Caching in Fredericksburg, TX & HOT HOT HOT 5/4/2010

Today was our first full day in Fredericksburg so we headed into town this morning to do some caching and sightseeing. Our first few caches weren't anything special although the first one was interesting as it was on the front porch of another campground in town. Then it was some NRV caches under a light post skirt, in a small park in a tree, under a bridge in the same park, one in a tree in a parking lot of a local restaurant, in a bird feeder at the Welcome Center, a multi cache all in the front yard of a local rock shop, at a German restaurant, on a bench outside a local winery and at St Mary's Catholic Cemetery.

Then we stopped at the Marketplatz Square where there a park with several caches in it. The first cache was in some rocks that had a bunch of holes in them. Then we walked around looking at several of the attractions in the park. This Square, originally a two-block area which included what is now called the Courthouse Square, has been at the center of Fredericksburg since the city's founding in 1846. The area was still heavily forested when the town's Vereins Kirche was built in the center of Main street in 1847. The octagonal building served as a community church, meeting place, school, and refuge from possible Indian attacks. A county jail was built on the Square in 1852. In 1856 a public schoolhouse was constructed and the school classes moved out of the Vereins Kirche. In 1911 the schoolhouse was converted to serve as headquarters for the volunteer fire department. The Vereins Kirche, demolished in 1897, was reconstructed in 1934-35 as a pioneer memorial, serving as the county's first museum (1936) and library (1939). As part of its centennial celebration, the State of Texas erected a monument on Market Square in honor of Baron Ottfried Hans Freiherr Von Meusebach, whose colonization efforts led to the founding of Fredericksburg. Pioneer Garden was dedicated to the founders of Fredericksburg and also to other notable people in Gillespie County history. Several statues are found among the beautiful winding paths as you can see by the pictures. Then we did a 6 step virtual cache in the garden that had to do with the statues there. It certainly was a lovely small park and so nice to walk through. Another of the things we saw in the Square was the Vereins Kirche Museum. Located in the center of Marktplatz, Main Street this unique structure is one of Fredericksburg's best known landmarks and is in the heart of town. Vereinnss Kirche (German for "Society Church") is commonly called the Coffee Mill Church due to its unique structure. Information of the history of the "Society's Church" is entertaining and educational.

Then it was down the street to the National Museum of the Pacific War. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz was born in Fredericksburg so part of this museum is dedicated to him. The original home of the Museum, the unique Nimitz Steamboat Hotel, restored by the Foundation to its 1890 configuration, now overlooks a 6-acre campus. # Thick native limestone walls now enclose a memorial courtyard with over 1,200 commemorative plaques honoring individuals, units and ships that served in the Pacific Theater. Families, friends, shipmates and comrades in arms have provided the content of those plaques. The Memorial Courtyard stands as a unique testament to love, friendship, duty and memory. Here, public ceremonies on Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Pearl Harbor Day and throughout the year celebrate the profound gifts of freedom and security that the veterans of the Pacific War gave to the nation. A classic Japanese garden, a gift of the people of Japan to honor Admiral Nimitz for his wise administration and his respect for the Japanese people and their culture in the post-war years, provides an oasis for reflection. Ten granite monuments to the ten Presidents who served in World War II, and whose experience in the war shaped their leadership of the country, highlight the Plaza of the Presidents. The Pacific Combat Zone, an outdoor exhibit area and living history venue completed in 2001, offers visitors a deeper understanding of the cruel struggle that took place between Allied and Japanese forces on the Islands of the Pacific. Our cache was a 3 part puzzle cache on the grounds of the Museum and it was quite a lovely walking around the grounds looking for our information.

Our last stop was at the Gillespie County Jail of 1855. This two-story stone structure served as the fourth jail for Gillespie County, organized in 1848. It was constructed by the firm of C. F. Priess and Bro. in 1885. The ground floor housed a holding area and living quarters for the jailer. the second floor had two steelclad cells located against the east wall and maximum security cells in the center and at the back. The building was used as a county jail facility until 1939. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980

Then we drove back to the coach for the afternoon and had lunch. Boy it has been hot down here and supposed to be getting hotter. The temperature today was 90 and tomorrow it's supposed to be 95+. They also say all next week is supposed to be around 90 and they are already crying for rain as it as dry as a bone here. Well that's it for today so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick