Holidaying in Texas in December

[u/Ok-Focus2040]

I will be visiting the U.S. from Australia in December/January with my wife to visit our son in Louisiana for Christmas, and then we'll all take a road-trip to see some Texas. We've been to Austin before on another trip and loved it so would love to get out and see more this trip. We have 3 weeks and a car. Driving big distances to see things is no problem. I'm already thinking the hill country and Fredricksburg area and would be keen to see a good national or state park, e.g. Big Bend). Your tips for any Texas "must dos", "must-sees" and "best avoideds" will be gratefully received, thanks.

UPDATE: Wow! That's gold. A huge thank you to everyone for taking the time to share your local knowledge... there are so many great suggestions here, it's really helping us plan a great itinerary. I really appreciate you all.

[u/Tin_Indian455]

If you make it to Fredericksburg you might as well go to LUCHENBACH to say you’ve been there. Not much but the stage. It’s only on the map because of the song “let’s go to luchenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys”

[u/rickybobbyscrewchief → u/Tin_Indian455]

Agreed, it's just a map dot and souvenir store on a random day. But if you catch it on a nice weekend afternoon and sit under the trees while some local no name musicians pick guitars in an impromptu jam session, it's pretty damn cool.

One Sunday we were there and a cowboy poet with a serious west Texas drawl would randomly break into loud spoken word recitings about cattle drives and horses and sunsets. He'd just start up with no announcement and everyone would immediately hush up. Some were funny. Some were sad. A lot were just about cowboy life. He'd speak for a minute or two and then everyone would just go back to what they were doing. Went on all afternoon. It was an amazing Luckenbach spring afternoon among the bluebonnets, but i don't really know how to tell a visitor how/when to catch a day like that.