George Washington didn't sleep here, but he'd probably wish he had.
This burg in the heart of Texas Hill Country didn't invent the guest house, but it certainly has taken the concept to heart.Visitors have a choice of more than 300 guest houses and B&Bs scattered throughout the town and the surrounding countryside. They range from rustic log cabins to historic rock homes that have been renovated into homey cottages with antique furniture and wood-burning fireplaces. At many of them, a basket of pastries is delivered to your door every morning.
Some are restored Sunday houses that were used as retreats by early ranchers and farmers who loaded their families into a wagon or a buggy and made the arduous journey to town every weekend. They attended church, shopped and visited with neighbors and friends. Elaborate dinners and cake and coffee served in the mid-afternoon were Sunday traditions.
The small and spartanly furnished dwellings were also used if there was a medical emergency and the family needed to be closer to a doctor.
Many Sunday houses, which played an important role in the social lives of settlers, were later renovated into small, permanent homes. Some still stand, unused and unchanged from their original condition.
Fredericksburg's guest houses helped create the town's reputation as a getaway.
Another factor is its location. It's an easy drive from San Antonio or Austin, and it's near the LBJ Ranch, which, as an entity administered by the National Park Service, welcomes visitors. LBJ's boyhood home in Johnson City, also open to visitors, isn't far away. Lady Bird, who lives in Austin, visits the ranch on weekends and attends church in Fredericksburg.
The LBJ sites attract tourists from across the country.
Fredericksburg was settled in 1846 by German immigrants as part of a land acquisition scheme headed by German aristocrats. The town was named after Prince Frederick of Prussia. Each settler received a city lot and 10 acres for farming or ranching.
Homes of native limestone line the streets.
The town has evolved into a cultural oasis deep in the heart of Texas.
Take, for example, the shopping.
Retailers ranging from high-end home furnishing stores such as the Homestead, known for chubby cottage chairs and farm tables, to antique dealers with vintage European crystal, captivate born-again shoppers.
The upscale shopping gives the town big-city airs. Residents recount stories of wealthy women from the Northeast flying into town in a private jet to get new ideas for their home decor from the Homestead. Its sister store, Room #5, has bedsteads, peeled paint furniture and custom linens.
The moral of the story? Don't discard the table with a weathered finish that's hiding beneath stacks of junk in your garage. Take it inside and display it with pride in your entryway.
If you carry the shopping gene, you'll love strolling up and down Main Street, gazing in windows until you feel the effects of eye strain.
If shopping isn't your thing, try eating.
The restaurants offer more than bratwurst and beer.
Marie Cuisine, a small eatery on Schubert Street, provides intimate dinners with exceptional food in a restored 1860s home. Proprietor Marie-Claire Quittelier also runs A Belgian Bistro on Main Street.
The Belgian-born entrepreneur and former IBM employee looked back to her roots and the exceptional cooking that took place in her home when she was growing up. Now she serves up dishes worthy of the continent: Belgian gingerbread, Belgian pear preserves, Westfalian ham served with caviar of eggplant, pate, apple tart and a chocolate mousse that's so good it's addictive.
The Oak House, with a menu that seems too sophisticated for the rocky hills of central Texas, is another pleasant culinary surprise.
If you want to enjoy a romantic dinner in your guest house, Dawn Gentle, owner of Delicious Details, will bring you one complete with candlelight and fancy dinnerware, not to mention fancy food.
But it's the guest houses that take center stage.
Many, like the Austin Street Retreat, a block away from Main Street, are historic buildings that have been updated with modern amenities.
The Austin Street Retreat dates back to 1867. It was the home of John and Maria Walker. Its five suites include Kristin's, which has a large bedroom/sitting room and a kitchen nook. The spacious bathroom is in a building that was once a jail. Steel bars are still on the windows. A giant iron bed from the Homestead is the centerpiece of the bedroom.
Settlers Crossing, on 35 acres on the outskirts of town, is another guest house retreat. Seven historic homes are scattered among the grassy landscape amid groves of giant oaks. Some of the cottages were brought in from other parts of the country. The Von Heinrich home, for example, is a 1787 Pennsylvania home. Another guest house came from Indiana.
Innkeepers and owners David and Judy Bland live in a 1790 plantation manor from Kentucky. "We brought it piece by piece and reassembled it here," said David Bland. Their six-fireplace, two-story home serves as headquarters for Settlers Crossing.
Russian Romanov sheep are an unusual amenity. The animals live in a pasture next to two of the cottages. When David Bland calls "come on, sheep," they walk unabashedly toward him and his group of visitors.
Camp David is a bed and breakfast inn on Main Street. It consists of a suite in the main house and five separate cottages. The cottages are new, but their decor is English country. They have fully equipped kitchens, modern bathrooms and gas log fireplaces. A full breakfast is delivered to your door each morning.
Owners Gwen Fullbrook, a native Texan, and her husband, David, an Englishman, have been innkeepers since 1984. Their first inn was in Austin. Then they opened an inn in Vermont. They eventually moved to Fredericksburg and established Camp David.
There's more to do in Fredericksburg than eat, sleep and shop 'til you drop.
The Admiral Nimitz Museum, housed in the Nimitz Hotel, is devoted to the war of the Pacific. Chester W. Nimitz, commander of the Pacific fleet during World War II, was raised in the hotel by his paternal grandparents. The recently opened George Bush Gallery, adjacent to the Nimitz Museum, is also devoted to the Pacific battles of World War II.
The Pioneer Museum Complex on Main Street is a collection of historic structures, including a Sunday house, a schoolhouse and a log cabin.
A World of Miniatures has more than 40 miniature displays, including a dollhouse, an art gallery and a village.
Relive your childhood, or the childhoods of your parents, at the Bauer Toy Museum. The museum is the labor of love of Donald Bauer. The former carpenter displays an array of collectibles in his Main Street gallery. It includes a 1935 department store diorama, a 1926 Pontiac American pedal car, and an 1898 Hill Climber.
He began collecting in 1950. "We started one piece at a time," he said. "We'd head out 150 miles in a different direction. If someone had eggs for sale, we'd stop."
He'd usually be able to talk them out of something. He found models of World War II vintage airplanes at an air base that was about to be closed. "They used them to train pilots as to the identification of the planes," said Bauer.
Does he still buy toys? "I hardly buy anything. Everything is overpriced or not in good condition."
The Vereins Kirche Museum on Market Square is a replica of the original church that was built in 1847 and stood in the center of Main Street. It served as a school, community center, church and fortress. The eight-sided structure was demolished in 1897 because it was thought to be unsafe. The replica, which now serves as the museum, was built in 1934.
Last but not least, catch a country Western performance at Luckenback, a short drive from town. The place was made famous by Waylon, Willie and the boys.
Kathryn Clayton visited Fredericksburg as the guest of the Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau.