Get Lost with Lisa

Step into a fairy tale, but stay within 5 minutes of reality.

Fredericksburg

With any town, there lays a history. And Fredericksburg is no different. The quaint and charming German-influenced town with a population of only 12,133 has a neat backstory of its own. Leader of German immigrants, The Baron von Meusebach, stopped here on his way to California. As it turned out, he fell in love with the Hill Country and made a contract with the local Native Americans, that if his group of immigrants could settle in the area, they would in turn provide them food if needed. Funnily enough, this fun historical tid-bit is not so different from how Barons Creekside began…

The Beginnings & The Owner

Established in 2006, owner Daniel is Swiss born and bred but has been a Texas resident for the past 20 years. His story is interesting  – not just how he came to be the proprietor of Baron’s Creekside, but also how he landed in Texas in the first place.

Having worked his entire adult life in Switzerland, up to the age of approximately 44, he is the inventor of the yogurt parfait in plastic cups. You know, the ones that have the fruit below the yogurt? Yeah, that was his idea. Needless to say, he made some profit from the sale of his invention and decided he wanted to do some out of the box things in his early retirement. So he began traveling the world and venturing off to the most difficult places to visit.

At some point, after his adventures drew to a close, he thought he might try a trip around the U.S. So he packed his bags and headed to California. His original plan was to drive from the Golden State all the way to Florida. Of course, Texas is on his way, so he made a stop over for the night in Killeen. Upon leaving the town, he spoke with a local resident who discovered he was from Switzerland.

“Oh, you gotta go to Fredericksburg – it’s German influenced.” The local’s advice sparked curiosity, albeit minor. Nevertheless, it was enough to encourage Daniel to drive the two hours south and check out the town. He roamed around in his vehicle touring the quaint town, and found a piece of land that had a sign out which read “Log cabin for rent”.  After staying the night, and delighting in the tranquility of the area, the idea came to him,

“What if I were to bring Switzerland here?” And then the dream become a reality.

The Creation of the Dream

Getting to see your dream fulfilled is one of those things in life that not everyone gets to experience – but Daniel has. With a 26-acre property that most people could only dream of, he has done so much with so beautiful a place. Having planted over 200 trees since the time he began building, the fairy tale-like ambiance outdoors and indoors is something I’ve rarely seen in my life. Though the Swiss log cabins are of course the most idyllic of all the lodgings, the other structures are just as quaint and cozy as the rest.

So how did Daniel “bring Switzerland” to Fredericksburg? He owned a farmhouse in Switzerland, and had it taken apart and shipped over to Texas. A pretty penny back in 2006, it was in the tens of thousands of dollars to get the dream started. But boy was it worth it, and the ROI was one that would pay off in time as well.

Reconstructing the pieces to create more than one log cabin wasn’t a simple task either – each one took roughly a year to build, but he managed to find the best crew in town and the results were exactly what he desired.

Today, the 11 Swiss log cabins each represent (and are named after) either a town or city in Switzerland – Zug being just a little bit closer to his heart than the others, as that is the town he’s from. That’s 11 Swiss log cabins, out of 20 total accommodations he has on site. Including “The Big House” which can host up to 8 guests at any given time.

And not only are each of the cabins named after a town or city in Switzerland, but the décor of each one has elements of that town as well.

The Natural Peace & Quiet

“I wish I could take the blood pressure of every guest that comes to stay with us before they arrive, and after they leave,” Daniel tells me as he pours my sparkling water. The view from the deck of his personal home, which is also a log cabin (of course), is incredible. His statement makes sense. Just looking at his backyard, brings you peace.  The only sound is that of the rustling of the trees in the spring breeze.

As we sit and chat, a deer is seen approaching the cabin, and he tells me she has a name, Hope. Just as I’m stunned at how calm she is staring at us from only a short distance, three more deer join her. The scene is something I’ve never witnessed before. Is this Bambi and his family? Where are Thumper and Flower?

Seen also from the patio is the tiny man made pond where three distinct ducks can be found daily bathing and quacking. The cabin I stayed in was, happily enough, the one with the most blue bonnets out front this year – making me feel extra special.

Each cabin is also far enough from the other that privacy is not a problem. There is nothing but quiet stillness all around, and the natural beauty that encompasses the property. You can almost here the fluttering of the butterflies that grace the flowers throughout the day – that’s just how quiet it is here.

And with each leaf of every tree, each butterfly that flitters, and every bee that buzzes I can appreciate the glorious hand of God in every detail of nature.

My Experience

From the moment my husband and I arrived at Barons Creek, we knew we were going to be staying someplace special. The vineyard itself gave a mighty impression as soon as we drove up to “The Club”. The lodging’s on-site bistro, where they offer an array of food and live music on the weekends is found at the top peek of the property and only higher than that is the water tower from which you can get some spectacular photos.

Daniel allowed us to go into several of the cabins that were vacant while were staying at Barons Creek to film and photograph.  Each one after the other impressed us more and more. What stood out to me most about each Swiss log cabin was the attention to detail in every single one. Whether it was the little nods to the respective towns and cities each one was named after, or the wood itself that was fashioned to create walls and roofs. The bathrooms were beautiful, the Jacuzzis inviting, and the views from each cabin terribly calming.

But of course, our cabin was my favorite. Probably because I found it the coziest, the most romantic, and the most private. Not that they all weren’t cozy, private or romantic – but I was exceptionally happy with ours, which was named Grindelwald. With a small flat screen TV in the living room, this might be the only thing that makes you realize you aren’t in the Swiss alps back in Heidi’s day. That and the fact that there no mountains outside the window.

The entire cabin has a late 1800s feel, with the modern conveniences of today that are subtly available. For example a large Jacuzzi tub, and Wi-Fi.

In our cabin, a portable stovetop was available in the kitchen, which we used, in addition to the grill outside as well. The living room was fully furnished with the aforementioned TV, a sofa, and a comfortable arm chair as well. With a classic fireplace, and skinned rug on the floor, the romance exuded from the main room as soon as we walked in.

The bedroom had a Queen size bed with two night stands, and an armoire, too. All of the lighting in the cabin was perfect for every corner and overhead that we needed. Firewood is available to purchase in case you do want to make a fire in the evening, and there is also a refrigerator large enough to store whatever food you might make or keep for yourself during your stay.

As I mentioned before, my favorite thing about staying here was the attention to detail in every facet of the cabins. One example of this, were the maple leaves inlayed into the floor of our cabin. Quite beautiful and incredible to see throughout the entire floor plan. The wood that was used to construct the cabin was just beautiful, and I really did feel like I was in Switzerland at times while staying here.

Other times, I felt like I was in Snow White’s cottage, and expecting the Seven Dwarfs to come knocking at the front door at any time. And speaking of the door –that thing was solid! Heavy, sturdy and secure, I had no fears we were locked in tight for the night while fast asleep in our cozy bedroom.

Overall, my experience here was magical, and I dare say one of the best I’ve ever had – not just in Texas, but around the world. Prices here at Barons Creek are in the hundreds per night, but well worth the cost. Just the serenity of sitting in classic wooden rocking chairs on a private deck while you listen to the ducks quacking off in the distance is enough to stay more than once here.

The Location & the Wine

You might think that because of how insanely quiet and serene this place is, you’re really far from the center of Fredericksburg. You would be wrong. The drive into the center of town is between 2-6 minutes – depending on traffic, ha-ha.

Ideally located so that if you feel like walking into town,  you probably could. But you would never know how close you are to the center, given how magically calm and peaceful the property is. Just one more reason to make this your next destination.  And if you’re wondering where Fredericksburg itself is on the map, let me help you out. It is in a strategic zone of the state of Texas. Just an hour and a half from the capital, Austin, and just over an hour from San Antonio, the town is perfect for those seeking a visit to the Hill Country.

And did I mention the wine? My husband and I originally planned our trip to Fredericksburg to do some wine tasting. The town is known not only  for its German influence, but also for its many, many wineries. We went to several over the four-day period we were in town, but none of the wines fared nearly as well in our opinion as Barons Creekside’s wine.  We opted for a bottle of the red and enjoyed it over two nights  and each time we drank it, we were consistently impressed.

Why Visit

So what are you waiting for? You know you want to go to one of the most relaxing places in all of Texas but also feel like you’re in a magical land. Click here to book your stay at Barons Creekside today  – just make sure that when you do, you let the Swiss Baron of Fredericksburg know that Lisa sent you!

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” – Romans 1:20