Things To Do

There is simply so much to do and see while staying in Fredericksburg Texas, no wonder they call it the seven day weekend!

Historic sites, outdoor recreation, Hill Country wines and cuisine, arts and antiques, museums, architecture, scenic beauty, festivals and events, day spas, shopping, golf and tennis, Texas music and so much more!

Fredericksburg is the home to a never-ending array of events and festivals. Wildflower Trail, Night in Old Fredericksburg, Oktoberfest, Texas Mesquite Art Festival, Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest, Texas Hill Country Christmas Regional Lighting Trail just to name a few. And of course, how about the fun and frolic of a summer time County Fair. Complete with games, rides, dances, cotton candy, corn dogs and pari-mutuel horse racing. The fairs are hosted several times each summer directly across the street from the Cotton Gin Restaurant & Lodging.

With over 150 shops, galleries, boutiques and emporiums, shopping remains one of the primary reasons visitors come to Fredericksburg. Many of the shops are concentrated on and off Main Street in the nine-block area from Elk Street on the east to Bowie on the west. However, other shopping opportunities can be discovered around every corner in town and along major highways leading into Fredericksburg.

Love to poke around in antique shops looking for “the find?” Numerous independent antique dealers call Fredericksburg home, as well as several antique malls. So be sure to schedule enough time on your Fredericksburg trip to explore them all! Whether it is an early Texas primitive or a European masterpiece you are looking for, Fredericksburg antique dealers can help locate that perfect piece for you.
The Texas Hill Country area around Fredericksburg is also home to a growing number of nationally recognized artists and craftsmen. Art galleries throughout town represent work ranging from pottery to oil paintings to bronzes to jewelry to finely crafted furniture to architectural art glass.

If you choose to truly pamper your self while staying in Fredericksburg, you may want to partake of the many spas in the area. Massage therapy, facials, relaxation treatments and saunas are just a few of the many services offered. For the ultimate in pampering the Cotton Gin Restaurant can arrange for a massage therapist to visit you in your personal cabin while staying with us.

The Texas Hill Country is nearly paradise for those who love the outdoors. Opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, road cycling, mountain biking, volkssporting, fishing, birding, golf, horseback riding and hunting bring folks from across Texas and the U.S. to experience the rugged beauty and therapeutic peace of the Texas Hill Country first hand.

Springtime brings with it a natural feast for the senses in the form of abundant wild flowers. Roadsides and fields are covered with Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush wild flowers as far as the eye can see. A trip around the Willow City loop will leave you with fond Hill Country memories of fragrance and stunning color. A visit to the nations largest wild flower seed farm in Fredericksburg will allow you to take a bit of the Hill Country home with you.

Ten state parks and natural areas are located in the region around Fredericksburg. Whether it’s watching the summer evening emergence of over one million Mexican free-tail bats at the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area or rappelling down the sheer face of a granite boulder at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area or viewing colorful fall foliage at Lost Maples State Natural Area, the Texas Hill Country is sure to cure those uptight, urban blues. As Texas recording artist Pat Green sings, “Everybody needs a little bit of Hill Country . . .”

Just down the road from Fredericksburg is the little town of Luckenbach. Complete with general store, dance hall and bar, this is the town Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings made famous with their song “Luckenbach Texas”.

There are several vineyards and wineries located around Fredericksburg that offer tours and tastings. Becker Vineyards, Bell Mountain Winery, Chisholm Trail Winery and Grape Creek Vineyards are just a few that are within a short drive from the Cotton Gin Restaurant & Lodging. Many of these establishments are now producing some world class wines. If you prefer to travel in comfort around the different vineyards perhaps a guided tour by coach or an aerial view from a hot air balloon is in order.

Aviation pilots will be happy to learn that the Cotton Gin Restaurant & Lodging offers a free shuttle service to and from the Gillespie County airport for lodging guests and dinner dining guests.
Fredericksburg’s central location in the Texas Hill Country makes a great “home camp.” What could be nicer than an exhilarating day of hiking or biking and then a relaxing evening in Fredericksburg with some Hill Country wine, a tantalizing meal and some live Texas music?

All this and more is waiting for you, when you stay at the Cotton Gin Restaurant & Lodging in the beautiful Texas Hill Country!