USA
Rodeo to Wine: A Perfect Lone Star State Road Trip Combo
by Jennifer Merrickck
The excitement of the city or the tranquility of the countryside? A star-studded spectacle or a show of wildflowers? Revelling and relaxing are equally appealing on vacation. But on this Texan spring break road trip, we didn’t have to choose. Houston and Fredericksburg hit the sweet spot with a perfect combo of energy and relaxation.
Houston, whose nicknames include Bayou City, Space City and H-Town, is the fourth largest city in the US. We had a blast exploring its rich multiculturalism, awesome culinary scene, stellar attractions and one of biggest and most-anticipated events in all of Texas.
Let’s rodeo!
“It’s like a Super Bowl everyday,” said Stacy McKay, a volunteer at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and explained that close to 250 million people visit during its three-week run.
“People from all walks of life pull out their cowboy boots and have fun.”
It was a true spectacle, and though we didn’t have cowboy boots, we certainly had fun. Highlights included seeing the iconic Texas Longhorn cattle, sipping vino and listening to live music at the Champion Wine Garden under the warm sunshine, noshing on carnival foods like deep-fried lasagna roll, and cheering on the bull riding cowboys, barrel racing cowgirls and even cowkids as they hilariously endeavoured to ride a sheep. The evening ended with fireworks and a high-energy, big-name concert.
More than just barbecue
H-Town is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the US, with the third-largest Hispanic population and the fifth-largest Asian community among American cities. Not only does the city’s multicultural fabric create a dynamic and thriving cultural scene, but it’s also reflected in the flavours of its culinary landscape. Yes, you can and should taste some smoky, melt-in-your- mouth, barbecue brisket and ribs, but you can also enjoy authentic Vietnamese pho, Mexican street food and fine dining in chef-driven restaurants.
We savoured some truly memorable meals: an exquisitely prepared and presented prix fixe lunch at Le Jardinier, located in the Museum of Fine Arts; delectable Southern cuisine at Lucille’s; fresh seafood with a view of Galveston Bay at Landry’s Seafood on the Kemah Boardwalk; and a smorgasbord of tastes at POST Market. The latter is a 550,000 square-foot repurposed post office plant that has been transformed into a community hub with exhibits, workspaces, a concert venue and a food hall. We enjoyed our treats on the building’s massive rooftop with a view of the city skyline at sunset.
Ride the Bayou
A captivating way to explore Bayou City and the bayou itself is on a bicycle tour. Buffalo Bayou Park is a 180-acre green space that has trails for walking and biking, rivers for kayaking and numerous art installations to admire. As we pedaled down into the ravine our guide, Brian Kondrach, pointed out sights like Monumental Moments, where four-foot-tall words exhorting us to explore and reflect sat among a towering circle of oak trees; Jaume Plensa’s Tolerance installation with sculptures representing the seven continents, and even a bat colony. Although we couldn’t see the nocturnal flying mammals, we could certainly smell them. At dusk, hundreds of Mexican free-tailed bats take to the sky from under the bridge, putting on an extraordinary batty spectacle.
Houston, we have no problem
We came to understand why the cosmos lives in the hearts of Space City’s residents when we visited the NASA Johnson Space Center. The exhibits here were the real deal, so we could touch a piece of moon rock, explore a shuttle-carrying 747 aircraft and view the Mission Operations Control Room 2, where ground control planned and executed the Apollo missions. The 1,620-acre complex featured more than 400 space artifacts and offered experiences and programs from tram tours to breakfast with an astronaut and behind-the-scenes VIP experiences.
Fields of blue
After the energy of Houston, it was time to hit the road for a more tranquil retreat, and so we drove four hours west to the town of Fredericksburg in Texas Hill Country. As we got closer, the landscape changed and blankets of wildflowers appeared, with the bluebonnet (the Texas state flower) stealing the show. I obviously wasn’t the only one captivated by the sea of indigo blue blooms as vehicles had pulled over on the side of the road, where families, and even Harley-Davidson motorcyclists, were snapping pictures.
Willkommen in Fredericksburg
The town’s welcome sign is in both German and English, reflecting the town’s heritage. German immigrants, who arrived in the mid-nineteenth century, would work the land during the week and come into town on Sundays for church, shopping and socializing. Main Street would have looked very much the same as it does today with limestone buildings, a marketplace and the Vereins Kirche (United Church). This octagonal building looked like it was lifted out of a small German town and plucked down in the middle of Texas. We learned more about this group of immigrants who crossed the ocean to forge new lives for themselves inside the Vereins Kirche and at Pioneer Museum.
We tasted the town’s heritage, too, at Der Lindenbaum, a family-owned eatery that served up authentic Deutschland fare and beverages. After a hearty meal of schnitzel and beet salad in this historic, cozy restaurant, we strolled down Main Street perusing the local specialty stores, candy shops, wine tasting rooms and art galleries.
It’s wine o’clock
Fredericksburg is the second most visited wine region in the US after Napa, with over 50 wineries dotting its rolling hills. We set off in style with locally-owned Reserve Tours to visit a few of them.
Signor Vineyards was our first stop and as we alighted from our limo, the first thing we noticed were the cultivated grounds and flowers on the property.
“It a special place,” said our waiter Jeff as we tasted the wines. “It feels as much like a garden as it does a winery.”
He also explained why wine has exploded in this region, saying that it has a similar climate to Spain and that “the heat in Texas does amazing things.”
Pedernales Cellars was next on our sipping agenda. Here, we lounged on the outdoor patio in the shade of a beautiful oak, glass in hand, savouring both their Tempranillo wines and the views of the hilly fields.
Our last stop at Heath Winery had a completely different atmosphere with modern buildings and a sampling room with floor-to-ceiling windows and sleek counters with groups of happy tasters around them. Bubbly was their specialty, and they poured us sparkling rosés and limited-edition vintages paired with beautifully presented appetizers.
We toasted our fabulous day in Fredericksburg Wine Country and dreamed about staying and visiting the other 47 wineries, but our road trip was nearing the end.
Enchanting encounters
On the way out of town, we stopped at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, where we hiked to the summit of the massive granite dome, admiring the alien-like rock formations and the panoramic view at the top. We said goodbye to Texas and a road trip that had transitioned from the vibrancy of the rodeo, multiculturalism, and space exploration in Houston to small-town tranquility, where people strolled hand in hand, bluebonnets bloomed and wineries invited us to slow down and enjoy.
Who needs to choose between excitement and relaxation on vacation when you can have it all with a Houston/Fredericksburg combo?
If you go: Air Canada offers non-stop flights to Houston from several Canadian cities. For accommodation, an excellent choice in Houston is Hotel Icon. This downtown landmark building with stately neoclassical architecture is now a luxury hotel conveniently located near downtown attractions and the Museum District. In Fredericksburg, the Hoffman Haus Bed and Breakfast offers luxury self-contained cabins with kitchen, living room, spacious bathroom and outside sitting area. It’s ideally situated in a quiet enclave within walking distance to Main Street.
