You chose well!
Here's a few things to know during your stay...
LOCATION
We’re not being biased, but we’re pretty proud of our location too! We’re just a short 8-9 minute drive from Main Street, 15 minutes from the nearest HEB grocery store and a very short 2 minute drive to the nearest restaurant, Hill Top Café! The furthest Fredericksburg winery is a mere 28 minutes away on the opposite side of town. Our experienced shopper and winery-touring guests typically start out on the opposite side of town in the morning and work their way back to Legacy Ranch to end their day. We have experienced just about every place of business in and around Fredericksburg and have compiled a list of our favorites, when to go, what we suggest on the menu, etc. You’ll find those included in this helpful book as well…
SAFETY
Your safety is our first concern! Upon arriving, please immediately have your guests recognize the available exit doors and perhaps windows should that exit become necessary. It’s important to have your group establish an escape plan and meeting place in the event of a fire.
FIRE
Fire Extinguishers and Smoke Detectors are in all of our houses. Fire Extinguishers can be found under the kitchen sink. Our Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors are high-tech, sensitive, communicative and monitored. As you turn out a light, you may see the device glow which lets you know it’s working. They will test themselves and send us a report weekly, so you may hear a beep during your stay. Do not be alarmed. If the smoke/carbon monoxide detectors sound, it will tell you which room smoke or carbon monoxide is coming from and will alert us as well.
Due to droughts, dry grasses, brush and the risk of wildfires, we appreciate small burns only when allowed and in designated fire pits. **IF FIRE RISK IS HIGH, WE WILL NOTIFY YOU AHEAD OF YOUR CHECK-IN WHEN FIRES ARE PROHIBITED.** It is crucial that you and your party check anticipated weather, respect winds and even subtle breezes as the least suspecting embers can be carried a short distance which can spark a fire potentially resulting in catastrophic loss to both life and/or property. When starting a fire in the firepit, please always keep a hose on and nearby, ready to go should something go awry.
Fire extinguishers are also available on each level in all houses. Knowing where those are is key in case of fire. We are more than ten minutes away from the fire department and a lot can happen with a fire in ten very long minutes when it comes to an unexpected fire out of control.
FIRST AID
Life happens and sometimes you need a band-aid, an aspirin or tummy troubles appear. We have tucked some pretty comprehensively-stocked First Aid Kits under the kitchen sink of each of the houses. We hope you find what you need, but more importantly we hope you never need it!
When in doubt, call 911! ADDRESSES ARE (Log Cabin) 65 Wedding Way and (Barn House) 91 Wedding Way or go to the nearest Emergency Room located at 1020 S State Hwy 16, Fredericksburg, TX. To get there, go back to Main Street and turn right on Highway 16. It’s 1.1 miles south on your Right.
CRITTERS & CRAWLERS
Please note that you are in the Texas Hill Country and with that beautiful view, risk is present as well. We mow and maintain the areas we prefer our guests utilize.
Though a sighting of a snake hasn’t happened yet as of June 2018, we know the chance is there. We do have our fair share of scorpions and despite spraying, glue boards, utilizing door sweeps and weather stripping, they still make an appearance when we least expect it. Please take precautions by wearing shoes inside and always check/shake out your shoes before putting them on. Anything left on the floor may become fair game for a scorpion to climb onto or a potential unwelcomed souvenir to take home. Glue boards are all around the guest house(s) which are very good at trapping them. Should you see one anywhere else, please help keep the scorpion population down and kill it. They serve no positive purpose and though it’s incredibly rare, they deliver a painful sting.
Porch lights attract bugs and lots of them out here! Turn the lights out and enjoy the stars! Need more reason to turn off the porch lights? The staple diet of scorpions is other bugs, so it’s recommended all guests keep the porch lights off as much as possible. Please don’t be alarmed when you see lots of “pill bugs”, “doodlebugs”, etc. They love it here and for some reason, dozens to hundreds of them can be found on the porches and patios in the morning after the morning dew, typically in Spring. They are most prolific that time of year and begin to taper off towards the end of Summer.
Additionally, our great neighbors have some very large seemingly low-key majestic animals. You may be fortunate to spot anything from longhorns to cows, llamas to domestic cats. You’ll certainly see deer, perhaps wild turkey, a jackrabbit and an abundance of birds. Once again, we encourage you to stay on the areas and paths we maintain. Many people are unfamiliar with large animals and want to have their photo made with them or feed them. We cannot express enough how much we discourage this idea. It’s imperative that you and your group realize that a barbed wire fence is no match for a 2,200 pound eager bull or a heifer protecting her young calf from a new stranger. The fences have been very successful at keeping them on their side…please help us keep it that way by admiring and respecting them from afar. Legacy Ranch is not responsible for any injuries or deaths occurring from wild or domestic animals, snakes or insects on or near Legacy Ranch property.
FIREARMS & SHOOTING
Many people think Texas and guns go hand-in-hand. Some people think if you’re in the country, you can shoot it. Please refrain from this mindset on Legacy Ranch property. The discharging of firearms by guests on Legacy Ranch property is strictly prohibited. With the proximity of houses & people in/around them, other property owner’s animals as well as propane tanks and general safety, shooting is not allowed. Additionally, in or out of season, hunting of any kind is never allowed on or near Legacy Ranch property.
HEATING & COOLING
They say in Texas if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute! With that in mind, we always try to ensure our guests comfort level with Air Conditioning and Heating inside our guest houses. In excessive weather temperatures, both high or low, a 20 degree variance from outside temperatures compared to the inside temperatures is the industry standard. If it’s 100+ degrees outside, certain areas of the house may have a difficult time cooling below 80 degrees. With numerous people opening and closing exterior doors, the system(s) have to work even harder. We maintain our heating and cooling systems, but extreme temperatures and mechanical failure sometimes happens.
It is also important to note that A/C systems are not designed to operate within 24 hours of outside temperatures reaching 50° or below. Doing so makes A/C systems highly conducive to mechanical failure. If your guests are warm when outside temperatures are cool, we kindly ask that you simply open a window or a door for a few moments.
Wi-Fi & CABLE/SATELLITE
We have Wi-fi but you certainly don’t have to tell the kids about it and we’re happy to not give you the Wi-fi code if you would rather reconnect more as a family.
If you plan to watch TV, we offer a DVD selection in each of our guesthouses. Each house has a Blu-ray player and can play both Blu-ray as well as standard DVDs. We also have Amazon Firesticks which allow you to connect to Netflix and Hulu and others. Please do not log us out of our user log-in on the Firesticks.
Unfortunately at this time, none of our houses have cable or TV reception.
RESPECT FOR PROPERTY & GUEST CLEANLINESS EXPECTATION
The guesthouses on property are masterfully built authentic 100-200-year-old historic homes. We are very grateful for our guests who can appreciate the value and memory-making opportunities each guesthouse brings.
INCIDENCES OF DAMAGE & ASSOCIATED CLEANING FEES
As we’re certain you appreciate the preserved condition and cleanliness of the guesthouse you reserve, we’re also certain you appreciate our reasonable cleaning fees. Our cleaning professionals state it is very rare, but it is possible not every guest is as dignified as everyone else. For those situations, we have to let all guests know that any cleaning fees above and beyond normal use which may include but aren’t limited to use of glitter/confetti, guest-added tape/adhesives/tacks/pins/nails/hooks, disregard for cleaning dishes and cookware after use, excessive trash clean up in/around the guest house(s), or vomit/loss of bodily functions will incur an additional cleaning fee as follows:
- Glitter/Confetti clean-up: $50-200 depending on severity
- Tape/Adhesives/Tacks/Pins/Nails/Hooks: $500 clean-up & damage repair fee
- Cleaning kitchen $50-100 depending on severity
- Excessive trash clean up: $25-100 depending on severity
- Vomiting or Loss of Bodily Function: $150-300 per incident/location (Additional fees will be incurred if staining/permanent damage results from incident and/or cleaning process)
BATH AND BED LINEN CARE
Though we make a strong attempt to thoroughly clean and sanitize all bath and bed linens, there are times when stains from guest use cannot be removed.
We highly encourage all our guests to utilize the black washcloths we provide or your own disposable makeup remover towelettes to accomplish this endeavor other than our bath linens.
Additionally, bed linens have other opportunities to be stained via makeup, blood or other unmentionables. It is our experience that despite our best efforts, make up, blood & unmentionable stains often remain and render the linens unusable for the next guest. We appreciate your care in preventing these mishaps, but you’ll understand if we have to charge you to replace the permanently soiled linens as a result. All stained linens are treated for stains prior to laundering. Once it is determined the stain is permanent, all permanently stained laundered linens are donated to animal shelters. Your cost to replace permanently stained/missing linens is as follows: Bath towel: $15, Hand Towel: $10, Washcloth: $7, Standard Pillow Case: $20, King Pillow Case: $30, Fitted or Flat Sheet: $60, Comforter/Duvet: $150-200, Queen/King Quilt: $150, Mattress Cover: $30-60
EACH HOUSE TELLS A STORY
We were blessed with remarkable parents who left a great footprint on the earth. Legacy Ranch honors them and keeps their memories alive with our guesthouses.
Dr. Okerholm Loghaus honors Dr. Richard A. Okerholm, a Research Pharmacokinetist who was instrumental in the invention, science and development of drugs which have helped millions all around the world. His impact is felt far and wide with drugs you may be familiar with like Lipitor, Seldane, Mucinex, Sudafed, and Nicorette. Dr. Okerholm passed away November 2016 and was Erik’s father. Coincidentally, Dr. Okerholm was the first generation of his family born in the US after they emigrated from Sweden. They were dirt poor and Dr. Okerholm was the first in his family to go to college and certainly the first Doctor in the family.
Tributes and mementoes the Okerholm family has shared are plaques received from his career in medicine and photos from his childhood and his professional photo he used when he continued to work as a consultant for drug manufacturers. Other subtle touches can be found throughout the Log Cabin with an “O” in the wreath on the front door and the mirror above the fireplace. The Okerholm family crest was carefully researched by Dr. Okerholm in the 80’s and later painted by April Okerholm in 2018 where it hangs in the left bedroom of the Log Cabin. Though the Okerholm family purchased Legacy Ranch after Dr. Okerholm’s passing, we feel we received an unexpected earthly approval from him when Erik’s name (with a “k”) was discovered chinked out of a log during construction nearly 200 years ago and placed in the precise area we had planned to hang Dr. Okerholm’s mementos.
The Log Cabin is a Swedish-style dogtrot log cabin originally built in Tennessee in 1820, was moved and re-built on Legacy Ranch in 1998. The dogtrot was enclosed to provide the interior living area you see today. The outdoor cedar cross fencing was previously in use at the LBJ Ranch, purchased at auction and rebuilt here when the house was rebuilt. In 2020, the Log Cabin celebrated its 200th anniversary.
This historic log cabin hosts up to 6 in 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and a well-stocked small kitchen. Sleeping arrangements are made with 1 King size bed in one bedroom, 2 Queen size beds in the other bedroom.
N.K. Harper Barnhouse honors April Okerholm’s father-figure grandfather, a third generation Texan. Having worked and retired from Exxon while raising seven creative and active children was no easy feat. Nolan Kirbo Harper worked on the Alyeska Pipeline in Alaska the 1970’s braving brutal cold to provide for his family and propel him forward financially. An avid DIY architect, electrician, plumber, wood craftsman, photographer and so much more, he taught April everything he knew. The Barnhouse honors him through its impressive architecture, antique style electrical lighting, and general appreciation for wood craftsmanship. With thoughts of his passion of photography, it’s hard to take a bad photo in the barn!
Little details outlining Nolan Harper’s legacy are byway of an iron remnant piece of pipe which was used during the construction of the Alyeska pipeline in the shape of Alaska. Nolan took the photo of the snowy jobsite from the helicopter prior to landing and arriving for work in 1975. Near the barstools, you’ll find Nolan’s last pack of cigarettes he smoked framed carefully as a reminder to kick his smoking habit which hung in his bar at home throughout April’s life. Also hanging are photos of Nolan from his Army days, with his children and through April’s childhood. The coffee table offers a few informative books about Exxon and the Alyeska pipeline which were in the Harper family home.
The Barn was built in the 1890’s in Missouri as a functional 3-story barn complete with a drive-through tractor bay, live animals in barn stalls (now the 1st floor), a hay loft on the 3rd floor (now the 2nd story bedrooms loft) and storage in the basement (the barn is now on a concrete slab) and was relocated to Legacy Ranch in 2010.
The Barn hosts up to 6 with a living area, dining area, gaming area, full kitchen and beautiful bathroom downstairs. The huge privatized loft upstairs sleeps 6 in 3 King sized beds but can entertain (not sleep) more upon request.
Sieben Salthaus with its ability to comfortably sleep the Okerholm family of seven plus a few friends (10 total), this house is simply named for the Okerholm family of seven (Sieben is German for Seven) and because of the authentic Saltbox style of construction. You will likely find numerous Saltbox style houses in and around Fredericksburg as they were commonly built due to their simplicity and the New England style architecture. Built as an authentic Saltbox, the Sieben Salthaus was built on Legacy Ranch in 1998. Like the Dr. Okerholm Loghaus, it too, got its antique scalloped metal fencing from the LBJ Ranch.
True to honoring our family’s legacy, we found the Sieben Salthaus to be the perfect place for the Harper family piano. We hope your family and friends treasure and enjoy it as much as ours has since the early 80’s. Like our grandma said, “Wash your hands before playing the piano!” Please help us maintain its pristine condition and sound quality.
The Sieben Salthaus comfortably sleeps and entertains up to 10. Downstairs has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. The first bedroom has a King size bed while the adjoining room has a Queen size bed. Upstairs you’ll find 2 more bedrooms and a full bathroom. The first bedroom has 2 Queen size beds while the back bedroom has 3 adorable Twin beds.
More Coming Soon!
Bella Chateau is planned for Spring 2025 and its significance is ultimate refined elegance for a couple’s weekend getaway. Refined Hill Country Glam meets hints of a French Country aesthetic with ultimate privacy as it will be tucked in the back right corner of the property. This guest house will have a peek overlooking Legacy Chapel and will be the sweetest getaway for our newly wedded couples or those celebrating long-lasting love. Bella Chateau will luxuriously sleep up to 2-4.
Mrs. Okerholm’s Schoolhouse will honor Erik’s mother, Rita Okerholm, a elementary school teacher and reading specialist who passed away Christmas night 2017. She was the teacher everyone remembered with the utmost fondness and love. Mrs. Okerholm was the seed-planting inspiration behind Legacy Ranch upon her visit to the LBJ Ranch when she saw the schoolhouse there. At the front of the Legacy Ranch property, plans are in place to build an 1800’s style schoolhouse guesthouse. Complete with schoolhouse lighting, authentic slate chalkboard backsplash in the kitchen and a wood stove in the middle of the schoolhouse, this schoolhouse will be an incredible eye-candy, Pinterest-worthy experience! As we now host weddings on the property, the kitchen will be a culinary master’s playground with commercial, chef-grade appliances. Just like all of our guesthouses, no detail will be overlooked while comfort and designer detail will abound. It is our hope to unveil the finished schoolhouse in 2025 where it will sleep and entertain up to 6.
Mayor Bette’s Farmhouse will honor Bette Harper, the first woman mayor in Texas in 1955 at the age of 29 with two young children at the time. She was a pistol, beautiful, creative and sharp-witted. Having come from a poor East Texas family where she was born and raised in a farmhouse, she and her legacy will be honored here. She was April’s grandmother and N.K. Harper’s wife. Having received a double-dose of “You can do it!” and genetic creativity, this farmhouse will tell a little story of politics, strong-willed hell-bent Texas women mixed with Texas farmhouse charm. This house is planned to comfortably sleep up to 6. You and your group will be taken back to a day of Summer cotton curtains, homemade lemonade at noon and bourbon at night. Southern drawls and a little cussin’ are welcome.
Legacy Grove is presently a beautiful group of trees in front of the rusty pole barn and Sieben Salthaus. It was our plan for it to be transformed into a breathtaking outdoor chapel, taking special care in preserving the perfect aerial open keyhole shape in the opening of the trees which provides the ideal lighting and setting for a comfortable and meaningful wedding destination. Interest in renting the entire Legacy Ranch property is a constant. Ideal for weddings, vow renewals or meaningful events, Legacy Ranch can beautifully and comfortably host and entertain your closest friends and family for the weekend while the venue area can accommodate up to 100 for the day.
The additions of Bella Chateau, Mrs. Okerholm’s Schoolhouse and Mayor Bette’s Farmhouse will bring the overnight guest total capacity up to 36.