Travel

New England Fall Foliage Road Trip

Day 1: Burlington, VT
Day 2: Stowe, VT
Day 3: Manchester, VT
Day 4: Woodstock, VT
Day 5: White Mountains, NH
Day 6: Maine Coast (Portland, Kennebunkport, York, Portsmouth)
Day 7: Salem & Boston, MA

THINGS TO KNOW

  • A lot of restaurants and other places are closed random days of the week like Tuesday and Wednesday. Also random times. Many close before 8 pm which we found extremely odd and inconvenient. Check before you go! Also highly recommend making reservations for places that take them. 
  • Rent a car! Not many Ubers and it really is better just to have one. 
  • Be open to rerouting. If you plan your trip in advance you might very well not know when “peak” is. The more north the towns are, the better chance of seeing foliage. We happened to be there during peak in Stowe and New Hampshire which was awesome. Manchester and Woodstock are a little more south and had not hit full peak yet so we were a little disappointed and wished we would have rerouted to other areas.
  • There is no service is a lot of parts especially the mountains. Have back up maps and plenty of music on your phone. 
  • There are not many street lights throughout New England so if you can avoid driving in the dark, it is recommended.

MAP

new england road trip
https://goo.gl/maps/Vr7rppwyhrTvT5uaA

ITINERARY

DAY ONE: Burlington, VT to Stowe, VT

We chose to start the trip in Stowe so Burlington was the closest airport to there. Stowe is about a 45 minute drive from Burlington with beautiful views along the way and tons of photo opportunities. But then again that’s almost all of New England 😉 There are two routes to get to Stowe but if you arrive during the day I highly recommend taking the route through Cambridge which will bring you down through Smuggler’s Notch– one of the most picturesque routes for Fall foliage. 

Cambridge has a cute, covered bridge that we stopped at on the way to grab a picture. Honestly there are more covered bridges in New England than you can count so if you want to wait, there are definitely more memorable ones later on. If you can wait, I suggest bypassing food in Burlington and heading onto Stowe. We stopped at Smuggler’s Notch Resort for pizza and our first cider of the trip and WOW it was good. 

From there, continue on through Smuggler’s Notch. There are not many places to “safely” pull over although people are stopped all along the route taking pictures. Drive slowly because it’s twisty and people are known to be in the streets taking pictures *cough cough me*. 

We stayed at Spruce Peak Lodge and it really is the best place to stay as it has everything you could need! The lodge has several different restaurants on site, hiking trails, a beautiful golf course, and is the only ski-in and ski-out resort in Stowe if you happen to come in the Winter. 

We grabbed pre-dinner drinks at the bar at Solstice located on site at Spruce Peak. For dinner we headed to Idletyme Brewing Company and had the yummiest fried pickles and truffle macaroni and cheese. Loved that they have a large outdoor patio to enjoy the views and amazing weather. 

If you want to keep the party going, head on over to Burt’s Irish Pub. It’s a local dive spot so you know it’s good!

Additional things we didn’t get to do but I wanted to try:

  • Breakfast: The Skinny Pancake
  • Explore Lake Champlain on bike
  • Country Christmas Loft

DAY TWO: Explore Stowe, VT

Definitely spend a full day in Stowe or more if you can! This town looks like something straight out of a hallmark movie it’s so cute. We started the day out with a gondola ride and hike up Spruce Peak. There are several hiking trails to choose from that range from beginner to intermediate level. If you want to skip the hike but see beautiful views, take the Stowe Mountain Resort gondola up and down. It’s a small fee and located directly across the street from Spruce Peak.  

After our morning hike we headed into town for coffee and breakfast at Black Cap. If you can, I suggest grabbing coffee at Black Cap and then walking over to Butler’s Pantry for breakfast. Unfortunately it was closed when we were there. Make time to just walk around the little town center of Stowe after breakfast and pop into some of the shops- you won’t regret it. A few memorable ones were Shaw’s General store for souvenirs and Laughing Moon Chocolates for obvious reasons- get the Habanero Salted Caramel!

Next we went in search of another covered bridge for pictures and found the cutest red bridge (literally called Red Covered Bridge) about 15 minutes outside of town. There is also Emily’s Bridge located in Stowe that is supposed to be haunted but we forwent that one. 

We ended the day at Stowe Cider with a flight of of apple ciders and light bites from the food truck on site. Cold Hollow Cider Mill is another place for cider that I went to the next day. Both good- personally I found Cold Hollow Cider Mill over crowded and over hyped. If you want a more personal, low key experience go to Stowe Cider!

We ended up grabbing some cider to go and heading back to the hotel for room service because we were so tired. It was a fun night of drinking, downing pizza and girl talk by the fire. 10/10 recommend. 

DAY THREE: Drive from Stowe, VT to Manchester, VT

Before heading out of town I HAD to have another coffee from Black Cap. I somehow had it 3 times in 2 days. Had the Maple latte, Almond Joy latte and Nutella latte and honestly it was a 3 way tie for my favorite. 

Since Cold Hollow Cider Mill was on the route to Manchester we stopped off there for donuts and a cider (breakfast of champions). As stated before I personally found this place over crowded and over hyped. It was a zoo- hard to find a place to park as well as a spot to sit down. 

Now on to Manchester! Take Route 7. We stopped at Mad Tom Orchard to pick apples and obviously take orchard pictures. This orchard is literally surrounded by mountains on all sides so the views are amazing. Pictures really don’t do it justice. 

We stayed at Aerie Inn which is almost right next door to Mad Tom Orchard. Out of all of the places we stayed from here on out- this one was our favorite. Not because of any certain niceties other than it was cheap, convenient and got the job done. We could drive right up to the door, unload our belongings and come and go as we pleased. We dropped our stuff off and went into town for dinner. While it might have been a bit more convenient to stay in Woodstock, we chose here as it was considerably cheaper than anywhere else and about 10 minutes outside of Woodstock so not bad at all. 

We ate dinner at Silver Fork which came highly recommended. It is an old library turned into a restaurant that still has several of the original bones. It is a little on the nicer side so we chose to sit at the bar since we were dressed casually from our travel day. I’m very glad that we didn’t forgo this place as it was DELICIOUS. We split a few sharable dishes and enjoyed a couple of cocktails. The check came in a library book in which customers sign the pages. Very neat experience! 

DAY FOUR: Drive from Manchester to Woodstock, VT to Franconia, NH

Note that we did have to backtrack just a bit this morning since we stayed at Aerie Inn. Nonetheless it was worth it to us. We headed back into town for breakfast at the Little Rooster Cafe and to explore Manchester in the daylight. Manchester is known for their their name brand outlet stores so needless to say great shopping! Little Rooster Cafe was a very small, mom and pop sort of cafe and the food was SO good. Get there early and order the veggie hash with a side of whatever the seasonal pancakes are. 

From there we made a few pit stops at Chiselville Covered Bridge and Equinox Valley Nursery before doubling back and heading onto Woodstock. Equinox Valley Nursery was a cute nursery and served donuts. Good for a picture but the donuts were subpar if we are being honest. 

On to Woodstock via Route 100! Definitely plan to spend more time in Woodstock than Manchester. Woodstock is super cute! It was just unfortunate that the Fall foliage hadn’t really made its way there yet when we went. If you do decide to stay in Woodstock, everyone just raves about the Woodstock Inn even if it’s just to go and check it out!

We went a little past the town center to Sleepy Hollow Farm and Sugarbush Farm. Sleepy Hollow Farm is a photo opportunity (and that’s it) all over the internet. Personally I just really didn’t get it. Unless you are dying for a picture here, I would pass on it. Sugarbush Farms was very near Sleepy Hollow Farms and also a little underwhelming as they only offered 2 tiny maple and 2 tiny cheese samples. But dammit those tiny samples were good. We bought some and brought it home with us! 

We had some time to kill before dinner so we spent some time walking around Woodstock’s town center. This is where the Middle Covered Bridge is and several cute shops. We had dinner at Prince and the Pauper which again came highly recommended and reservations should definitely be made in advance. This was one of our more expensive dinners and if I’m being completely honest I’m not sure if it was worth the price tag. It was a prefixed, 3 course menu that you could choose an appetizer, salad and entree from. We enjoyed the butternut squash and apple cider soup, prosciutto and stuffed dates with blue cheese, and parmesan crusted cod.

After dinner we drove in the dark to Franconia for our stay at Sugar Hill Inn

DAY FIVE: Drive through the White Rock Mountains, NH

Wake up early! Also note you really need a solid day and a half to two days in New Hampshire to see everything. So this day was our busiest day and we ended up having to rearrange it because we slept in. If you want to make the most out of your day, I highly suggest doing the Artist’s Bluff trail early in the morning. Apparently there are two different routes- one that is 20 minutes and one that is over an hour. I’ll let you guess which one we somehow found ourselves on 😛

There are so many scenic areas in New Hampshire to hike and see. The great part is that there are hikes for all experience levels and if you don’t want to hike there are plenty of lookouts too! Rocky Gorge Scenic Area has a hiking trail that’s supposed to be really pretty but we just went for the pictures at the bottom. Another good one to check out is Flume Gorge.

The real star of the show though in New Hampshire is going to be the Kancamagus Highway. It’s a 34 mile stretch that lives up to the hype with the beautiful orange, yellow and red changing leaves if you hit it at the right time.

If you have a few hours to spare, you might check out the Mount Washington Cog Railway. It’s a train that chugs up to the peak of Mount Washington. Just a heads up it does take 3 hours to get up and back down and you don’t see any fall foliage as it doesn’t grow that high up the mountain but still a really cool experience that takes you above the clouds. I suggest bringing a book because there is no service on the cog.

We stayed the night Bartlett, NH which was a central location and good spot to jump on the second half of the Kancamagus Highway. Take Bear Notch Rd there- you won’t be sorry. If you need a good dinner spot that stays open late, Matty B’s Mountainside Cafe is a winner. I think it was $25 for a large pizza and bottle of wine and boy was that a good pizza.

A few other places we would have liked to visit:

  • Lunch/Coffee: Half Baked & Fully Brewed
  • Flume Gorge (hike)
  • Albany Covered Bridge (photo op)
  • Dinner: 1865 Wine Cellar

DAY SIX: Drive down the NE coast of Maine

Since we stayed another night in New Hampshire we woke up early, took Bear Notch Rd. to the Kancamagus Highway and stopped in Conway for coffee at Sweet Maple Cafe. It’s a cute little spot and their food looked so good but we wanted to hit the road so we didn’t stay for food. We did however stop to grab a picture at Swift River Bridge.

On our drive from Conway to the coast we made a pit stop at Sherman Farm Market for kettle corn and apple cider. They also have a pumpkin patch and corn maze!

From there we originally planned to start our Maine coast adventure in Portland but after coming off of a Fall Foliage high Portland was not our vibe so we escaped and headed South to the smaller, cuter coast towns if you will. Sorry no hate towards Portland but it was just a totally different vibe than what we were craving on this trip!

We moved on to Kennebunkport and Y’ALL. I will for sure be going back and spending some time here. SO FREAKING CUTE. I’ve never been to the Hamptons but I feel like it’s the Hamptons of the South. York and Ogunquit are also close by and equally as cute. You must grab a lobster roll and clam chowder basically anywhere here. We grabbed both at the Clam Shack in Kennebunkport and sat by the water. We also heard that Batson River Brewing is a really fun place if you have time. Honestly just walk around and explore Kennebunkport- you’ll see why!

We stopped by Nubble Lighthouse (there are many on the coast but this is one of the more popular ones) before eating dinner at The York River Landing. The lobster roll was good but man the beer battered fish and chips were the move. Also, get a Shipyard pumpkin beer if they have it. I’m not the biggest beer drinker but I LOVED this.

We stayed the night in Portsmouth but if I could do it over again we would stay in Kennebunkport, York or Ogunquit. We immediately came back the next morning to York for breakfast at Stonewall Kitchen and to explore a bit more before trekking on!

A few other places we would have loved to visit:

  • Two Lights Lighthouse
  • Lunch: Lobster Shack (Ogunquit, ME)
  • Dinner: Black Trumpet (Portsmouth, NH)

DAY SEVEN: Explore Salem, MA and Boston, MA

Unpopular opinion here because literally EVERYONE and their mother told us to go to Salem, MA especially since it was October and Salem is obviously where the witch trials happened not to mention where Hocus Pocus was filmed, but personally I could have passed on Salem. Yes, if you are Halloween, witch or Hocus Pocus obsessed it’s worth stopping by but if not, maybe pass on Salem.

The good thing though is that you can knock Salem out in a couple of hours in my opinion. There are lots of tours- walking tours, ghost tours, hocus pocus film tours, etc- that allow you to see Salem pretty fast. We decided to just drive around Salem and use Helene’s Hocus Pocus set location map to find some of the poplar Hocus Pocus places.

From there we spent the rest of the day in Boston and if you’ve been to Boston than you know how grand it is! It’s hard to see Boston in a day- you really need at least 2-3 but seeing as it’s a direct flight back Houston we really only came for the airport. And oysters. You have to get oysters in Boston! I suggest going to the Lookout Rooftop bar for drinks and then Union Oyster House for dinner!

A couple of other places we would have loved to visit:

  • Mack’s Apples
  • Dinner: Little Donkey (Boston)

CONCLUSION

Would I go back? YES. I literally want to go back every year to do a Fall Foliage trip. I’d love to explore northern Maine next time that I go because I’ve heard amazing things but really you can’t go wrong anywhere in New England in the Fall. It really is just breathtaking at every turn! And seeing as I live in Texas and never see changing leaves or mountains- it was all the more special.

There are WAY more pictures and videos of our road trip adventure and places that we stopped along the way saved to my New England highlights on my Instagram page. If you do go and use any of my recommendations- please tag me! And if you find any amazing spots that I need to visit next year please leave those in the comments below:)

Fall New England Road Trip
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Preliminary New England Road Trip Itinerary

MAP

https://goo.gl/maps/FQFmSsR3yC7qqjXEA

Day 1: Burlington, VT
Day 2: Stowe, VT
Day 3: Manchester, VT
Day 4: Woodstock, VT
Day 5: White Mountains, NH
Day 6: Maine Coast (Portland, Kennebunkport, York, Portsmouth)
Day 7: Salem & Boston, MA
Day 8: Boston, MA

ITINERARY

  • Burlington, VT
    • Breakfast: The Skinny Pancake
    • Explore Lake Champlain on bike
    • Country Christmas Loft
    • Travel to Stowe via way of Cambridge
    • Gates Farm Covered Bridge (photo op)
    • Smuggler’s Notch (photo op)
    • Dinner/drinks: Idletyme Brewing Company
  • Stowe, VT
    • Breakfast: Butler’s Pantry
    • Take a gondola up to see a scenic view of Stowe (photo op)
      • They are several but Stowe Mountain Resort was recommended
    • Explore the town of Stowe
    • Emily’s Bridge (photo op)
    • Stowe Maple Products
    • Cold Hollow Cider Mill (photo op)
  • Manchester, VT
    • Travel to Manchester via Route 7
    • Champlain Orchards (photo op)
    • Equinox Valley Nursery (photo op)
  • Woodstock, VT
    • Sleepy Hollow Farm (photo op)
    • Billings Farm & Museum
    • Sugarbush Farm
    • Visit the Woodstock Inn (photo op)
    • Middle Covered Bridge (photo op)
    • Dinner: The Prince and the Pauper or Mangalitsa
  • White Rock Mountains, NH
    • Sunrise: Artist’s Bluff (photo op)
    • Flume George (hike)
    • Breakfast/Coffee: Half Baked & Fully Brewed
    • Kancamagus Highway (foliage scenic route)
    • Bear Notch Road (foliage scenic route)
    • Rocky Gorge Scenic Area (hike)
    • Albany Covered Bridge (photo op)
    • Mount Washington Cog Railway (must buy tickets in advance)
    • Dinner: 1865 Wine Cellar
    • Swift River Bridge (photo op)
  • NE Coast
    • Breakfast: The Holy Donut (Portland, ME)
    • Two Lights Lighthouse
    • Explore Kennebunkport
    • Lunch: Lobster Shack (Ogunquit, ME)
    • Nubble Lighthouse
    • Dinner: Black Trumpet (Portsmouth, NH)
    • Breakfast: Stonewall Kitchen (York, ME *we are backtracking for this)
  • Salem/Boston
    • Stop by Mack’s Apples on the way to Salem
    • Salem Heritage Walking Tour
    • Explore Salem
    • Head to Boston
    • Explore Boston/Freedom Trail
    • Dinner: Little Donkey

SOURCES

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Instagram Worthy Nashville Guide

For as many times as I’ve been to Nashville (heck and almost moved there in 2019!) this post is LONG overdue. Nashville is hands down one of my favorite places. I always have an absolute blast every time that I go so I have no doubt you will have the trip of a lifetime. Good food, great partying and a hell of a lot of fun dancing make for the best memories.

WHERE TO EXPLORE

Broadway– where ALL of the bars (and people) are. Many of the bars are owned by famous country singers. Expect live music, big crowds and drunk shenanigans here. I like staying walking distance from Broadway.
Music Row– bars and restaurants. Come here if you want to get away from Broadway but still have several fun bars within walking distance! Also walk over to The Graduate hotel for a coffee or drink- you won’t regret it.
The Gulch– come for the biscuits (Biscuit Love), stay for the shopping and pictures with the giant angel wings. Also another good area to stay if you don’t want to be so close to Broadway.
12 South– fun area with a good mix of restaurants, shopping and wall murals. Want a cute Instagram photo? Come here.

WHERE TO STAY

Noelle- I’ve never actually stayed here but everyone RAVES about it. I’ve stopped into the hotel lobby bar as well as the coffee shop multiple times and always love the vibe! The rooftop bar, Rare Bird, is also supposed to have a great view plus it’s walkable to Broadway!
Thompson Nashville- Located in the Gulch it’s an absolutely beautiful, hotel with modern music touches. My only complaint- no bath tubs 😛 Other than that it’s a great location.
Westin Nashville- Great location (downtown near Broadway) and very upscale for a Westin! If you are looking for a more budget friendly option than some of the others, this is a great choice and the rooftop bar is AMAZING.
Bobby Hotel- I stayed here on my most recent trip to Nashville and the rooms are definitely a little funky when it comes to decor but overall it’s so much fun and all of their food and dining is top notch.

WHERE TO EAT

@libertycommon- Located near Broadway. We went for a late brunch (HH starts at 2) and thought it was so darn cute. Made for the perfect start to day drink on Broadway!
@thehamptonsocial- Located near Broadway. Although this is a chain it’s still a fun spot especially if you’ve never been! It features the iconic “Rosé all Day” neon sign. Suggest going for a boozy brunch but honestly you can’t go wrong with lunch or dinner either!
@bartacolife- Located in 12S. I go here every single time I hit the ground in Nashville it’s that good! First things first- amazing spicy margs! Also all of the menu and ordering process is virtual so you order everything through an app and it’s delivered to your table in a matter of minutes. Excellent food, decor, and service!
@henrietta_red- Located in Germantown. I keep wanting to try this cute stop but still haven’t made it. I had to include it because it comes highly recommended for their simplistic, chic decor and fresh ingredient dishes!
The Southern- Located in South Broadway. If you are looking for a nice dinner spot, look no further! Amazing steak and oyster options plus it’s a short walk to Broadway if you want to go two step the night away after! And if you go for brunch don’t pass up the ribs. *chef’s kiss*
@pinewoodsocialist-Located in South Broadway. This is a popular instagrammable spot featuring delicious menu items as well as bowling in an industrial-chic atmosphere. Great for large crowds!
@urbangrubtherestaurant12south- Located in the 12S area. The BEST brunch in Nashville by far. You will die when you see the buffet spread is insane (oysters, crab legs, shrimp and grits, plus the regular breakfast fare). Heads up- don’t order the “all you can eat” buffet option (it will set you back $50!)- just get the “one time” buffet option and pile that plate as high as it can go! Scott and I didn’t realize how expensive the unlimited option was and both of us ended up eating only one plate!
@biscuitlovebrunch- Located in the Gulch. You absolutely can’t come to Nashville and not indulge in some biscuits. Lots of places have them but Biscuit Love is arguably the best. They also have good drink specials.

WHERE TO DRINK

@lajacksonbar – rooftop bar in The Gulch. Great vibes and always a good crowd not to mention the view is INSANE.
@fglhouse – Florida Georgia Line’s Bar on Broadway that NEVER disappoints. Love day drinking here.
@acmenashville – located on Broadway. We usually stop and get food here but it’s also a fun bar!
@whiskeyrownashville– one of my favorite bars on Broadway. We always end up here especially later in the evening! The third floor (rooftop) always has a DJ making it a fun spot to dance.
Tootsies– you can’t come to Broadway and not go here. One of the oldest honkey tonk bars!
@zeppelin.nashville – rooftop bar off the beaten path. I forget what the shot is called but you must get the edible flower shot- it makes your whole mouth numb (in a good way lol).

Losers– total dive bar but SO much fun. Seriously I saved the best one for last. They have a bar next door called winners but it’s way more fun to be a Loser;)
@whitelimozeennash – cute rooftop bar. Located at the top of The Graduate hotel. If you can make a reservation for brunch- do it!

Instagram Worthy Nashville Guide
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72 Hours in Park City Utah

Park City

Let me start this post off with saying that if you have never visited Park City in the Summer, you are missing out! It was my first time visiting in the warmer weather as the only few times I’ve gone have been to ski! I was a little nervous about all of the outdoor activities but the weather could not have been more PERFECT and the views were just breathtaking. We were there for three days and packed our schedule with fun activities and good food.

WHERE TO STAY

I have stayed a few places in Park City but I can hands down say that Washington School House has been my favorite. It is small but what it lacks in size it gains in charm and hospitality! It only has 14 rooms so it reminds me of more of a bed and breakfast feel than a hotel. Speaking of breakfast, it is completely customizable and complimentary! As are the cocktails all day long. Not to mention this gem is smack dab in the middle of town so restaurants and shopping are all within walking distance! I could go on and on about this place but let the pictures talk for themselves.

WHERE TO EAT

Chimayo- My personal favorite meal of the trip! There wasn’t a single item on the menu that I didn’t want to try. Mainly Mexican but with a twist and lot’s of variety! Everything from scallops to elk!

Handle-If you are looking for a nice restaurant for a special occasion or just because it’s vacation and you want a good meal, look no further! From the buffalo cauliflower to the fried chicken to the caramel brulee bread pudding- chef’s kiss.

High West Distillery & Saloon- If you know and love High West then you obviously have to go here! I would suggest coming for a pre-dinner cocktail and then finding food elsewhere as I wasn’t overly impressed with the food.

Salt Box- Great casual and super yummy lunch spot. We stopped here on our way to hike. You can either pick up or dine in. The acai bowl, burger and peach salad were all AMAZING.

Deer Valley Grocery Café- Another great lunch spot that’s grab and go or you can stay and hangout on the back porch that has the most amazing view of the mountains (a local beer or glass wine makes it even better). They have gourmet sandwiches and salads so definitely more on the casual side. We paddle boarded next door after.

WHERE TO ADVENTURE

Utah Olympic Park- You cannot come to Park City and not do this especially if you have kids/teenagers. If you are an adventure seeker yourself there is plenty of extreme activities to do for adults too. We did the high ropes course, extreme tubing and airbag jump! We stayed for 3 hours and honestly would have loved to stay longer to plan to stay at least 4-5 hours here!

Park City SUP (Stand Up Paddle Board)– Located at Pebble Beach. Great group outing. The company is very chill. We rented our boards and immediately headed out on the water to paddle around as we pleased.

Horseback Riding Tour with Red Pine Adventures– My favorite thing we did the entire trip. I don’t care how many times you’ve been horse back riding, it hits different in the mountains. The scenery was breathtaking and this Texas girl can’t pass up riding a horse whenever she can!

Guided Hike and Yoga Experience with Park City Yoga Adventures-Again, you’ve probably been to a yoga class before but man there’s something about doing a warrior pose on the top of a mountain with nothing but picturesque scenery around you that is so dang freeing. Highly recommend!

If I missed any must do places, please leave them in the comments below for others to enjoy! If you are headed on your own Park City adventure- have fun and safe travels!

Park City Travel Guide
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Fredericksburg, TX Travel Guide

Fredericksburg, TX

Are you headed to Fredericksburg, TX or as like to call it, The Napa of the South? 🙂 First off, I’m jealous. Second off, I have been a few times now and thought it was about time for an updated travel guide as their are SO many new and cute spots in town!

If you’ve never been to Fredericksburg you are in for a treat! It has quaint small town vibes but with so much to do and see! Obviously most people come for the wineries, but honestly you’ll want to stay for more than just that! While it’s a great weekend getaway, I would highly recommend it for a bachelorette party, girl’s weekend or low(er) key birthday trip.

WHERE TO STAY

I highly suggest renting a house for the weekend. If you are heading up for a girls weekend or wanting to go in on a place with multiple people, a house is the way to go. Fredericksburg offers many cute options that make the trip so much more enjoyable than staying in a hotel. We stayed at The Emerald Door which proved to be everything we hoped for and more! With COVID still a high risk, we wanted a space where we could spread out and not have to leave the house except for wineries and one nice dinner.

Most places are between $4-$600 a night (cheaper during the week) so split between multiple people, it is well worth it! Our house slept 12 plus came equipped with a huge outdoor area, corn hole, a fire pit, hot tub and a whole cupboard of games which we used the entire weekend. The owner has several other properties (found here), all with different colored front doors, that are perfect for your next girls weekend, bachelorette party, or couples retreat. I cannot say enough great things about the owner, all of her recommendations, attention to little details, and the overall house aesthetic. Just look what I mean- SO CUTE! In fact, many of you messaged me while I was there telling me you had stayed in one of her properties as well!!

WINERIES

Aka the reason you are probably headed to Frederickburg! I’ve tried several but this past trip was by FAR my favorite wineries that I have been to yet! While Grape Creek, Becker Vineyards and 4.0 Cellars are all highly recommended and fantastic options, these next 3 will blow them out of them water!

Signor VineyardsThis was our first winery of the day and talk about GORGEOUS. I’m telling you right now that you’ll want to stay at this outdoor space for hours! Our group was too big for a tasting so we bought a few bottles and did our own tasting at one of the picnic tables. They are known for their chardonnay and pinot but the cab was my personal fav!

Baron’s Creek– Out of the 3 we went to this one was probably my least favorite just because it didn’t have the WOW factor that Signor and Augusta Vin had but I enjoyed the wine, outdoor music and the wine was actually one of my favorites from the day! 

Augusta Vin– Talk about a little piece of California in Texas. With the floor to ceiling windows and hilly views, it’s hard to believe you are in Texas! Check out the picture below. If you can request a tasting on the second floor- highly recommend. Also highly recommend the bread and olive oil pairing with your tasting 🙂 

Augusta Vin
Fredericksburg Winery Tour

If you want to really take your weekend up a notch and not have to worry about getting transportation in between wineries (Ubers are V scarce), I recommend looking into a winery tour/shuttle. We used Texas Wine Tours and our driver was a freaking hoot. His name was Darrell and if you can request him- DO IT- you’ll be laughing for hours. Not to mention he brought us donuts and kolaches which came in clutch after 3 wineries if you know what I mean.

The way the winery tour works is that they handle all of your winery tasting reservations and fees in the price which is actually incredibly convenient if you have a big group (especially during COVID) because making reservations for big groups actually proved to be really hard when I was trying to do it!

WHERE TO EAT

Granite House LoungeHot of the press! The food was AMAZING. Just take my word for it. This place had only been open 3 weeks when we went and it was hip hop happenin to say the least. It’s pretty small so expect to wait but you can grab a cocktail and hangout outside while you do! I also would suggest hopping on the online waitlist!

The Auslander- If you are wanting a cheap, authentic German meal, this is the place! If the weather is nice enough, there is usually a pretty good sized crowd enjoying live music and throwing back oversized beers.Sozial Haus– A quaint spot that has great pizza. Monday nights they have half price pizzas and bottles of wine.

Hondos–  An old spot where you will find many locals. The food is nothing extraordinary but the atmosphere is fun!

Vaudeville–  This is a nicer place and reservations are recommended. Even if you don’t get a chance to eat here, I suggest checking out the courtyard and little shop that is attached to it. Both are amazing! I have heard the restaurant is a must do if you have the time (and money!) to do so.

August E’s–  Another great fine dining experience. We were there during the week and attended “Thai Tuesday” night. While the price is a little high for thai, the portions are HUGE and easy to share. They also have sushi and steaks.

Prometheus Pizza-This food truck came highly recommended to us if you are wanting something quick, easy and GOOD. They deliver too!

WHAT TO DO (besides the obvious)

Besides visiting wineries, there are plenty of other things to do in Fredericksburg! It is such a cute town to explore and small enough to walk most places if you are staying at a house that is close to the main strip (which I highly recommend!).

Tasting rooms– If you are just wanting to grab a drink before dinner or do not want to drive out to the wineries, several of the vineyards have tasting rooms on the main strip.

Lincoln St.– A cute indoor/outdoor bar that is perfect for drinks before or after dinner and one of the only places that stays open later.

Fredericksboards– We did this one night for a happy hour at home! Highly recommend grabbing a charcuterie board from them. They are beautiful and will save you a trip to the grocery store!

Yellow Door Studio– If you have already done a wine and painting class, then you know how fun they are. If you have not, now is your time! The art class is BYOB and is so much fun! These classes run about $45/person and are a great keepsake for a girls or bachelorette weekend!

I have a Frederickburg highlight saved to my Instagram with more visuals and fun happenings from our weekend but if you have any questions please feel free to comment on this post or email me at itsallchictomeblog@gmail.com. I hope you enjoy your stay!

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