Austin Highlights

Tim and I flew back to Austin, Texas, last night, and Kitty met us at the door.  Do you think she missed us?  She wouldn’t leave our sides all evening and into the night.  Pat and Rich had taken wonderful care of her, but she seemed relieved to be reunited with us.  Her message was clear, however, “Don’t you ever do that again!”

We awoke to a beautiful morning and had plans to spend the day with Kevin, who had flown in from Portland, Oregon, and his friend Jeremy, who lives in Austin.  I had not seen Kevin since our jaunt through New England in September.  You might remember that Kevin joined me for the third week of the RV trip from Estes Park to Maine, just before Tim flew into Maine.  It seems that Kevin and I manage to get together about twice a year.

Jeremy was a delight, and his patience in negotiating a frustrating traffic jam in Austin was remarkable.  How were we supposed to remember that the Kite Festival was happening today in downtown Austin?  Jeremy made detour after detour, and we finally escaped the traffic and landed at Trudy’s for a late lunch.  What a great choice!  I had the Stuffed Avocado, which is the house specialty, and it was amazing.  Breaded avocado stuffed with spicy chicken and cheese and topped with a sour cream and green chile sauce.  Yum!

Stuffed Avocado

Jeremy took us to see some of the highlights of Austin, including SoCo, or South Congress Avenue, the hottest area in town with funky shops, restaurants and food trucks.  We also drove along Sixth Street and saw the bars and restaurants where you can listen to live music any day of the week.  Historic downtown Austin has been lovingly preserved and was active even on a Sunday afternoon.

Food Trucks on South Congress Avenue Are Wildly Popular

One of the Funky Shops in SoCo

I Was Almost Tempted to Stop and Shop

We made a swing by the State Capitol and were amazed to find the doors open at 4:00 pm on Sunday.  The capitol building is a beautiful structure, and its exterior walls are constructed of Texas pink granite.  Its dome is even taller than the U.S. Capitol, and the interior was well-worth a visit.

Texas State Capitol

A Beautiful Dome

The Rotunda

The Great Seal of Texas in Terrazzo on the Rotunda Floor

Our visit with Kevin and Jeremy was too short, but it was great to spend the day with them.  Our brief taste of what Austin has to offer left us wanting to come back for a longer visit.

Kevin and Jeremy

Tim and Sarah