Any PIREPS: Fredericksburg, Texas area?

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?

(Last time we launched for Texas, we ended up in Kitty Hawk, NC. Gotta love
the flexibility of GA... :-)

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Getting your Pireps on usenet? You're a moron.

Bertie

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.

Oh yeah and I've mispelled Fredericksburg throughout above.

wrote in news:d5b7fec7-a530-4c8e-9e58-3bcf562c90b5
@a23g2000hsc.googlegroups.com:


Oh yeah and I've mispelled Fredericksburg throughout above.



Netkkkop

Bertie

On Mar 15, 7:44*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?

(Last time we launched for Texas, we ended up in Kitty Hawk, NC. *Gotta love
the flexibility of GA... :-)

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Sockpuppet gives a pretty good summary. You should also consider
driving or flying down to San Antonio, if you haven't been there yet.
Also, make suure you eat at the Airport Diner at T82 - good food and
atmosphere.

Steve

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:HoQCj.23743$TT4.995@attbi_s22...
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?

(Last time we launched for Texas, we ended up in Kitty Hawk, NC. Gotta
love the flexibility of GA... :-)

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay, welcome to my part of the world :-).

We have flown into T82 many times usually to eat at the Airport Diner. The
diner has some strange hours so you'll be doing most of your eating off the
airport. We spent the night in the airport hotel for Valentine's Day. It is
a wonderful hotel and you are literally on the airport. In fact, you will
taxi your airplane right up to the hotel. The rooms are very clean. They
have a balcony off the second floor where you can leisurely sit and watch
acft land/take off. I presume you have checked out their web site.

There is a German restaurant towards the outskirts of town that has some
really great food and fantastic steaks. I don't recall the name of it but
when you drive into town from the airport, you will drive in on Hwy 16 (S.
Adams St). When you get to Main St, the main (no pun intended) drag through
town, turn left and go about 7 long blocks. It is located on the left where
Hwy 87 splits off from Hyw 290.

There are a lot of small places to eat in town that are mainly opened for
lunch. As someone else mentioned, it is primarily a tourist town with many
small shops. There is one shop that sells sauces, jams, cobbler, jellies,
chip and dip mixes, etc. What is really nice is that you can sample
everything they sell. Be careful, some of that hot sauce will really give
you a whole new meaning on life - HAHAHA.

You will definitely need a rental car. I understand the hotel staff can help
you arrange for one.

Someone else suggested flying up to Llano. As a frequent traveler to there,
I wholeheartedly concur. Cooper's is the best BBQ you will put your teeth
into in this part of the country (there are a lot of close seconds, but
Cooper's is the best).

Oh, one other thing that might be of interest, Just a few minutes (flying
time) from there is Kerrville (KERV). Mooney Acft has their plant there. We
went up about a year or so ago and had a tour of the place. You might want
to contact them and see if you can arrange a tour if you have the time. It
was very fascinating.

Hope some of that helps.

Harry
San Antonio

Hope some of that helps.

Thanks Harry, et al.

As it turns out, the weather is looking like it's going to favor heading to
Florida FIRST, then on to Texas later in the week. So, tomorrow we're off
to Pensacola first, then over and down to Clearwater/St. Pete to soak up
some rays.

We might make it to Fredericksburg later in the week... Your posts were
most helpful!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay...
If you have a day to fly out/around, I HIGHLY recommend hopping over
to New Braunsfels (KBAZ i think) and taking a cab/rent a car to the
Grist Mill in "old town Gruene" (pronounced GREEN). New B has grown out
to encompass the former town of Gruene and is a tourist trap. The town
and the Guadelupe River basin is a popular spot for tubing and rafting.
Rapids are pretty tame, navigable in an inner tube, which people rent
for a day on the water.

If you make a whole day trip out of it, Id say "float the river" then
eat at the Grist Mill. Bring sunblock. Rockin R is an outfitter near the
Grist Mill and Gruene. I've used em before, and would again. In your
situation, its prolly the most convenient of the large outfitters.

The Grist Mill is a signature establishment built on the cliff's
overlooking the river. Great Food.. Great Scenery.. Usually a line..
Next door is Gruene Hall.. an OLD wood frame dance hall.. George Strait
lives down the road and pops in from time to time to play. So do many
other up and coming Texas Country artists.

And if you go on my day off, I might even be willing to ride my
motorcycle a few hours to come say hi from Houston. But only if thats
acceptable on family vacations.. its not the same as dropping by on the
north 40.

Dave

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?

(Last time we launched for Texas, we ended up in Kitty Hawk, NC. Gotta
love the flexibility of GA... :-)

Thanks!

On Mar 15, 2:23*pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
wrote in news:d5b7fec7-a530-4c8e-9e58-3bcf562c90b5
@a23g2000hsc.googlegroups.com:



Oh yeah and I've mispelled Fredericksburg throughout above.

Netkkkop

Bertie

And on myself no less!

I'd better beat a retreat to my signle malt scotch and shaddup.