October 11 – November 1, 2021
Leaving Amarillo, we drove south to Big Spring where we spent the night at West Texas Friendly RV Park. No one was in the office when we arrived, but we already had an assigned site numbers we went in search of our spot. It took us a couple of times around the park but we finally located our site and settled in for the night. We departed early the next morning for our next destination.
Kerrville, Texas
Located about 30 minutes from Fredericksburg, an hour from San Antonio, and two hours from Austin, Kerrville is the official capital of the Texas Hill Country.
Nestled on the banks of the Guadalupe River, Kerrville is a vibrant community that is the capital of the Texas Hill Country. Its friendly people and majestic scenery make Kerrville a natural place to live, work and play. We boast a community rich in culture and heritage. Our local lore includes many inspiring stories of heroic deeds by our early German pioneers and the cowboys who began major cattle drives in Kerrville as they headed north on the Great Western Cattle Trail. Our community has continued to thrive since its foundation in 1889.
kerrvilletx.gov
One of the best things about Kerrville (in our opinion) is Buckhorn Lake RV Resort. We love this resort. Due to its popularity (especially for rallies) we were not able to reserve a pull-thru site for the entirety of our 3 week stay. They assigned us a back-in site for the first week then repositioning to a pull-thru for the remainder. After getting set up in the back-in site we opted to just stay there and enjoy the large green space behind the site.
Buckhorn Lake Resort Entrance 
Buckhorn Lake Resort Office
Having been here before, we decided we could slow down and enjoy being in one spot for a while. Ahh!
Kerrville Chalk and River Festivals
Our first touristy outing was to the Chalk and River Festivals on Saturday. The Chalk Festival is a family oriented 2 day art event held yearly on the Peterson Plaza in the heart of Kerrville. Guest, traveling, and local artists participate in this event.
The tradition of street painting began in 16th century Italy with itinerant artists, many of whom had been brought into the cities to work on the huge cathedrals. When the work was done, they would often recreate the paintings of the Madonna onto the pavement. They became known as I Madonnari. They traveled across Europe joining in the festivals making their living from coins received from passers-by. For centuries I Madonnari were folk artists, reproducing simple images with crude materials such as tile, coal and chalk until World War II disrupted their traditions. In 1972, street painting was rejuvenated by the formation of a festival in Grazie di Curttone, Italy and today the performance art-form is recognized all over the world. I Madonnari, the first such festival in the United States was established in 1985 in Santa Barbara, California.
The creation of a large and intricate chalk painting may take hours or days to complete, only to be gone after the next rain. The artists will tell you that the process is more important than the finished piece and that spectators are a vital part of the performance as they view the work in various stages.
kerrvillechalk.org
We were amazed at the intricate detail displayed and patience required to create these sidewalk paintings.
Completed 3D chalk drawing
From the Chalk Festival we walked the bridge across the Guadalupe River to check out the River Festival. Unfortunately there was no shade, nowhere to sit, and nothing vendor-wise that appealed to us. We waited quite some time for the shuttle to take us back to the parking area but finally gave up and made our way back to the truck.
National Museum of the Pacific War
A few days later we drove into Fredericksburg to go to the National Museum of the Pacific War. We had attempted to visit the museum on our way though last year, but they were closed that day so we only saw the outside garden and displays. With better planning this time, we arrived at 2 p.m. and had 3 hours to explore before they closed. Even then, we still didn’t see everything.
Why a pacific war museum in Fredericksburg?
Far from the Pacific Ocean and the islands where much of World War II in the Pacific was fought, Fredericksburg, Texas seems an unlikely location for the National Museum of the Pacific War. The story of the Museum’s origin began here on Main Street in February 1885 when Chester William Nimitz was born. The National Museum of the Pacific War is a museum that was founded to honor Fredericksburg’s native son and Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces, Pacific Ocean Area.
pacificwarmuseum
What did we see?
In the George H.W. Bush Gallery, you’ll follow the war and its impacts, from Pearl Harbor to the Doolittle Raid and Midway, Guadalcanal to Tarawa, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Artifacts from the war, both large and small, shape the exhibits which feature ships and planes, weapons, helmets, and uniforms of those who served. The stories of powerful generals and every day people come together to tell the story of America’s leadership. perseverance and heroism across the Pacific Theater.
pacificwarmuseum
Entrance to the museum 
Map of the gallery
The museum is extremely well-done and deserves a visit if you are ever in the area.
Texas Wine Country
After wine tastings in California, Oregon, and Washington, it just seemed right to include Texas. So yes, we’re wine-ing again.
At the heart of Texas Wine Country is Fredericksburg and the Texas Hill Country AVA (American Viticultural Area), the second largest certified Viticultural Area in America with well over nine million acres. Inside this region are over 50 wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms producing some of the best vino that Texas has to offer.
Baron’s Creek Vineyards
For our first tasting, I selected Baron’s Creek Vineyards based on reviews, the beautiful grounds, and highly rated wines. Unfortunately we went on a Saturday when they were very busy with tours and other events. As a result, we were directed into their main building and seated on stools (no backs) at the end of a bar. The ambiance left a lot to be desired as the room was crowded and noisy. Although our server was attentive, the tasting size that she poured was tiny – not really enough to actually taste the wine. The charcuterie plate was very good (actually meant for 4 people) but didn’t include plates or utensils. Only one of the wines we tried was made with Texas grapes (most were California or Washington grown). All-in-all a disappointing experience.
Barons Creek Vineyards outside 
Barons Creek Tasting Room
Augusta Vin
Friends had told us that their favorite winery in the area was Augusta Vin, so, on a whim, we decided to stop there after leaving Barons Creek. They were unable to accommodate a tasting for us, but, instead directed us to the outside kitchen where we could order food and glasses of wine. For seating, we found a table on the lawn under an umbrella where we could people watch and listen to the live music. Add in a couple of glasses of wine, a chocolate truffle or two, and a shared slice of cheesecake for the ultimate relaxing Saturday afternoon. I almost forgot to mention that their wine is made with Texas grapes!
Augusta Vin
About a week and a half later, our friends (Ann and Lin) asked if we would like to join them for a VIP Production Tour at Augusta Vin. (You know we said yes, right?) At the winery, the 4 of us and another couple hopped into a special touring cart for a trip through the vineyard to the production facility. We viewed the crush pad, watched as boxes of fresh frozen grapes arrived, walked though the fermentation room and barrel room, and finished with a barrel tasting and standard wine tasting on the second floor of the tank room. Upon returning to the main building, we tried a few other vintages while sharing some snacks at one of the reserved tables. What a great time we all had!!
August Vin main building 
That’s a lot of bottles 
Loft 
View from the loft 
Production room 
Barrel room 
We’re ready for some wine tasting 
Private tasting room – set up for us
Pickleball, dinner, happy hours
What do those have in common? The answer is, more time with our friends – Ann and Lin Bishop. We first met Ann and Lin in Angelfire, New Mexico on a Pickleball court. Since then we’ve played PB with them in Nashville, San Antonio, and Kerrville. We managed a few games with them on this trip.
They kindly invited us up to their casita in Buckhorn Lake Resort for a couple of happy hours while we were here. One ended up in the dark when the power went out during a rain storm, but with candles and flashlights, we didn’t care.
In return, we wanted to take them out to dinner one night so they suggested Cafe at the Ridge, a family-oriented from-scratch restaurant with gift shop, bakery, and gardens. Of course, we had a great meal and great time!
Cafe at the Ridge 
Bill, Ann, and Lin
Headed home
Our 3 weeks here flew by. Suddenly it was time to say goodbye and continue our journey home. Just a a few more nights on the road.
