Mediterranean spin on the traditional hamburger, and some queso fries. Both were incredible. The Gyrger was the most unique burger I’ve ever had. I savored every bite. The Queso Fries did not disappoint either as the fries were crispy and hot and the queso was just right for dipping. This has to make your list of stops if you ever find yourself anywhere near Fredericksburg.

One of the newer additions to the Pecan Grove Store are the creekside camping tents. In fact, this is where we decided to stay. After all, it was close to beer and food so it was kind of a no-brainer. As an incredibly welcome added bonus, the weather decided to get downright perfect for this trip with highs in the mid seventies and lows in the sixties… perfect camping weather.

The tents are a really cool addition to this place. When we booked them, we found that they were quite strict on the 2 person maximum as we thought we’d bring our 5 year old daughter along on this trip but, upon arrival, we completely understood why. These tent are most definitely built for two. The mattresses were comfortable, there’s a mini fridge and coffee maker, and even a little space heater for those cooler nights. We dropped off our things and headed into town.

If you’ve ever been to downtown Fredericksburg on a given Saturday, you know that parking is always a challenge. Well, multiply that times ten and you’ve got the parking challenges during Oktoberfest. We decided to park further away at the community center and, luckily, we got the last available spot.

We were halfway down main street when we heard from my brother. He and his family were joining us and they’d just made it inside. “Cash only” he texted, so we shifted course for the nearest ATM. Cash in hand, we finished the trek down main street until arriving at Market Platz, the grounds for Fredericksburg’s annual Oktoberfest celebration.

The lines weren’t terribly long and they moved quickly. Once inside, we learned that our cash was no good here :|. Okay, to be clear, it was, but you had to use the cash to buy the tickets that then became the currency of the festival. A bit strange, but also understandable. Plus, it was that or no beer so we grabbed a mile’s worth of tickets and embarked on the hunt for that sweet sudsy nectar of the gods.

The beer lines were long (big surprise) but there were plenty of them so they all moved quickly. Our first round was a bit of a disappointment as the bartender was obviously trying to set the festival record for most foam in a beer pour. I think ours would have taken first place. Nevertheless, it was beer, and we happily drank it down. My brother and his family staked out a great spot for us that was central to the music stage, the beer tents, and the food vendors. We set up shop and were soon catching up and enjoying the festivities.

Truth be told, this was my first time attending Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg. I’ve been to similar celebrations on a much smaller scale but I must say that Fredericksburg does it right. It doesn’t come as a huge surprise, though. After all, this town was settled by German immigrants in the mid 1800’s and the entire town does a wonderful job keeping a deep connection to their homeland roots. More on the rich history of this place can be found here.

I’m typically not a fan of large events full of random strangers but I was reminded of something during my time here. I am a big fan of community and the power that it holds. There’s something to be said about being surrounded by people that are “in sync”, so to speak, as you are all experiencing the same fulfillment and, at least in the moment, are all part of a common thread. It’s nice to be placed into these situations where you let your preconceived notions go by the wayside as you are reminded that, even amongst our vast differences, we can come together and be a shining example of what community is and should be. And no, this isn’t the beer talking, although it is quite delicious ;).

Alright, off of my lovey-dovey soapbox and on to the music. Polka music. Lots and lots of Polka music. As a lifelong musician, I have always had respect and appreciation for all genres of music, but I left this festival with a much deeper appreciation for Polka music. If you aren’t smiling and dancing while watching a live Polka band, you’re dead inside. Each song brought smiles to everyone’s faces and movement to their feet. As the day progressed, I think the multiverse must have started to act up because, all of the sudden, we were hearing Polka covers of numerous country songs and even a Polka rendition of 4 Non-Blondes’ hit song ‘What’s Going On?’. Sounds painful, but it was amazing.

Not a dull moment was had. We laughed, drank, ate, and discovered that my sweet little niece is a lethal sniper with a nerf gun. She had her face painted to ensure her cover wasn’t blown. Apologies to anyone who took a dart to the face or midsection :D. The time spent at Oktoberfest was nothing short of delightful, and experiencing it with family made it that much sweeter.

As the sun set on a fabulous day, we went our separate ways. My brother and his squad headed home, and we headed back to the campsite but not before the wife and I spent our last tickets on a garlic parmesan pretzel dog. Yes, it is as delicious as it sounds and no, I didn’t take a picture because we devoured it like a pack of dogs on a ham bone.

Once back at camp, my old man syndrome kicked in. Armed with a truck full of firewood, I let it sit as we were too wiped out from the day to sit through a campfire. Yeah yeah, I know… but it was past my bedtime ;). We opted for some hydration and a late snack in the tent as the wife and I were swept back in time as we felt like we were at summer camp and had snuck into each other’s tent.

We quickly drifted off to dreamland, polka music still playing in our heads.

Day Two: I’m never drinking again.

The morning after brought some picture perfect beauty along with it but it had a few annoying friends tag along. Those friends, named hangover and allergies, wouldn’t shut up as I was trying to enjoy the peaceful morning. Note to self… In fact, multiple notes to self… 1) You’re not 25 anymore and losing count of the beers you drank will come back to haunt you. 2) You slept outside… in Fall… knowing fully well that your Fall allergies are crippling even when you sleep inside. Well, I’ve never been accused of being the sharpest tool in the shed. Painful morning? Yes. Worth it? Double yes.

Hangover and allergies aside, the morning was magical. This part of Texas offers some of the most beautiful countryside and this sunrise painted the land with the steadiest of hands. Absolutely mesmerizing.

A quick trip to the bathrooms to freshen up and a handful of Advil later, it was back to town in search of breakfast.

Our search landed us at Texas Sunrise, a quaint little spot just off of main street and let me tell ya, I’m sure glad we discovered this place. We got there early so it was straight to our table and in less than a minute, we had that glorious, life-giving bean water we call coffee in hand, and delicious coffee it was. All was starting to be right with the world again.

I ordered the pancake breakfast and she ordered the french toast breakfast. Both were out of this world. The eggs were cooked perfectly to order, the hash browns shared the perfect mix of crispy and soft potatoes, and the bacon was thick and cooked to perfection. Oh, and the pancakes. THE PANCAKES. Now I’m not one to toot my own horn that often, but I make a mean batch of homemade buttermilk pancakes. That being said, so do these people. They were fluffy and had the perfect amount of sweetness to them. They were also the size of my head so I only ate half of them although my eyes and mouth wanted every single bite. Thankfully, my stomach won that wrestling match. With a full belly and a disappearing hangover, we stepped back onto main street, ready for the day ahead.

Day two was a bit more of the same but with a lot more strolling through town and sightseeing. It being Sunday, many places that we had planned on visiting were closed but we made good use of our time there. I will say that, no matter why you find yourself in Fredericksburg, you’re going to enjoy the visit. You could be there for the Horse manure smelling society of the midwest convention, and you’re going to have a ball. No, I’m not sure if such a convention exists, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

It was the perfect day, weather-wise. Not a cloud in the sky, high 60’s for temps, and that fresh crisp air that only Fall can provide. We enjoyed not being on much of a schedule and took in the rich history that this town exudes. I’ll never tire of the feeling I get from looking at something as simple as a rock wall or an old building as I imagine what life was like when it was built and how these structures have watched the world evolve around them. There’s a glimpse of this at every step through downtown Fredericksburg.

We had booked two nights at the campground at Pecan Grove but as I was reminded of just how severe my Fall allergies can be, we opted to head home a day early. Plus, we both had been traveling quite a bit prior to this trip and we found ourselves a bit homesick. So, we headed back home via the same route as we came in on. The drive back was even better as the temps were cooler and the landscape seemed just a bit more lush, almost as if it were showing out for Fall just as we do.

We stopped off in Burnet at the local grocery store and grabbed some items to cook for dinner. We also decided to make good on our campfire once we got home so we grabbed all the fixins to make s’mores as well.

Home greeted us well as we were back with the kids, the dogs, the horses, and the chickens. We live on a farm if you haven’t guessed by now :). The campfire in the solo stove was the perfect cap to a perfect evening. We made s’mores, enjoyed the cool Fall evening, and simply enjoyed being together as a family. We love to travel, but home is our favorite destination.

So thanks for saddlin’ up with us again. We sure enjoyed having y’all along for the ride. Just do me a favor and don’t make me drink so much next time, okay? And remember, there’e adventure at every step in life, you just have to take the time to see it. It’s there, trust me. Get up, go outside, and do something.

Stay tuned for next month’s adventure as we’re headed back to Port A for some early winter/Thanksgiving shenanigans. See y’all there!