Girls Trip to Fredericksburg
Fall break had to look a little different than we had planned this year. Months ago, we had penciled in a family trip to Japan for Fall Break. But of course, that didn’t happen. So instead, with work being extra demanding right now, I suggested that I would take the girls (who are out of school for a week) for two nights to Fredericksburg while Tommy would stay home with Theo and work.
I found a friend who has kids doing distance learning, and we planned our road trip to Fredericksburg, a cute little town in the Texas Hill Country surrounded by wineries. We splurged on the CUTEST little Air BNB that had a hot tub, fire pit, and plenty of outdoor space, with deer wandering by in the morning and evening.
I have embraced allowing the girls to have iPads with downloaded shows (still refuse to pay for service) while we drive somewhere further than an hour. I’m sure I’m missing out of fascinating conversations, road trip games, and teaching them important lessons through boredom. But I love the peace and quiet and podcast time, so sometimes, we just have to embrace modern life and appreciate the pleasure the iPad can bring us.
When we arrived, the kids bounced up to the door, eager to explore the house. Just arriving at the house gave them so much pleasure, and it really felt like a chance to slow down and enjoy the pleasure of a lovely place to stay. When we got the door open (love that remote checkin with a code), they dashed in to explore every room, closet, shelf and corner. My friend and I unloaded our stuff and settled in to our rooms. We explored also - look at the huge shower! Hot tub! Old fashioned phone! Keurig! Bottle of wine! Something for everyone.
Rachel made a spaghetti dinner, and three kids changed so they could hot tub right away. Harper decided to help with dinner, setting the table, stirring the pot, and generally babbling away. Thankfully, Rachel is a patient soul who listened to her prattle on while trying to make dinner with a seven year old offering opinions and ideas.
After dinner, we popped microwave popcorn, logged into my Netflix account on the giant smart tv, and the kids settled in to the comfy couches in the living room for a movie night. Rachel and I changed and had grown-up hot tub time. It was such an incredible treat to just relax with a friend, in a hot tub, in a beautiful place. It wasn’t Japan, but it was pretty great.
The next morning, we headed out to use our reservation at Enchanted Rock. All the Texas State Parks require a reservation for day passes and camping, and they have been selling out in advance because everyone hikes now. Anyway, I can’t remember that I’ve ever been to Enchanted Rock (maybe when I was really young?). But as we parked and walked over to the giant rock, I got nervous. On past hikes, Ruthie’s legs get tired and she wants to stop or be carried. Would she be able and willing to make it?
The weather was lovely, as Fall often is, and starting to get a little warm. It was busy but easy to maintain distance, even though it’s just up and back down for the hike because it’s a big rock and there’s really no path after the beginning few steps.
We took two little water breaks. Not one kid complained about the climb - they rushed ahead, slowed down to hold hands and chat with the moms, and talked together about who knows what. It was really fun to be outside, in a beautiful place. But even better, I was so proud of them for handling the hike so well, and finding the joy in it. They are growing up, and sometimes it’s a good reminder that as the mom, I have to keep adjusting my expectations about what they can do as they get older and stronger. Ruthie isn’t the four year old we took to Vermont two years ago.
It’s a beautiful view. The kids are actually happy, despite some of those expressions.
That afternoon, we hung around our cute little house. The kids played a few games of Life, hot tubbed, played family and college, and just chilled. Rachel and I did a little work (just a little!) and then I made tacos for dinner. We had dinner, did another movie night, and another moms’ hot tub night. It was lovely.
The next morning, Rachel’s kids had to do online school, so I got my girls packed up and we headed out. I love the little Main Street of shops in Fredericksburg, so I told them we would do some window shopping. It was really fun to just stroll, talking about each display. Interestingly, the girls wanted to go in all the art galleries (not the toy stores), and we got to one when it was just opening. We wandered in to look at the art and admire, while we could be the only people there. It was fun for this art-loving mama.
After we fueled up with a smoothie, we finally reached the end of Main Street. The Pioneer Museum wasn’t busy on the Tuesday morning we were there, and so we paid our small admission fee and headed out to explore pioneer life. We watched the short movie about the founding of Fredericksburg, which the girls found boring. While watching, I was reminded of how we talk about indigenous peoples as if they don’t exist — the movie talked about how the Germans were the first people in the area. And then it later talks about how they made peace with the Comanche in the area, who apparently didn’t exist when they arrived. I always feel a little confused how to handle those situations in the moment - should I clarify for the girls? Should I just assume they were more interested in other parts of the movie and let it go? How do I explain it? I tried, but I don’t know if if really made any difference.
Anyway, the rest of the visit was great. The “museum” is basically a collection of small buildings originally built at other locations and relocated. Each one is set up as it might have been when the original residents lived there, with clothing out, dishes, tools, and other daily living items. The girls loved getting to go inside and really be IN each space, exploring the blacksmith shop, seeing the old fire equipment, and even a chamber pot. At one point, we were in a lean-to built on the side of a cabin, and when Harper realized she was in a lean-to, loudly exclaimed, “I’ve always wanted to see a lean-to!” This is what you get when you read Little House on the Prairie with your kids during Covid. Excitement over getting to see a real-life lean-to.
There was also a one-room schoolhouse, which Harper has been talking about at school as they discuss how life in the past was different from today. The girls spent a good twenty minutes in the schoolhouse. I was so grateful that there really weren’t any other visitors because it gave us so much freedom to explore slowly. I feel like I live so much of my life in a hurry that taking twenty minutes to play school in a one room schoolhouse is such a delight.
After seeing every building, some twice, our stomachs forced us to leave. We picked up some takeout pizza and walked back to the Marketplatz to eat at one of the picnic tables. They were putting up the Christmas lights, and it was fun to imagine what it would look like in a couple of months.
We finally headed back to the car, window shopping our way back. The girls got back in the car, and we started our two hour drive home, iPads all the way! It was such a joy of a little trip, and I am so grateful that we made plans to do something. It was my first time to take just both girls on a little trip, but it won’t be my last!