My daughter is married to a Yankee! Now that I have that confession off my chest, I can confirm that almost all Yankee perceptions tend to be that Texas is this large flat prairie place. (They have no concept precisely what a prairie is!) Texas has some prairie area but isn't just a prairie. The Great state has mountains, found in what is called the Big Bend Country named after a bend in the Rio Grande River. The Big Bend area is the home of the Davis Mountains. The highest elevation in the Davis Mountains is 8378-foot Mount Livermore, the 5th-greatest pinnacle in the state.

There's another area of Texas identified as The Hill Country. The Hill Country encompasses the Austin-San Antonio vicinity and is also home of probably the most spectacular parts of the state. It was home of Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States and his wife Lady Bird.

The heart of the hill country is old Fredericksburg, often called the Culinary Capital of the Hill Country, attractive Fredericksburg provides vacationers a wide range of flavors to tempt virtually any palette, from old German born favorites including sausage and filled cabbage, to sushi, Texas delicacies and bbq; as more than 60 restaurants strive for one's notice, which include a few attaining national popularity.

In addition to delicious cuisines, Fredericksburg offers an Old World experience, with enduring buildings and ample history to satisfy the most detailed of history fans; Unique shopping is about along with unique shopping, live music sites, beautiful selection for a lot of your outdoor recreation, similar to cycling and hiking; and admittance to the country's fastest growing wine location, with seven wineries claiming Gillespie County home. Taste these award-winning wines; take it easy on porches overlooking lavender fields and enjoy life at a slow pace. Willkommen to Fredericksburg!

History from the Hills

The National Museum of the Pacific War is devoted to telling the story of the Pacific War in a very non-biased voice and has items from both American and Japanese soldiers, recovered military gear, ncluding a peaceful site to consider men and women who have gone on before us. It is appropriate that this national museum is located in Fredericksburg, as this is the birth place of the war's powerful military officer, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. As an aside, I become a memberof the US Navy just after completing high school and worked on-board the USS Essex, an aircraft carrier, since relegated to the scrap pile. In a side yard displayed magnificently, I found one of the 4 large propellers that drove the Essex. This brought forth several fond stories that I related to my wife.

Both the LBJ State and National Parks offer a historic look at the late President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson. Have a guided bus tour into the Texas White House and the ranch, for knowledge of the man who changed his humble start to become the leader of the United States. Furthermore in the LBJ State Park, you can find the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farmstead showing pioneer life in the early twentieth century.

Fredericksburg's architecture has also been maintained in a attractive historic section, having more than 700 historically important buildings in the area with several of them a part of the National Register of Historic Places. The German language is spoken often and old traditions are frequently found here. On the list of wonderful features is a quaint Sunday House. Most of these small homes, with the outside stairs, were erected by early German pioneers and are also completely unique to Gillespie County.

In addition to attractions, Fredericksburg is constantly full of activity exceeding 100 special attractions and celebrations held on an annual basis. Stay through the night in any one of the a number of motels/hotels, bed and breakfasts, guesthouses, and RV parks.