Last weekend we headed to our favorite place for B’s birthday: the Texas Hill Country. If you’ve been around here long enough you’ll remember that we used to live there and in the 14 years since we’ve left it has exploded into Wine Country. Fredericksburg, Texas has so many wineries, quaint Airbnb’s and the sweetest little mainstreet area, so it’s just a fun getaway for us. We’ve never been in June so we were afraid of the heat but it actually wasn’t too bad at all! (Hence my strapless dresses / tops.) If we were outside we were in the shade or we were in A/C most of the time. If you haven’t made it down the Hill Country, take this as your sign.
What I Packed
So I overpacked, as I do, because I like options and I never know how I’m going to feel when I actually get there. Plus I don’t care. I have a rule for travel — if you can carry it, you can bring it. And since we were driving, boy could I carry everything. I ended up bringing all of this:
and I ended up wearing only a few of those things:
I didn’t mean to only wear my neutrals but that is how it ended up! So let’s get to the outfits!
Travel Day + Lunch:
(similar) Madewell Linen Top + Quince Poplin Shorts + J.Crew Tote
To the Winery:
Quince Strapless Linen Top + Quince Poplin Maxi Skirt + Clare V. Crossbody + Aire Sunglasses
(Notes: Yes I did wear a strapless bra most of the weekend and yes I was ready for a normal bra by Monday, but I love this aesthetic right now. The strapless top or dress is so chic and nice and cool for summer. Plus it was such a different look / vibe than the other styles I saw on the street, and you know I love to be just a bit different.)
To Dinner + Wine Bar:
Quince Strapless Linen Top + Gap High Waist Linen Shorts + J.Crew Faux Raffia Bag
(Notes: Fredericksburg is pretty casual so I did a quick change to these tailored shorts and loved how this outfit turned out! It was chic but still comfortable, as we sat out at a patio and enjoyed dinner and live music. Can’t recommend this top enough, to be honest. It’s loose, breathable and doesn’t slip. Plus it pairs nicely with these linen blend shorts from Gap, almost an identical pairing.)
To Wineries:
J.Crew Mixed Media Dress + J.Crew Mesh Espedrilles + J.Crew Tote
(Note: I canNOT recommend this dress enough. Get it in the cream or the black, but get it. It’s gorgeous, it’s flowy and it’s comfortable. It miraculously stayed up all day long — and I mean all day. I wore this from 10 am to 10 pm and besides my strapless bra screaming at me by 8 pm, this dress was a dream. It’s lightweight but feels high quality. It’s on sale right now too – $50 off! Oh and the espadrilles are super comfortable as well! The only thing is they’re tight around the elastic when you first get them and you’ve got to stretch them for comfort. I put those padded blister band aids on my ankles for a precaution and it was perfect, I could walk and wear them all day no pain with the pads.)
Coffee + Travel Day:
Gap Tee + Quince Poplin Shorts + J.Crew Tote + AB Hat
(Notes: my very favorite tee right now. It’s from Gap and it’s under $30 for a really nice cotton tee. It does shrink up in length a bit (I even hung to dry) so keep that in mind but it’s gorgeous and fits well, feels cooling and just looks luxe. Also these poplin shorts are never coming off. )
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What We Did
If you’re wondering WHERE we went, I’ve got you covered too!
We stayed at The Roadrunner Inn which has been a favorite of ours for years. It’s a hidden gem, so gatekeeper this after I tell you. It’s above a store on mainstreet and you can walk anywhere, it’s roomy, comfortable and dark at night (I’m a light sensitive sleeper!) Absolutely recommend. However, there are a million AirBnBs and most of them are amazing, too. You can’t go wrong.
We ate at Hill & Vine, Vaudeville Bistro, Fredericksburg Brunch Co, Caliche Coffee and Hondo’s. Highly recommend all of them, but we saw so many new restaurants that we want to try next time!
As far as wineries go we have a few favorites we love to hit up: Heath Sparkling Wine is top-tier as is Jenblossom Cellars at Grape Creek Vineyards. All three are recommended if you want a one stop shop. We tried William Chris Vineyards this time and we were so impressed and the property is beautiful, laid back and just overall so pleasant. No snobby people, just good hill country vibes. And for the experience and the aesthetics, we love Signor Vineyards. I would say their wine isn’t the best but I love how beautiful the property is and we enjoyed the charcuterie experience (highly recommend!) inside on a hot day. Again there are SO many wineries but these are a few of our favorites.
In town we like to grab a glass of wine after hours at Lincoln Street Wine Bar (blocks from the airbnb!) and Six Twists, it’s a champagne place and it’s kinda weird vibes inside but it’s a nice, quiet place where you can sit for ours just sipping and no one really bothers you. Everyone is SO nice and it’s champagne so any weird 00s kitschy decor is fine with me.
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Hope this post was as fun to read as it was to put together! xx – kendi
2 Responses
You look so dazzling and splendid in this dress, Kendi. If I were given the choice, I would choose the cream color. Because cream is both melting and creamy. It’s like snow when it flirts with the sun: one melts upon contact with the other. In fact, that’s why this sublime dress remained blissful all day. By the way, if I were in her shoes, I would have thrown away that embarrassing strapless bra after the first minute.
I hope this comment was as fun to read as it was to write!
xx-Fathi
Love that you’re an overpacker too! Every other blog or IG post lately is ladies bragging about how they fit everything they needed for a 10 day getaway in 1 carry-on. it’s impossible!