Samantha Brown's Places to Love

-There are destinations that are less a place and more a state of mind, where a fragrant carpet of glorious color spreads out and reminds us to stop being bullied by time.

It's a place of old pioneers.

[ Whip cracks ] And new pioneers who cherish the traditions, but know their own independence is key.

This is where hard work never skips a generation and where the beauty of the land soothes the soul.

This isn't just hill country.

This is Texas Hill Country.

I'm Samantha Brown, and I've traveled all over this world.

And I'm always looking to find the destinations, the experiences, and, most importantly, the people who make us feel like we're really a part of a place.

That's why I have a love of travel and why these are my places to love.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" is made possible by... -Europe is a treasure trove of fascinating history, rich culture, and renowned cities.

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You can discover more at AmaWaterways.com.

-"Away"... ...is the smell of fresh pine.

It's a place where giants still live.

"Away" is where the farther down the road you go, the closer you get to the ones you love.

Find your "away."

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-Texas Hill Country's got a lot going for it.

It is this beautiful, huge region of central and south Texas, bookended by two excellent cities -- Austin and San Antonio.

So this has always been a really popular weekend getaway, you know, for the city folk.

But I am here to see the wildflowers of Texas Hill Country.

I mean, this to me is bucket list because in the same way you go to Japan to see the cherry blossoms, and the same way I wanted to see the tulips in Amsterdam, I am here.

And I have timed it hopefully so that I will see fields of blue bonnets.

That's the Texas state flower.

The moment I see, like, more than five blue bonnets together in a field, I'm, like, pulling this over, brakes, column shift into park.

I'm getting out, and I am frolicking.

That's all I wanted to do.

I need to frolic in a fields of blue bonnets.

Some of the most charming things to stumble upon are the country schools of Gillespie County.

Each one of the 12 is different from the next, and all of them are on the National Register of Historic Places.

These one-room schools were built by the German immigrants who settled this area in the mid to late 1800s and believed strongly in public education for their children.

This is the Rheingold School.

It was built in 1900, but this isn't the first Rheingold school.

That is the first Rheingold School, built in 1873.

A cool thing to know about these schools is that a lot of them keep the door unlocked so you can walk right in and enjoy the inside.

Oh.

Oh, this is precious.

Grades one through eight were taught here.

Of course, just one teacher, and every child had to bring their own log to school so they could heat the school in the wood stove.

But these schools remain a real vital part of the community here.

As you can see, it's filled with tables, and that's because the community gathers here to play dominos.

They have meals together.

Weddings are held here.

So even though this is an historic building, it's still very much a part of the present here in Texas Hill Country.

And the most endearing story that was told to me about what happened in these schools when they were really used as schools was that the children were always taught English, but they were disciplined in German.

[ Speaks German ] - Oh, the wind blows through the meadow A river from on high Sighing down the mountain Rushing through the pines -Now, there are blue bonnet rules to follow -- no trespassing on private property, especially when you see signs with bullet holes.

Got to put me in a field of blue bonnets.

Here we go.

And be kind of the flowers.

Don't sit or walk on them.

Find the gaps to walk through, and then take your picture.

[ Camera shutter clicks ] Say a little thanks to these gifts and move on.

-In Texas, this is what it's all about.

Everybody gathers to the blue bonnets.

There are generations that have pictures of their pets, their children, their grandma.

-Every Texas child is plugged down in a field of blue bonnets, right?

-If you don't have a picture of a Texas blue bonnet around your children in the springtime, you may not be a Texan.

-[ Laughs ] -I'm John Thomas, and I'm a fourth generation Texas farmer.

-John is founder and president of Wildseed Farms.

It's the largest working wildflower farm in the United States with over 200 acres of cultivated fields.

Yep, those are all wildflowers.

I had no idea people like you existed.

I didn't know that people grew wildflowers.

I thought that wildflowers were wild and the streets, and you either saw 'em, or you didn't.

But here, you get to have a little bit more of consistency.

You can count on 'em here.

-We knew we were gonna have a good crop probably in December.

-And when you say crop, you're not going for the flowers.

You're going for the seeds.

-Oh, yeah.

As a rule of thumb, if we can harvest 30% to 40% of the total seed that's out here, we're doing well.

-Can I ask you a dumb question?

-Mm-hmm.

-What do you collect these seeds with?

What type of machinery?

Because these are delicate flowers with delicate pods.

And I see big, heavy farming equipment.

Is it just what usually collects?

-You have to understand.

This plant is a true annual.

This plant is gonna completely die in about a month.

These will be brown.

So you're really not running over delicate plants.

-Oh, okay.

-We're running over brown seed pods or gathering brown seed pods in the combine.

-So this has to be one of the most glorious sights I've ever seen.

Your heart swells, it really does, and it feels like a beating heart.

It's just beautiful.

-This is what people are after.

They want some dynamite color.

-Are poppies native to Texas?

-No, no.

This is red corn poppy.

And this is a poppy that commemorized the war dead and our veterans on Veteran's Day, you know the poppies that you put on the lapel for the remembrance?

-So there's no coincidence that you put this right on the highway where everyone passes.

-It's a pretty nice sign, isn't it?

-[ Laughs ] It's the color of brake lights.

-That's exactly right.

Somebody asked me the other day, "Why do you always plant your poppies next to the road?"

I said, "Well, it fills my parking lot up."

-[ Laughs ] -Wildseed Farms attracts more than 350,000 visitors a year.

Some leave with seeds, some with live plants, but they all leave with a newfound respect for these beautiful wildflowers.

-We say Texas puts on the largest flower show on earth.

And you've seen that.

You're driving miles and miles and miles and seeing big fields of flowers.

We just happen to have it in one spot.

-Wildseed is close to one of the prettiest towns in Texas Hill Country -- Fredericksburg.

There's a rural charm to many of its historic buildings, and it's a very popular tourist spot.

And even though it was founded in 1846 by German immigrants, it's also home to the National Museum of the Pacific War, which makes more sense when you know that Fredericksburg was the home of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the Commander of the Pacific Fleet in World War II.

But an old town steeped in history can still have some new and innovative tricks.

So in a span of five years, you got married, opened up a restaurant, and had three kids.

-In quick succession.

-[ Laughs ] -It's just hard to believe.

-Have you slept?

In five years?

-Nope.

-No?

Meet Evelyn and John Washburne, the owners of Otto's German Bistro, one of the newer restaurants in town.

-What did you want to accomplish by opening up a German bistro?

-You know, a lot of German food is misrepresented in the States, and so we just wanted to showcase the seasonality of it, the regionality of German cuisine, as well.

But still stay within the local Texas/German tradition.

-But we don't necessarily stay within the realm of Germany itself.

With John's travels, he's really been able to see how Germanic culture isn't just, you know, concentrated in one country.

It's scattered all over Europe.

-This is obviously bratwurst, right?

But this isn't just basic bratwurst.

There's a lot of work that goes into the meals here.

-That's my favorite dish just because there's so many different elements.

Making the sausages.

We grind all the meat in-house and just mix it with spices, and we have a different recipe every time.

And sometimes we'll do something a little bit out there.

Like, we have a curry bratwurst that we do with some Indian spices as a little homage to Berlin, Berlin street food.

-Mm-hmm.

How long does it take to make your sauerkraut?

-Maybe one or two weeks.

-One or two weeks?

-Yeah, the beauty of it is it's just cabbage and salt.

And time, you just wait.

You weigh it down.

-My mom, Elsie May, from Pennsylvania Dutch country, makes me -- For the last 40 years, she has made me pork chops and sauerkraut on my birthday.

My mom visits me and puts it in her suitcase to travel to make it for me so I can have it.

So for me, sauerkraut equals a mom's love.

Could Otto's be anywhere else?

Or did you really want it to be right here in Fredericksburg?

-It has to be here.

It fits really well in Fredericksburg with the Texas German tradition.

I think it just really found its place, and it worked out really well.

-It's been really interesting to see Fredericksburg evolve and change.

Because when I was little, it was just kind of a quiet town.

It's not like it is now with Main Street always just being abuzz, and all the wineries are definitely a new addition.

But, you know, at the end of the day, there's still that warmth, there's still that hospitality.

It's really fun to see young people moving back into the community and kind of keeping some of the traditions alive but also innovating and doing fun, new things.

What's harder, growing grapes or kids?

[ Laughs ] -It's gonna end up being kids.

-Depends on the day.

-And these are just two of 'em.

Where are your other two?

You don't know, do you?

-Climbing trees at the back is what they're doing.

-That's the good thing about this place.

We're never gonna lose 'em.

They can't really get out.

They don't shoot out in the street.

-I'm Carl Money, and I grow wine in the Texas Hill Country.

-Carl and his wife Frances own and run Pontotoc Vineyards.

Pontotoc is the town where the grapes are actually grown about 60 miles north of their home here in Fredericksburg.

This is quite the little gem you have here.

-I mean, there's people that come in here all the time that have lived in Fredericksburg their whole life.

They say, "I had no idea this was back here."

-I had no idea, yeah.

-'Cause you have this six-foot stone wall all the way around it, and you can't really see in it unless you get on your tippy toes or peek over.

That's what I wanted.

We wanted places very family- oriented and community-oriented where you could take your family here, sit on communal tables, really learn about grape growing and wine making and learn about what we have to offer here.

-Now, what are you known for?

With all the wineries of Texas Hill Country, and there's quite a few of them, and quite a few have tasting rooms right here on Main Street.

-Sure.

-What do people know Pontotoc for?

-It's very high quality Tempranillo wines, Tempranillo based wines.

-And the Tempranillo is the first grape you planted.

-It's the only grape I've ever planted.

-This is it?

-Yeah, yeah.

-You do one varietal?

-On my vineyard, I only plant Tempranillo, and I've only grown Tempranillo.

-And why is that?

-I think it's the best grape to grow in the Hill Country of Texas -- anywhere in Texas, but most importantly in the Hill Country of Texas.

I grew up on a farm, and then my family were small business owners, and they still are.

My parents, my dad's out here today.

They still own their own businesses, and I want my children to be a part of that where the know the value of money and have a strong work ethic.

They're getting it already, even at the young ages they are.

My oldest daughter, Harper, runs the cash register for us.

-How old is she?

-She's 7.

-7, okay.

-And then her and Ella, the 5-year-old, they hang out out front, and then -- on Saturdays, anyway.

And they get a quarter for anybody they bring in.

'Cause you got to bring 'em in through that wall, you know?

-You send your children out there to bring people in?

-That's right.

That's good.

-[ Laughs ] -And they're very good at it.

-Well, sure.

If I walk by and see a little kid come grab my hand, I'd be, like, "Yeah, sure, yeah."

-Why not?

No, they enjoy doing it, and it's fun.

People, I think, appreciate the family atmosphere here.

And they feel comfortable.

-It's a new day and time to hit the road again.

I'm making my way south from Fredericksburg to the city of New Braunfels, just 32 miles from San Antonio, and even though it's a part of the same metropolitan area, that's not the way it feels.

New Braunfels was the very first German colony in Texas.

German immigrants arrived here in 1845 while Texas was still an independent republic.

From here, the Germans moved on to found Fredericksburg and beyond.

So when people talk about Texas Hill Country as having a strong German identity, it all began right here.

-I'm Terri Cocanougher.

I'm a great, great, great, great, great granddaughter of one of the founders of New Braunfels, Texas, Pierre Marglin.

-Terri also owns and runs Ludwig and Marglin Leather, which has been here on this site for 80 years.

So this is one of those businesses that I am so delighted and surprised still exists.

I mean, this is the exact opposite of mass-produced in another country.

-That's true.

We do a little bit of production here, but for the most part, everything we do is something that somebody wants to make.

A family heirloom, a memory.

We make wallets.

We make gun holsters and scabbards.

-What's a scabbard?

-Oh, a scabbard is a holder for a knife.

We're starting to hand-make handbags because a lot of women want to pick their leathers, they want to pick the style.

So we do primarily just custom things.

-Chaps are one of those things that you always think, "Oh, I want to get a pair of chaps."

And then you realize, I don't live in Texas.

-They have such great practical purposes.

-Absolutely.

-But unless you're walking in the brush or riding a horse in the brush or something, you might not need them.

But then we've got he bandoleros for somebody who really wants to show off.

-Whoa.

-[ Laughs ] -So you put this over your shoulder?

-Yes, you wear it like a -- there you go.

Like that.

-Yeah.

-And usually they'll have two, they'll do an X.

-No one would mess with me.

-No, no.

-So this is absolutely terrifying.

[ Laughs ] I know what these are.

-People generally have the wrong concept about bullwhips.

They're not used on the cattle.

They're used to make a noise to move the cattle.

-Oh, okay.

-So you crack it around over their head, and it gets their attention, and they move.

-I have 4-year-old twins.

I'm gonna buy two of them.

-[ Laughs ] To tell you the truth, most of them are used these days in western reenactment, and we sell a lot to Las Vegas.

Our biggest distribution is in Las Vegas for western shows.

-Oh, really?

-And people really like to crack a whip.

It's just sort of a hobby thing.

[ Whip cracks ] [ Laughs ] -This is Opie.

He's 84, got a whip, and he knows how to use it.

-Turn around get really close.

-You want me to turn around?

[ Whip cracks ] I'm gonna keep my eyes on you, Opie.

-It won't reach that far, anyway.

Might reach some, but... [ Whip cracks ] -The German immigrants brought craftsmanship to the Texas Hill Country.

The German music, the German food is all interwoven in the Texas Hill Country along with the Hispanic culture.

It makes New Braunfels a beautiful place to be, that the cultures respect each other and that we love our heritage so much.

-If you were two doors down from the oldest bakery in Texas that had a 100-year-old strudel recipe, would you pass it by?

Me neither.

What time do I have to be here to get fresh strudel from the oven?

– Usually right when we open at 6: 30.

-What's the other time I have to be here to get hot strudel from the oven?

-[ Laughs ] -Naegelin's Bakery was founded in New Braunfels by Edward Naegelin Sr. in 1868.

The Naegelins and their children lived in the upstairs apartment and delivered their goods in a horsedrawn carriage.

Their descendants kept the bakery until 1980 when they sold it to the Granzin family.

Ross Granzin was just a kid at the time.

Now he and his brother run the place, and their kids are learning the business, which includes preserving the legacy of the Naegelin's signature pastry.

How much strudel do you go through in a day here?

-Oh, wow.

It's about two foot long.

It's probably 60 to 70 a day of just the apple.

We have cherry and peach, too.

-Did it just start as apple, and then you incorporated the other flavors?

-Yeah, 'cause people, "Hey, why don't you have cherry strudel or peach?"

I said, "Well, we can do that."

-Some German somewhere is going, "Cherry strudel?

What is that?"

It's an apple strudel.

Your strudel recipe is sort of guarded, a family secret, a 100-year amazing recipe that you cannot change.

-No, it's too good to change.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, we've been having that since forever.

Hey, Parker, bring me a strudel up here.

-Oh, my gosh.

-You think that'll work?

-Oh, my gosh.

Oh!

That's strudel.

And this is your son?

-This is my son, Parker.

-Hi.

How are you doing?

-Parker.

-Hi.

Nice to meet you.

Samantha.

So you're a part of the family business?

-Yes, ma'am.

-Do you come here before school?

-Yes.

-Like, what time?

-4:00.

– You come here at 4: 00 in the morning?

-Yes, ma'am.

-And then go to school?

-Yeah.

-Oh, dad, really?

-Make 'em tough.

[ Laughter ] -If you had a chance to eat strudel from a 100-year-old recipe, would you pass it up?

Me neither.

Within the city of New Braunfels is a district called Gruene, and the likes of Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, and the Dixie Chicks have all ventured here because this is the site of the oldest dance hall in Texas.

In 1975, you and your partner -- your now business partner, found Gruene Hall.

And you were just out of college.

You should have been thinking about your future, but you were really interested in this past.

Why?

-You know, the country music scene was flourishing here.

Redneck rock was a big deal, so it just all made sense.

-I'm Mary Jane Nalley, and I'm the queen of Gruene.

-So, Gruene Hall was built in 1868 at a time when this was a thriving little town.

As what?

As a dance hall?

-It was built as a social center, yes.

It was built as a dance hall.

It was the core of this 9,000-acre cotton community that Henry Gruene had started, and he had all these tenant farmers.

He needed a place for them to come on the weekends and hang out.

They go across and buy their stuff at the general store.

They'd spend the night across in the field, and they'd come and dance all night on Saturday night and wake up in the morning and have coffee off the stove in the back.

-So, one thing I'm really hoping happens tonight, Mary Jane, is that I get spun around the dance floor by a cowboy.

-Okay, we can do that.

-Right?

Is it improper to ask a cowboy to dance?

-It's not.

-Okay, so if I see a nice-looking gentleman in a cowboy hat, I can say, "Sir?"

-Yeah.

-Yeah, that's okay?

-You might want to check him out on the floor first to make sure he can dance.

-Okay.

[ Laughter ] -And do you like to dance?

-I love to dance.

-All right, well let's get in there.

-Okay, sounds good.

Let's go.

-All right, everybody, welcome to Gruene Hall.

Thank you so much for joining us tonight.

We're the Hot Club of Cow Town from Austin.

We want to just go ahead and get the party started.

-In a Texas dance hall, they spread cornmeal across the floor.

It makes the twirling of the ladies a little easier on the cowboys, right?

So I'm just gonna do this here.

Is this good?

is this a good amount?

A little more?

Oh, there we go, all right.

Okay, and we're ready to dance!

-One, two, three!

[ Country music playing ] She'd send me flowers and say our love is true Make it like you love me and say it like you do -There's just such excitement about Gruene Hall because this wasn't my upbringing.

And yet when you walk through the door, you feel like it is.

You feel like, I've been here.

There's a comfortability about it.

Why do you think it resonates with people so?

-I just think it's a place where you can be yourself.

You can let your hair down.

You can have a cold beer.

When you walk into this place, people talk about it all the time.

There's this feeling you get in Gruene Hall, and there's this intimacy that's created between the performer and the patrons.

And it's really symbiotic.

The artists feel it, too, and that's why they want to play here because they get to be close to the audience.

I mean, how many artists that are as big as these guys that play here now get to be that close to their audience?

Not very often.

And how, as a patron, do you get to be that close to a performer?

-Not very often.

-So that's what's really special about this place.

I go to the mountains Picking bluebells and mountain columbine -So I was watching you out on the dance floor.

You're really impressive.

-Whoo!

-[ Chuckles ] -How long have you been dancing?

-Basically all my life.

I grew up in a family of people that loved to dance.

And I just love it.

Every heartache we have in life, and every challenge and every joy you can bring it, you dance it.

-[ Laughs ] -And I'm careful about people.

I'm very alert about where people are.

Once in a while, I grab some part of a person I didn't want to grab, but you just go, "Whoops!"

-[ Laughs ] -And you get your hands away.

-That's it.

Okay.

I'm going in.

Don't you know I loved you so long ago Brighter than the sunshine and purer than the snow -People in the Texas Hill Country know how to have a good time.

They like to have a cold beer.

They like to get on the river and tube.

They like to dance till their boots fall off.

-You can count on a Hill Country Texan being honest and being fun to be around.

-They respect the old ways, and they would like for everyone to see them and enjoy them.

It's a very happy place to be.

-It's like walking back in time, but now it's really changing.

There's a new dynamic here with the younger folks coming in and really making businesses and raising a family here.

-And they're glad you're here because they're glad they're here.

Gone to the mountains -When you drink a cold beer after dancing with a gentleman, when being in the presence of flowers makes your heart and cowgirl boots skip, when you enjoy the craftwork established by the area's first settlers, that is when we share a love of travel, and that's why Texas Hill Country is a place to love.

[ Cheers and applause ] For more information about this and other episodes, extra scenes, or links to follow me on social media, log on to placestolove.com.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" was made possible by... -"Away"... ...is the smell of fresh pine.

It's a place where giants still live.

"Away" is where the farther down the road you go, the closer you get to the ones you love.

Find your "Away."

GoRVing.com.

-Europe is a treasure trove of fascinating history, rich culture, and renowned cities.

AmaWaterways River Cruises offers a way to see all this wonder in person.

You can discover more at AmaWaterways.com.