Settlers Crossing, Fredericksburg, Texas

Ever wondered what it was like for German settlers on the American frontier in the 19th century? You and your clan can spend the weekend in your own "Little Haus on the Prairie" at Settlers Crossing, a 35-acre tract located in the rolling countryside between Luckenbach and Fredericksburg. Dotted by log cabins, mesquite trees, and friendly farm animals, this is easily the best family-oriented B&B in the Hill Country.

Of course, the German settlers didn't have access to a Jacuzzi---a feature of the luxurious Von Heinrich Home, one of four guest houses on the estate of hosts David and Judy Bland. The structures are close enough to one another to be convenient for groups or family reunions, but far enough apart to allow for private getaways.

The Pioneer Homestead, a stone-and-log cabin original to the property, was constructed in the 1850s by the Kusenberger family, German immigrants who were among Fredericksburg's first settlers. The modern appliances in the full kitchen of the two-bedroom house are skillfully tucked away to preserve a feeling of authenticity. The most striking feature is a robin's-egg-blue stenciled ceiling, painted when the house was built. Also original to the grounds, the Baag Farm House was built in the 1920s as a wedding gift for a Kusenberger descendant. The simple, blue wood-frame house has a wood-burning stove and antique dining room table that seats eight.

Outside the Indiana House, you may well encounter bleating sheep, grazing goats, and braying donkeys, who like to approach the split-rail fence surrounding the house. The log cabin was built in the Hoosier state in 1849 and transported to Settlers Common by the Blands. The mood of the living room is set by an antique camelback sofa; the high-ceiling master bedroom features a queen-size, four-poster bed with acorn finials. The hosts live in a nearby three-story house imported from Kentucky.

But the most remarkable guest home on the property is the Von Heinrich Home, a two-story German fachwerk cottage built in Pennsylvania in 1787. Inside is an outstanding collection of 19th-century folk art, including an antique horse sculpture and an old hooked rug over the fireplace.

Location: Settlers Crossing Rd., Fredericksburg

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