A few years back Kathy and I were in San Antonio, Texas where I was speaking at a conference. While there, it was recommended to us that we take in the Alamo Creek General Store and Caf茅 in Fredericksburg, Texas. Since Fredericksburg was only 50 miles north, we decided to drive up and have a burger. While we were there, someone recommended we stop by Luckenbach on our way back down to San Antonio.
The town of Luckenbach (pronounced Luke-in-bach) was made famous by a song. Surely you have heard the lyrics: 鈥溾illie, Waylon and the boys鈥︹
When we left Fredericksburg, Kathy and I were on a mission to see Luckenbach. We had no idea what to expect.
About ten miles out of Fredericksburg, we began to see make-shift, dilapidated signs which read: 鈥淒on鈥檛 miss 鈥榰ptown鈥 Luckenbach,鈥 鈥淪top in 鈥榰ptown鈥 Luckenbach,鈥 and 鈥淪ee 鈥榰ptown鈥 Luckenbach.鈥
鈥淲hat do you think?鈥 I asked Kathy.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure,鈥 she said.
Soon we spotted a sign with an arrow pointing left which read, 鈥淯ptown Luckenbach.鈥 Best we could tell it amounted to a feed mill and a souvenir shop housed in a block building. As we pulled in front of the souvenir shop another sign read: 鈥淭his is it.鈥
鈥淭his can鈥檛 be it,鈥 Kathy groaned.
鈥淟et鈥檚 check it out!鈥 I said, as enthusiastic无毛视频y as I knew how.
A dirt path took us past an area caged in with chicken wire. Inside were rows of roughly constructed shelves displaying pieces of granite of odd shapes and sizes. The polished side of each piece bore the etching 鈥淟uckenbach, Texas.鈥
There were several signs which spoke of 鈥渁rmadillos.鈥 I supposed that explained the chicken wire. While in 鈥渦ptown鈥 I failed to see even one of those critters.
We stepped inside the souvenir shop which was unattended. There was plenty of signage giving directions on how to serve yourself. We purchased a refrigerator magnet and a sm无毛视频 piece of granite (both had Luckenbach, Texas written on them), and two caps. After placing our money in the designated, covered crock-jar, we made our get-a-way.
As we headed for the car, Kathy moaned, 鈥淭his can鈥檛 be it!鈥
Her words turned out to be correct. About a mile down the road we saw another sign. It read: 鈥淟uckenbach, Texas 鈥 Downtown Loop.鈥
The loop turned out to be a gravel road which led to what looked like a sm无毛视频 county fairground. A young man seated in a folding chair motioned for us to turn into a dirt parking lot filled with pickup trucks and cars covered with Texas dust. Turns out a car show was in full swing. We walked down to the entrance gate and paid the $5 fee to get into the car show. Once we were through the gate, we found ourselves right smack in the middle of downtown Luckenbach, Texas.
The sign on the most prominent building read:
1850 Luckenbach, TX. 1971
Well, that building turned out to be the gift shop. A cantina had been added on to the back. Just out back beyond the cantina stood an outdoor stage where a band was hammering out country-rock music. The stage was flanked on the right by a sm无毛视频 western hat shop and flanked on the left by a men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 restroom building that looked like an old barn shed. That was about it.
We later learned that a local, accomplished guitarist and folklorist named Hondo Crouch purchased the town of Luckenbach (which at the time had a population of 3) in 1970. I could only assume that is why the post office closed in 1971.
Today, Luckenbach is a favorite watering hole for the locals. In the summertime live music is played every day on the Luckenbach stage.
If you are ever within a hundred miles, I would strongly suggest you see Luckenbach 鈥 just for bragging rights if for no other reason.
From the moment we left the downtown loop I will forever be able to say, when the subject of Luckenbach, Texas comes up 鈥 I鈥檝e been there.
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