By R.V. Baugus
Another VenueConnect out of the way — albeit it a virtual conference — the Baugus family decided to celebrate by doing something we had not done since early December of last year: get the heck out of Dodge.
Along with our daughter, Charla, and her future husband, Blake, we left the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex on a crisp Sunday 
morning on November 1 to snake our way off the beaten path to head south for a relaxing getaway to the historic German town of Fredericksburg in the Hill Country of Texas. All the gear was packed with the new-normal additions of masks and hand sanitizer, for a vacation that we could only base how it would play out from our outings near home the previous 11 months.
Let’s just say that our wonderful bonding time together proved really no different as far as restaurants, shops and other establishments that we had been visiting throughout a pandemic which again is taking a steep turn for the worse in our country as far as cases and the strains on hospital rooms go. Masks were worn, social distancing was effectively practiced, sanitizer and hand soap was to be found everywhere.
Yet, just as in our outings at home, something seemed just a bit … off.
Ever been to Luckenbach? For those of you old enough, yep, it’s the “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” made famous in song by Waylon Jennings (“with Willie and Waylon and the boys”). Charla and Blake were newbies to Fredericksburg, which sits about five miles down Highway 290 west of Luckenbach, and like many who have heard the song likely expected a much more grandiose Luckenbach experience.
Nope, it is still the little general store chocked full of Luckenbach merchandise, parking space for motorcycles, cold beer served up longneck style, a rooster that rules the property, and a stage where beginning in the morning folks show up to just jam and croon western favorites before time-drifting crowds seated on picnic benches. Even while painting this picture for you, and hopefully it makes you want to go to Luckenbach, it was obvious this was not the Luckenbach of rip-roaring times. Granted, Monday afternoon impromptu jams are not the things of which crazy crowds are made, but still …
My father-in-law served in World War II aboard the naval minesweeper, USS Density. The bell of the Density is on display in Fredericksburg at the War of the Pacific Museum. Fredericksburg happens to be home to Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, commanding Allied air, land, and sea forces during World War II.
I always love going through the museum to show the bell displayed under glass to my guests, but such a visit would not be possible on this trip as the museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday for “deep sanitization cleaning.” I truly understand that and am grateful for the care they show for guests and their own staff, and it reminded me once again it is a sign of the times.
As we inch closer out of the 2020 abyss and toward a 2021 that honestly none of us can truly predict but only prepare the best for, the outing gave me pause to now look back on the beauty of our vacation and the memories made with family that will forever be cherished. It told me that it still IS possible to enjoy life even if it means some of the full availabilities and amenities that we always had will likely never show up again, or at least not for the foreseeable future.
Restaurants will continue to seat us six feet apart. Doors to any type of establishment will continue to have a “must wear mask to enter” sign affixed. Sanitizer can be found anywhere to your left and to your right. But the main thing is we do and can continue living as long as we smartly adhere to protocols to not endanger ourselves and those about us.
Lord only knows what another full and complete lockdown will do to our industry. We have suffered enough without sports, concerts, meetings, trade shows, plays, ballets, family shows, etc. We have been creative in bringing a mixed and unusual array of events to our venues that we would never have imagined this time last year. But even while doing that, we have seen our workforce decimated through layoffs and furloughs. It has been painful, to put it mildly.
Just as we were able to spend what counts most — time together — I encourage you to do the same. No, it won’t fix or cure what is currently ailing our country and our industry, but it still means that we are living life. And that, friends, is what we should all be doing.
