SHOP THE LOOK
cardigan (size up for a baggier feel) // white camisole (the nicest cami ever) // jeans // heels // earrings // purse
This past weekend, I went to my first Girls Weekend (aka my sweet friend, Natalie’s Bachelorette) in Fredericksburg, Texas and it was literally one of the most fun weekends I have had in the longest time.
I originally wasn’t planning on putting together a post of our weekend since I didn’t plan it nor had any idea what to expect but after receiving a million dm’s on Instagram throughout the weekend (jk – that’s clearly an exaggeration lol), I’m excited to bring this Fredericksburg post to you today!!
In the past few years, this sweet little German town in the Texas Hill Country has officially become the wine capitol of the south!
Before this trip, I hadn’t been to Fredericksburg in quite a few years, but as of recently, it’s all that everyone has been talking about. Especially for girls trips and Bachelorette parties! So needless to say, I was excited to experience one for myself and it honestly beat my expectations out the of ball park.
** A Little Disclaimer **
Just letting you guys know, parts of our trip might be a little bit different than the one you are planning. Our Brides parents just built a home in Fredericksburg (low key one of the most beautiful homes I have ever seen), so we were graciously allowed to stay there for no cost and spent most of our time at the house as well!
WHERE TO STAY
As I mentioned above, our situation was different since we stayed at my friends family home, but my biggest advice to you would be to 100% rent a home!! You can choose from Airbnb, Home Away or VRBO. My biggest piece of advice is to book these at least two months out! I’ve heard from numerous girls that these houses go fast and that even booking one month out will leave you with slim pickings.
Below are a few Airbnb’s hat I recommend for under $200/night and fit up to 10 people!
GETTING AROUND
Uber: To my surprise, Uber was very much a thing in Fredericksburg and they were so easy to get!!
290 Wine Shuttle: A super affordable option for getting from winery to winery! For only $30 a person, the 290 Wine Shuttle will drop you off and pick you up from each vineyard.
Cellar Rat Wine Tours: I go into more information below, but if you want a first class Wine Tour Experience, then look into Cellar Rat Wine Tours! They will pick you up from your airbnb, take you to all of the wineries, take care of you throughout the day and return you back to your home safe and sound 🙂
WINE TOUR SERVICE
Cellar Rat Wine Tours: Shout out to Chris!! Honestly, booking our tours through this Wine Tour Company was the best thing we ever did. They came straight to our house to pick us up for our tour and took us back at the end of the day, which was really convenient! They booked every tour for our group ahead of time and when we would arrive to each winery, everything would already be set up and waiting for us. Chris always had water for everyone in the van, he took all of our lunch orders ahead of time and reserved a table for us, so that way we wouldn’t have to wait in line at the restaurant. Then at the end of the day, at our last winery, he brought out snacks for us to enjoy! Honestly, he just went over the top to take care of us!! He was more than helpful and wanted to take our pictures for us, when it started raining, he immediately ran to get all of us umbrellas and was truly just a gem. His whole mission that day was to make sure that we had a good time, and we truly did because of him! Our whole tour cost $175/per person – which included the transportation, the wine tours and lunch!
THE WINERIES
Just a quick disclaimer (because this part was news to me) the wineries are not in the heart of Fredericksburg. They are a good 30-45 minutes outside of the town, so if you are trying to plan things out, keep the distance in mind!
- Kuhlman Cellars: Loved this winery to start off our tour! It was a seated wine tasting, mixed in with a food pairing! They went over why you pair certain wines with certain foods and it was seriously SO informative and fun. Their white blend was bomb and their house herbed almonds were to die for too! Another thing I loved about this tasting is that since the wine tasting room is set at a cooler temperature for the wines, each person is given a cozy blanket to help them stay warm!
- Calais Winery: After lunch, we went here for our second tasting! This was probably the most unique tasting I have ever done. The tasting is in the middle of a random field, in a bunker that the winery owner dug and built himself. His name is Calais, after the town in France he is from, and it was just a really nice tasting and enjoyable tasting! We really liked talking to him and had a great experience all around. It’s a really small space though – so keep that in mind. I believe only 10 people can do a tasting at a time.
- Ab Astris Winery: My favorites winery of them all! Seriously, the grounds were beautiful and the whole vibe was right up my alley. We choose to do the tasting outside on the patio, overlooking the scenery, while wrapped up in blankets. We just sat there, and enjoyed the atmosphere while they brought each wine out to us individually. It was very relaxed, we were all able to chat the whole time and was the perfect last stop! Pro tip: buy a bottle after the tasting and stay to enjoy on the patio for just a little bit longer.
Other Wineries I’ve Heard Great Things About
- Barons Creek Vineyard; Becker Vineyards; William Chris Winery
(Note: The Baby was the owners Granddaughter and he was playing the drums in the back – lol)
SHOP THE POST
white button down ( less expensive option) // jeans // heels
RESTURAUNTS
Hye Market (for lunch): This is where we went to lunch during our wine tour! It’s in an old post office (which was really cool), it’s super laid back, cute, has healthy options and live music! All around just a good time and was a great spot for large groups.
Hondo’s: Great for large groups that want to have a good time! They have live music, lots of dancing and really (I mean really) strong margaritas. It’s an inside/outside place and it’s honestly so much fun! Go for dinner (the food is meh but the atmosphere is 100%) and then stay for the rest of the night to drink and dance.
Vaudeville: If you’re looking for a more upscale restaurant, then this is your place! The courtyard is gorgeous and the food is supposedly to die for!! Reservations are highly recommended.
Otto’s: Probably one of the best restaurants in Fredericksburg! Authentic German food, it was highly recommended by every person we talked too, has a great atmosphere and is moderately priced as well!
WHERE TO DRINK
Crossroads: The most “it” bar to go to on the weekends. It was fun (!!) but also a little overrated in my opinion. Be sure to watch out for the local younger crowd…. seriously they were the worst. They were all so drunk and so mean to every bachelorette party there. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. Other than that though, it’s a fun place with a rocking band that plays more than just country. Lots of fun early 2000’s hits!! Also be aware of the $10 cover charge and a 30 minute wait if you get there past 10:00 pm.
Frontier Outpost: Aka – the diviest of all the diviest dive bars I’ve ever been too and it was honestly the best. We hands down had THE MOST fun here. It’s a 5 minute drive outside of downtown (it was close to our house though) and was honestly just so fun. They had dogs and cats galore, we danced, the band let us get on stage and sing and we just all around had such a good time. The drinks were super cheap too!! They may only serve beer though…. I can’t remember but I feel like that sounds right.
WHAT TO DO BESIDES THE WINERIES
Explore and Shop Downtown: Downtown Fredricksburg is absolutely adorable and has so much to see. Spend the day walking in and out of shops with a glass of wine in hand (you know… since they don’t have a open container policy), stop at one of the many cute options for lunch and just enjoy the day exploring!
Go Hike the Enchanted Rock: If your group like adventure and the outdoors, then be sure to add The Enchanted Rock to your list! I have never been, but I have only ever heard amazing things!! I have it on my list for when we return in March for the wedding.
SHOP THE LOOK
cardigan (size up for a baggier feel) // white camisole (the nicest cami ever) // jeans // heels // earrings // purse
A FEW QUICK TIPS
- Book Housing at least two months prior to your trip!
- Figuring out Winery Transportation a head of time.
- Remember that the wineries are about 30-45 minutes outside of downtown Fredericksburg.
- Don’t try and book more that 4 wineries in one day. They will catch up to you…. trust me-lol!
- Drink a lot of water!
- Expect to see a lot of Bachelorette Parties – lol!
——-
All around, we truly had THE BEST weekend and I finally understand what all of the hype centered around Fredericksburg has been about!
Now I just have to figure out when I can go back for another girls weekend – lol!
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section and if you’d like to check it out, I left our weekend itinerary below as well.
xo,
Lauren
Our Weekend Itinerary
FRIDAY
2:00 pm: Left Houston for the 4 1/2 hour drive.
6:30 pm: Arrived in Fredericksburg.
6:30 – 7:30 pm: Unpacked, toured the house, enjoyed a glass of wine and mingled with the girls while everyone continued to arrive.
8:00 pm: Made it to Hondo’s for dinner! We ate, we had margaritas, listened to the live music and watched all of the wild swing country western dancing.
10:30 pm – ???: Went to the Frontier Outpost for more live music and drinks!
SATURDAY
9:00 – 10:45 am: Coffee and Breakfast at the house! Relaxed and got ready for the day!
11:15 am: Chris from Cellar Rat Wine Tours arrived to pick us up for the day!
12:00 pm: First tasting at Kuhlman Cellars for a Food and Wine Pairing Tasting.
1:00 pm: Lunch at Hye Market.
2:00 pm: Second Tasting at Calais Winery.
3:00 pm: Third Tasting at AB Astris Winery.
5:00 pm: Made our way back to the house.
5:45 – 7:30 pm: Relaxed on the porch, shared a bottle and got ready for dinner!
8:00 pm: Dinner at a restaurant downtown. I won’t name it…. but we were very unimpressed. We tried to make reservations way earlier for Ottos &/or Vaudeville but they are not super accommodating for larger groups.
10:oo pm – ???: Crossroads for drinks and dancing!
SUNDAY
9:00 – 11: oo am: Woke up, had coffee & breakfast.
11:30 am: Packed and cleaned up the house.
12:00 pm: On the road back to Houston!