Destination: Luckenbach, TX.

I wasn't going to write a big, long post on Luckenbach, TX.  But it may very well turn into that because I must fill you in on this gem of a tiny town. We went to Fredricksburg because so many people said it was a cute and quaint place to visit. And it was. But what they didn't tell me, was that I would LOVE Luckenbach TX even more.

Picture this,
You pull into a long dirt road that opens up into something out of a small town country setting. You see a large group of bikers parked to one side. The bikers seemed to have taken one section of the picnic table area for there pit stop meet-up. Their leather vests and facial hair screamed, "Scary biker dudes" but having a former Bike Club boyfriend, (yes Ty was in a bike club), I know that this look is just that. Some of the nicest guys I knew were part of these clubs. Not to say they weren't tough, the contrary, but they also were good people. And if you watched this group of bikers closely, you would notice that they too laughed and smiled just like regular folks. There were a few old looking buildings here and there. One most recognizably the infamous "Post Office" which wasn't a post office at all anymore, but now a bar. And probably the coolest one I've been to in a long while. On the otherside were covered stages where musicians performed on most nights. Some of these stage's sides were covered with license plates from around the country. Chickens ran freely as a crowd of folks mingled and listened to the live music. I don't think I saw one person there who wasn't wearing cowboy boots or hat. The southern accents filled my ears and I felt strangely, at home. Never setting foot in Texas before, I found this peculiar. Nonetheless, I felt like I could visit here often. I felt welcome. I could see spending nights here, getting to know the locals and drinking Texas beer, even though beer isn't my drink of choice, Texas beer just seemed cool to drink.

On the backside of the Post Office, the side that had an order window which was only used for ordering beer,  was a group of food trucks. And beyond that, 2 or 3 fire pits with stone seating all around. If you wanted to wander further, you could cross the bridge and field to see the river or let the kids run around in the field.

We wanted to grab one of those "cool" Texas beers and so we made our way into the "Post Office".  The collage filled walls were a story. Anywhere you looked, you could see bits and pieces of history. I couldn't help but take a long hard look around.
A big ole sign read, "CASH ONLY" and I nudged Ty. We never have cash. "Anywhere we can get cash around here?" Ty asked not expecting the answer to be yes.
"Right around the corner outside here, ya'll will see a big box." the bartender with a friendly face replied.
Confused but not asking questions, we ventured around the corner. Sure enough, there stood a big wooden box that looked more like an outhouse than an ATM. One might have thought otherwise if it weren't for the sign on the front of it: ATM. Ty opened the door and ta-dahhh! An out of place, shiny ATM appeared. And thank God because I was dying for a drink. Upon returning inside, I looked at the menu quizzical. I am not a beer drinker and with the only wine option being a cheap chardonnay, I thought I'd skip the inevitable cheap-wine-headache and try a beer. Ty offered me a sip of his IPA. After nearly spitting that out, the bar tender suggested a Texas beer that they just got in. And she was right, it was just perfect.

We sat down and listened to some live music. Someone resembling the voice of Chris Stapleton was singing. Just my luck since Chris Stapleton is a favorite of mine. Scarlett made friends with a dog and was busy teaching him tricks while Maxwell watched from the side, Buzz Lightyear hanging from his hand. The older couple that the dog belonged to seemed thrilled to be showing off their well-trained dog. As if they were proud grandparents, showing off their first-born grandchild.  I just sat on that wooden table and let the sun pour over my body. The guitar strumming just seemed to brush away any worry I had.

Across the way sat a Cowboy Hat Shop. Hats and old wagon wheels decorated the inside and outside of the small shop with no doors. Two older gentlemen in cowboy hats sat on the bench in front of the hat Shop chatting small talk. I eavesdropped just to hear the words "cattle" and "ranch" spoken in a country dialect. The biker next to us wearing a leather vest and some serious muscle hanging out, was chatting with others. His smile was infectious. The kids laughed and pointed at the chicken that had somehow managed to get stuck in a nearby tree. The joke of the day...."chicken butt." (you'll understand this when you scroll through the photos below.) Scarlett requested a photo with the chicken in the tree. Of course.

Now THIS...this is something that, without even knowing it, I had spent a long time looking for. The peaceful embrace of a small-town vibe. I bet many of you don't know that I came from a tiny small town in Massachusetts myself. Not as tiny as Luckenbach, TX, but just the same, a small town.

We spent the whole afternoon here. We ended our day by the fire pits and by that time, the place had started to clear out. Another musician was playing at sunset and I suspected that the daytime crew was heading out before the nightlife began. We made the peaceful trip back home. Hill Country in Texas is amazing. Something I didn't expect but have found myself obsessed with. If you are ever in Texas, do yourself a favor a visit this small humble spot. It might be exactly what you didn't know you needed ;)