At the end of my last post I said to add 'Fredericksburg, Tx' to your Bucket List. I am not kidding. We chose the Oakwood RV Resort. The park has quite close sites but that is offset by every amenity and super nice staff. Lots of walking room for Kyle and just close enough to downtown. It just happens to be located right beside Street Dreams Classic Car Sales). I already posted a picture album of three cars that I knew would interest my friends. Kaye kept a close watch on the cheque book but she was safe. The car I would love to buy already had a sold sign on it. But there are more.
This little town of 25K has more hotels, motels, spa resorts, B&Bs and camping than all of Canada, but they are hidden away and disguised in period architecture that took us a day to notice. It is the tourist retreat for all the big towns in Texas and more. Kinda like rushing to cottage country for the weekend. There are race tracks, ball fields and lots of advertisements for: "Rally Troupes Meet Here". The total decor of the town is period. No traditional commercial signs, all blended to match the old world stone and masonry brick work of Europe brought over from Germany in the very early 1800s. This is the Sedona, Az of Texas.
Our goal was to see the Admiral Nimitz and War of the Pacific Museums. Once we found them, we knew we were in trouble. It was already after two in the afternoon and the museum closed at five. The lady on the counter told us our retired military entry fee was only $10 and that our ticket was good for 48 hours! We ended up doing two hours the first day, four hours the next day and then two more on the morning of the third day. The museum covers the history of the Nimitz family using his original birthplace building which was operated as a hotel on the corner of Main street and Washington and then blocks of new buildings housing the War of the Pacific Museum and two blocks away a complete outdoor museum with original war pieces (Avenger, PT Boat, Tanks, etc) and an amphitheatre that plays live shows of a beach front battle. Our tour guide for the outdoor section was an 86 year old Navy Vet who served in the Pacific during the final year of the war. Very well spoken.
Main street is over a mile long and both sides of the street are packed with German restaurants, beer gardens, antiques, nick knacks and....everything. Even chocolate covered bacon and pickles. Kaye found some preserves that were from her namesake; "K-Ann". There are at least ten winery outlets that all had 'sample' rooms for both wine and beer. The costs varied but if you bought their wine they refunded the 'sampling' fees. Kaye resisted.
The old hospital has been turned into a Kitchen Shop with a hundred rooms and anything you can imagine in gadgetry displayed somehow. We went everyday for their special 5 cent fresh ground coffee and then sat and read cook books.
Dropped some coin at a local world famous spice, sauce and jelly farm outlet. Incredible flavours. Fischer and Wiese have a tasting outlet right across from the Nimitz Hotel. We ate too many crackers trying too many flavours. Our German lunch was to share a plate of three different sausages with an appetizer consisting of a hard boiled egg, rolled in spicy sausage and crumbs and then pan seared with a mustard sauce and a side of coleslaw. Stupidly Delicious. Their private brewery offered six beers that you could order as samples for $1. Yum, good thing we are walking. Kaye ordered 'German Potato Salad' as a side dish and spit the first mouth full onto the plate. Warm and ugly. She questioned the waiter and he said; "you either love it, or hate it.". One for the Hate Column.
Lady Bird Johnson has the honour of having the local city park named after her. We went to look for a place for Kyle to run and found a full service RV park ($30), river, ball fields, 18 hole golf course, driving range, nature trails and, and, and. The only thing we were missing was the camera. Kyle took off after a Herring Fisher and jumped onto the concrete wall of the river dyke not knowing there was a pond on the other side. Splash! He just swam around in circles until he focused on my voice. That will be the last time he clears an obstacle he can't see over or behind. Man I wish I had the video camera.
The park attendant said that it should be impossible to get a site here or anywhere in normal years. However, the economy is so down that the RV park is now only full on the major holiday weekends and during special events. Cheapest diesel in the USA so far. $395 US Gal.
On our last night in town we celebrated our fifth anniversary of being 'smoke free'. The guest at the next table were discussing their 'oil' lease that was not producing up to spec! Yup, we are in Texas.
We could not have found a better place to wait out the storms hitting the country. There were hail storms just to the East of us, snow that interrupted a PGA event in Arizona behind us and Tornado warning with high winds and rain through the Louisiana coastline and northern Florida. All of which we have to cross. Our one day plan turned into five...and we might be back.
The park attendant said that it should be impossible to get a site here or anywhere in normal years. However, the economy is so down that the RV park is now only full on the major holiday weekends and during special events. Cheapest diesel in the USA so far. $395 US Gal.
On our last night in town we celebrated our fifth anniversary of being 'smoke free'. The guest at the next table were discussing their 'oil' lease that was not producing up to spec! Yup, we are in Texas.
We could not have found a better place to wait out the storms hitting the country. There were hail storms just to the East of us, snow that interrupted a PGA event in Arizona behind us and Tornado warning with high winds and rain through the Louisiana coastline and northern Florida. All of which we have to cross. Our one day plan turned into five...and we might be back.
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