On Mar 15, 8:44*am, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
We're planning to fly there Sunday, for a week of R&R.

Not sure if the weather will cooperate (it's always a crap shoot in spring),
but we're planning on spending a couple of days at the Hangar Hotel (the
only other aviation themed hotel I've found). *I've heard "the hill area" of
Texas is quite beautiful, and that there is much to do there.

Any recommendations?


Friedricksberg itself is fairly touristy. There's lots to do there in
that regard on the main street. You can visit the Nimitz Museum.
They've got a suprlus aircraft, including the kind Bush Sr. had to
ditch with ... can't remember the type. Dive bomber I believe with a
ball turrent on the back of the long canopy. They seem to have
expanded their exhibits pretty substantially since last I was there.

Friedricksburg's old graveyard is interesting. Lots of headstones in
German. On one of the German ones I read: "Murdered by Indians" 1840s,
I think.

There is an EXCELLENT vinyard just east of Friedricksburg on 290,
Becker Vinyards ( http://www.beckervineyards.com ). It's physically
located about 200 yards south west of the Stonewall VOR station. You
get to it by driving out 290 toward Austin, about 13 miles out, on
right. They let you sample all the wines and have tours of the
operation. Especially good is their Zinfandel, which you can only get
at the vinyard.

Also very close by in that easterly direction is Luckenbach, worth a
short visit. Beer and bbq & burgers and usually there's an ad-hoc
music jam happening. Lot's of bikers. Friendly folk.

In the same direction is LBJ state park. They give tours and that's
worthwhile, as they take you to LBJs house. Ladybird died recently,
but she used to come out and greet visitors from time to time.
Directly behind the house is a huge airstrip. Private,
unfortuanately

You could fly up to Llano (~15 mins). They have a unicom and you can
ask for the courtesy car over that. They let people take that car in
for lunch at Cooper's BBQ.

Also just north of Freidricksburg, south of Llano, is Enchanted Rock
State Park. It's a granite batholith dome exposed by subsequent
erosion of limestone that was deposited over it when Texas was covered
by a shallow sea. The Comanche and Apache & others heard the rock
cracking and popping at night (cooling off) and figured it was
spirits, thus "enchanted". There used to be a plaque up there toward
the top where Texas Ranger Jack Hays was isolated and trapped by
Comanche or Lipan Apache. He held them off with pistol fire until
dark. If you go up there, you'll see it was a pretty exposed position
he had to be in, no trees or brush up there.

Inks Lake and Lake Buchanan are fun for fishing or rock hunting (lots
of igneous and metamorpic, sandstone and limestone). Hunting critters
is usually by arrangement on private land only.

There's lots of other stuff but that's a start.