Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Actually, 'small town' doesn't describe it just right: Luckenbach is more like a cluster
of buildings than a town, and its permanent structures are outnumbered by the port-a-pot-
ties brought in to facilitate weekend visitors. The heart of the, er, action is the old trading
post established back in 1849 - now the
Luckenbach General Store
( 10am-9pm Mon-Sat, from
noon Sun)
, which also serves as the local post office, saloon and community center.
Despite the lack of amenities, there is a website where you can find the
music schedule
(
www.luckenbachtexas.com
)
. Sometimes the picking circle starts at 1pm, sometimes at
5pm. There are usually live-music events on the weekends in the old
dancehall
- a Texas
classic. The 4th of July and Labor Day weekends see a deluge of visitors for concerts.
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Luckenbach was made famous in a country
song by Waylon Jennings. But we figured you either already knew that or wouldn't really
care.
To get there from Fredericksburg, take US 290 east, then take FM 1376 south for about
3 miles.
THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG
A famous saying in Luckenbach goes something like this: 'We have discovered that, on the globe, Luckenbach is
at the center of the world.' And while today's casual visitor may question that logic over a cold beer and a lazy
afternoon, not so in 1977, when the town was at the center of the world - or at least the country-music world.
Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson's hit song 'Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)' stayed at num-
ber one on the country-music charts for nearly the entire summer.
What's odd about one of the most catchy country tunes ever recorded is that it was written by Bobby Emmons
and Chips Moman, two Nashville producers who'd never been to Luckenbach. Even Jennings couldn't say he'd
actually set foot in any one of the three buildings in town until the first and only time he made the trip, in 1997,
20 years after the song's original release. Still, 'Luckenbach, Texas' was and remains a well-loved tribute to the
Hill Country hamlet, partly because Nelson is a Texas fixture and has held his famous 4th of July Picnic here off
and on for years. Also, since Jennings' death in 2002, Luckenbach has thrown an annual mid-July tribute party to
the musician, giving the town's regulars (and its three permanent residents) one more reason to call Luckenbach
the center of the world.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Kerrville
POP 22,373
If Fredericksburg feels too fussy for you, Kerrville also makes a good base for exploring
the Hill Country. What it might lack in historic charm, it makes up for in size, offering
plenty of services for travelers as well as easy access to kayaking, canoeing and swim-
