FREDERiCKSBURG, TX - GiRL'S GETAWAY

A month after my first trip to the Texas wine country {click here to read}, I was invited by my best friend, Kara, on a girls weekend getaway.  A lot of people raised an eyebrow when I told them I was going to Frederickburg with 9 other females, "You're not worried about drama?"  Nope, not with this group- we were on a mission to have fun, and fun we had!  10 girls, 1 gorgeous house, 2 bathrooms, and a lot of wine & laughter.  It was a great sequel!

-----Trip notes-------------------------------------------

Quick overview of our trip:

Vineyards:

• Pontotoc Weingarten
• Becker Vineyard
• Grape Creek 

Restaurants:

• Trattoria
• Farmhaus​
• ​Burger Burger

Shops:

• Circle E Candles
• Savy E's Boutique {in Fiesta Winery}
• ​Haberdashery Boutique
  

-----MEET THE GIRLS-------------------------------------

Kara

Keri

Dana

Christina

Ashley

Kellie

Me

Felicia

Laura

Yvette

TRAVEL FUN

It took 3 cars to transport all of us to the City of wine {not the official city's slogan, but it totally should be} ​and I was in car #1, which held 70% of our group.

Stop 1 was to fix a roadtrip sin committed by Keri- to go inside a Buc-cees!  We had fun showing her around.

*Kellie & Yvette stopped to take the same "beaver" photo when they drove up later that night, so cute!

Travel Tip: Play games!  We played the RV anal game & the Alphabet Round Game {pick a category, we chose Animals, and the 1st person names Anteater, then the 2nd person says, "Anteater, Badger." & the 3rd person says, "Anteater, Badger, Cat," 4th person, "Anteater, Badger, Cat, Dog," etc...  It's fun!

#LIUB - LIGHT IT UP BLUE

Throughout this post you'll notice me holding the below sign

April is Autism Awareness Month and to help shine a light on Autism, I pledged to wear blue & post photos with the sign on April 2nd, "Light it Up Blue" day.  My younger brother, Anthony, lives with Asperger, and it's amazing how little people know about it.  Education is the key to acceptance, so the more I can share with people & help them understand, the better quality of life my brother can have.

OUR WEEKEND'S HOME

As you can imagine, it's hard to find a house that sleeps 10, so when Kara found the Red Barn at Pepper Ranch it felt like a miracle.  The house itself is eclectic & charming, with interesting details found throughout, and the grounds are absolutely gorgeous!  There's even an outdoor shower & tub {but it was too cold to try it out this time}

The blue bonnets made for an amazing backdrop

It even came with a pet cat named Boppy!  He was extremely friendly & an added bonus

We ate dinner our first night at the house due to everyone arriving at different times.  We each brought something to contribute, I, of course, made a GIANT gelatin shot in the shape of a wine bottle {gummy bear consistency} and the game "Never have I ever" which helped us learn a lot about one another!

The next day, all 10 ladies were up, fed, & ready before 10 am; giving us ample time to sip mimosas & take silly pictures {which I find rather impressive}.  The house has awesome natural lighting

Sign says, "Light It Up Blue While on a girl's trip in Fredricksburg ​for everyone with Autism!"

VINEYARDS

• Pontotoc Weingarten: Since we had so much fun the last time we visited, Felicia & I suggested the seven of us wait for the remaining girls here.  The owner's wife roast the most delicious nuts and their Sangria taste like fruit punch {it's dangerous}.  They also have one of the oldest cellars in Fredricksburg that they allowed us to hang out in {see the orb in the cellar?!}

*In the spirit of April fools, we told Kellie & Yvette, who were an hour out, that the management office was closed so we weren't able to pick up our rental house's key and the home owners couldn't be reached either.  Because of this, we were going to have to stay in a Super 8 Motel for the night- It was a fun prank :)

• Becker Vineyards: Due to our large group, we were able have our tasting in a separate building from the main bar area.  I highly suggest doing this.  It was a more intimate setting that allowed us to truly enjoy the wines & each other's company.

The tasting is a preset list of their top wines.  I really enjoyed their Port {no shock there} & Kara's favorite is "The Raven" {I think it's due to her love of One Tree Hill}.   Our Sommelier, Lee, added a lot of joy to the experience; He was very knowledgeable, funny, and talented {try to take his "Pop & Paint" class}.  He had no issues with taking photos for us and he made sure to wrap our glasses and store them in a box for easier transportation.  Request him when you visit! 

Everyone was so nice, even the other patrons.  While sipping our wine we noticed a young lady dressed extremely similar to our Keri {down to the shoes}, so we had to snap a photo of them together.  Then later on by the Lavender fields, a man named Kevin couldn't pass up this opportunity

WHO WORE IT BEST?

Keri VS Anne

• Grape Creek Vineyards: Although Becker is very lovely, Grape Creek is still my favorite vineyard in Fredericksburg.  Their patio is huge and filled with trees, they have live music playing, & their onsite cafe is amazing.  Another thing that sets Grape Creek apart, is their tasting structure.  Instead of a set menu you get to choose the 6 wines you'd like to taste {I included mine in the 1st photo below}.  My favorites are the Rendezvous and the Port that Joe, our Sommelier, hooked me up with {it's freaking fantastic}! 

RESTAURANTS

• Trattoria: This is the cafe inside of Grape Creek that partnered up with Stout's, a local food truck, that describes their food in under 10 words, "HAND TOSSED, FRESHEST INGREDIENTS, STONE BAKED, MADE TO ORDER."  Ya, it's delicious.  Felicia & I shared two pizzas, the BELLISSIMO & RENDEZVOUS... I still crave the Rendezvous, I wish it wasn't 3 hours away from me.  I want to give a shout out to Travis who shared his frozen Reese Peanut Butter cups & gave me a fee bottle of wine while I waited for a re-fire, even though the Rendezvous is worth the wait.  You rock! 

Photo credits for below pizzas - Grape Creek Vineyards & Stout's Pizza Facebook Page

• Farm Haus Bistro: This bistro is a part of the Fredericksburg Herb Farm so all the fruits, vegetables, & herbs are grown on site elevating the level of freshness that you can truly taste in the food.  Next time I want to stay in one of their cottages so I can be close to the homemade butter that comes with their bread!  Another added plus to this restaurant is the landscaping & outdoor decor, I loved all the lights {ooo, shiny!}

This was just MY portion!

On the way in we passed an elderly woman who stopped to tell us about the special she ordered.  She used the word, "orgasmic," how could we pass that up?  Felicia & I thought it would be a good idea to split it considering it was a 20 oz steak served on top of zucchini, kale, brussel sprouts, & horseradish mashed potatoes!

After dinner we took a moment to act like we weren't freezing and took advantage of the many photo opportunities this restaurant provided.  We highly recommend trying this place out.  

• ​Burger Burger: If you read my last post on Fredricksburg, you'll remember that this was our last stop on that trip too- That's because this place is the perfect post drinking location.  Their burgers are the right amount of greasy & their cocktails are strong.  Everyone enjoyed their meal & my favorite thing is still the fact you can add corn to your burger! 

-----SHOUT OUTS-----------------------------------------

I want to take a minute or two and give much respect to, to the... Oops, that's the Salt & Pepper song "What a Man," forgive me.  In all seriousness, I want to give a big thank you to everyone for all the laughs I had on this trip and for allowing me to crash the "culdesac crew's"  getaway.  You ladies are kind, caring, & most importantly, fun!   Thank you Keri for your outrageous personality & yummy lasagna, Ashley for the lingering stares {Oh, I saw them} & the word "Chalk-casian," Christina for the breakfast casserole and telling us about the book "Men are waffles-Woman are spaghetti,"  Yvette for your spicy dip & the laughter you brought while calling out Laura during the "Never have I ever" game, Laura for being a good sport during the game & driving 6 hrs to hang with strangers, Dana for all the cruise advice & more cruise advice, Kellie for being a flipping soldier!  I know you felt like crap but you rallied and still participated {you're a rock star}, and Felicia for driving us around, hooking me up with the tasting at Grape creek, the mimosa bar, and not kicking me in your sleep!

"Kare Bear: I want to give the biggest "thank you" to you.  You did an amazing job organizing & planning this entire trip, all the fun had was directly related to the work and effort you put into it.  Thank you for finding & booking the house, setting up the signup sheet, calling & booking the vineyards, for extending an invite to me, and for being a kick ass friend.  You're a Goddess and I love you!"

*Note: Official Fredericksburg slogan, "Jewel of the Texas Hill Country"