TRAVEL TALES

Young Chang

Lloyd and Shirley Aubert walked off the beaten path during a trip to

Texas early this month.

In love with the hill country areas of the state, they visited the

cities of Fredericksburg and Luckenbach during their four-day stay. On

the Fourth of July, the Corona del Mar couple watched a fireworks show

that compared in glitz to the annual celebrations at the Newport Dunes

Waterfront Resort.

“I’ve seen a lot of fireworks, and the Dunes is probably one of the

best you can find,” Lloyd Aubert said. “But the one in Texas I thought

was very good.”

The festivities lacked one longtime tradition though.

“Luckenbach -- that’s where Willie Nelson usually entertains on the

Fourth of July,” said Aubert, who works in the food processing business.

“But he didn’t this year. I guess this year he was tied up.”

Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson recorded the smash hit “Luckenbach,

Texas” in 1978.

A small town just five miles east of Fredericksburg, Luckenbach is

also the home of a post office founded in 1850, but little else.

“It’s a post office out in the middle of nowhere, and unless they’re

having a party or some sort of presentation, there isn’t anything else

out there,” Aubert said.

Fredericksburg, where the couple lodged, was livelier. Also a small

town founded by Germans about 150 years old, the city is lined with

churches and other buildings boasting historic architecture. Dotted with

shops and restaurants, the town is also known for its many

bed-and-breakfast venues.

“They’ve got a couple of beautiful, old churches that are lit up at

night. They’re just spectacular, the old architecture,” Aubert said.

Shirley Aubert calls it a “charming” town -- a little known place with

quality restaurants and people that are “terribly friendly.”

“The town is about 15,000 people, maybe 12,000,” said Shirley, a

wedding coordinator. “It was a fun little place.”

The couple also got a taste of vintage culture through Texan wines.

Fredericksburg and surrounding areas are being developed as the wine

country of Texas, Lloyd Aubert said, which surprised the tourists.

“You don’t think of Texas as being an area like Sonoma and Napa, but

there are several wineries out there,” said Aubert.

Becker Vineyards was a memorable stop. Owned by a doctor from San

Antonio, the vineyard is about 10 years old and full of tasty wines.

“The Texas wines cannot be brought into the state of California, but

it was very good,” Shirley said.

* Have you, or someone you know, gone on an interesting vacation

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