Our last Hill Country destination was Georgetown for the sixth annual Red Poppy Festival, and luckily our route took us through Fredericksburg, Texas. In 1846, a group of German settlers wandered deep into Indian territory and within a year an agreement with several Comanche chiefs enabled the newcomers to develop their community in peace. A twelve-branched ailbaum (maypole) created by local blacksmith Roy Bellows in 1991 in the town square commemorates the peace negotiations and other aspects of Fredericksburg’s history. Fredericksburg has experienced much growth in the past century and a half, and yet has managed to maintain many of its early German values and traditions. Over one million visitors a year are attracted by unique shops, great food, a growing wine industry and over 200 bed and breakfast facilities.
Rose Hill Manor combines the look and charm of the old South. Guests enjoy spacious suites and cottages, spectacular views and delicious breakfasts served in the elegant dining room of the main house. Wednesday through Sunday nights, gourmet dinners are served featuring the finest Hill Country ingredients and great wines from Texas and around the world. Hands-on cooking classes with professional chefs are also offered. One of the most unique lodgings is the Hangar Hotel, a beautiful World War II themed hotel that features an elegant officers club, a 40’s style airport diner, vintage aircraft, a 40’s limo staff car, and an observation deck.
Fredericksburg has many great dining options. Those wishing for traditional German dishes will find their desires deliciously realized at Friedheim’s Bavarian Inn, famous for Schnitzels. Der Lindenbaum offers Rhineland cuisine in a beautiful historic building, while the Altdorf Biergarten serves lunch and dinner, indoors or out in a shady biergarten. Other options include The Cotton Gin Restaurant, which offers upscale Hill Country cuisine in a unique setting featuring a waterfall pond on the patio, and an antique cotton gin. The Fredericksburg Herb Farm celebrates the belief that food tastes best when it’s homegrown and garnished with fresh herbs and edible flowers.
The most visually stunning Hill Country business to visit in springtime is Wildseed Farms. Located seven miles east of Fredericksburg on Highway 290, it is the largest working wildflower seed farm in the United States. Walking trails lead past fields of blooming blue bonnets, poppies, larkspur and many other wildflowers all surrounding the beautiful market center, which contains shopping, food, drink and a wealth of information on wildflowers. There is even a butterfly house on the grounds and lots of benches on which to sit and enjoy the beauty.
Leaving Fredericksburg, we headed east on Highway 290 to Austin where we took I-35 north to Georgetown. Founded in 1848 near the Chisholm Trail on 172 acres donated by George Washington Glasscock, Georgetown is home Texas’ first chartered university, Texas University, later renamed Southwestern University. Georgetown thrived during the first half of the 20th century but began to wither in the 1950’s and 60’s. However, in the 1980’s citizens banded together and restoration began. In 1997, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Georgetown one of its five Great American Main Street winners.
The Old Town Square, which has a 1910 Beaux-Arts style courthouse at its center, is lined with renovated buildings, housing, art galleries, a glass studio, an interior design store, an antique mall and a host of other shops and businesses, including the Inn on the Square Bed and Breakfast. The Inn is a beautifully restored 1890’s Victorian landmark that overlooks the town square. There are many other charming places to stay in Georgetown including the San Gabriel House Bed and Breakfast, a 1908 mansion near the University, a ten-minute walk to the town square. The Harper-Chesser Historic Inn features gourmet food and cooking classes and demonstration by chef/owner Ruth and R.C. Lumpkin. The 1920’s style San Gabriel motor court offers old time an Texas atmosphere and hand made cedar furniture.
When it’s time to eat, Georgetown has plenty of great choices including Monica’s, an upscale restaurant with great food and décor, and a balcony overlooking the town square. For a real taste of Texas try the wildfire prime Angus beef, bison, elk, lamb and yellow fin tuna prepared over oak and hickory coals. An extensive beverage list features wine and beer from over thirty Texas wineries and breweries. A local favorite, The Monument Café, serves homemade breakfast, lunch and dinner, and delights in a casual diner-style atmosphere seven days a week.
Every April Georgetown hosts the Red Poppy Festival on the town square. Legend has it that Henry Purh Compton, a World War I soldier, returned from Europe with a handkerchief full of Red Corn or Flander’s poppy seeds for his mother. She planted them in her yard, and nature did the rest. Although the poppies are annual, they reseed themselves and have spread throughout town. In 1990 the Texas Legislature named Georgetown the Red Poppy Capital of Texas. The first Red Poppy Festival was held in April, 2000. In preparation the previous September, volunteers spread thousands of poppy seeds along the I-35 Frontage Road and Texas 29 leading into town. The festival parade, a Corvette-classic car show, and musical performances were spotlighted throughout the weekend. By Sunday afternoon the crowds began to thin, vendors packed away their leftover goods, and the final song floated away on the Texas breeze. As we headed back home, my mind drifted back over the previous few days. What a great trip it had been…filled with great food, drink, music, art, and beauty of the quiet Texas Hill Country.
|
