Austin, Texas

You can find allot to do in Austin. Quite a fair amount, just in the category of music. And if you like music venues that sells alcohol, then Austin is the place for you! There are other, more culturally diverse things to do as well. But if you enjoy a bar scene, then you need to come to Austin. Let’s get to it!

So to illustrate a point, I placed this photo to the left, I felt it necessary to demonstrate the caliber of music you may be fortunate enough to witness in Austin. There is a bar/small concert venue in Austin named Austin City Limits. You might have heard of it as it has, for many years, been televised on everyone’s local PBS television station. Stevie Ray Vaughn, or SRV, played before the cameras in that very venue. Some of the most prominent artists in music have played to those very cameras. Not to say those concerts happen all the time, they certainly weren’t playing there during our visit, but with a little forethought and planning, you could be in Austin to see a great performance in a small venue and come back with some awesome memories. We were strolling along a street, in downtown Austin, and there was a little bar that had live music playing and the guitarist, for the band, since he had a wireless mike on, he came out onto the sidewalk and gave everyone walking by a blistering solo…while smoking a cigarette! That was a treat and completely unexpected! You just never know when you’re out adventuring what you’ll see.

So if someone said the name, Texas, to you, what imagery would that conjure? Well, I picture cattle, then cattle being cooked, slowly, with spices and herbs that only compliment what’s happening on that giant grill. I can raise my right hand, profess to whom or whatever, that I have had some of the BEST brisket that has ever seen a BBQ grill! Literally falling off the bone. Hold bone up, meat falls off. Nothing dry in any of the protein we ingested. Green beans good, mac and cheese good, in fact, there was only one complaint the majority of us had within our group. Unfortunately for us, the baked beans were bland and didn’t taste of much. That was just our consensus, I’m sure others who have eaten those baked beans completely enjoyed them, we did not. But, when you go to Terry Black’s, you aren’t showing up for the sides, you’re standing in that loooooooooooooooooooong line, moves rather swiftly I must say, enduring all sorts of heat related illnesses, it was 100 degrees when we were there, just inside the door there is a small bar where you can order a libation to cool off with as you get through the rest of the line. But once there, you’re there for the protein, the sides are a secondary issue. Get the brisket! When you start the meat sweats, you know you’re in a wonderful place!

The aftermath of a trip to Terry Black’s BBQ. Ribs, brisket, coleslaw…try it all!

So we were taken to an Austin mall. I don’t know what your standards are for a mall, and I try to avoid them like the plague, but this mall was a bit different. They say everything in Texas is bigger…and they’re not wrong. This mall was the first outdoor mall I’ve ever been to. If you weren’t in a shop, you were standing outside. The mall had 4 parking structures to it. The place was immense. My wife and I were with family and I treated us all to lunch. After walking in that 100 degree heat, going in and out of shops, mostly female preferred stores, our family treated my lovely bride and I to a trip to, The Yard.

So, this is a S’mores milkshake, lovingly created at The Yard in Austin, Texas. The garnishment,off to the side is a FULL sized S’mores, with 2 marshmallows between 2 full sized graham crackers, completely dipped in milk chocolate. I mean, why wouldn’t you have this masterpiece to consume?? Well, I shared with my wife so that I wouldn’t need insulin afterwards and we even got to keep the jars the milkshakes came in. There was a long sink that you could go and throw away any paper products, or plastic utensils away, and you could wash out your glassware to take with you as you walk back to one of the many parking structures you parked your vehicle in, still enjoying the sugar high from your milkshake, dreaming about the day that you’ll be back to The Yard for round two!

I’ve not hidden the fact that I enjoy a cigar now and again. It seems that when we travel, I seek out places that cater to that activity. The photo at the right is from the 2nd floor balcony of said hotel, where that hotel’s bar is located and on that balcony you can light up a stick and enjoy! The staff were very friendly but the service was a little on the slow side, and they weren’t busy, but personality more than made up for it. There is also a restaurant in this hotel called, The Roaring Fork. We did eat here, the food was fantastic, the service was timely and it was a great, bustling atmosphere. We also ate at a place called, Walton’s. Walton’s, as we had heard, is owned by Sandra Bullock, the actress. She apparently has a home there, in Austin, and we decided to eat at here establishment. It was awesome and we timed our visit perfectly. We arrived, waited in line to order behind a couple, we ordered, sat down, food was delivered to the table, then about a dozen people arrived. Place filled up and fast. The food was primarily sandwiches and wraps, a few salads and whatnot. The food was well prepared and tasted quite good. I certainly would recommend Walton’s to anyone experiencing gastric grumblings around lunch time!

Y’know, there is so much that I could talk about, share photos of and just inundate you with all sorts of info about the places we journeyed to in Texas. Texas has a special place in my heart, now that we’re been there, and I look forward to, earnestly, the time when we can get back and explore more of the people places therein. I truly hope you all can take a trip there and see what a great state it truly is. But I think, more than anything, the people make Texas…Texas. So personable, so lovely in their demeanor, I can’t say one bad thing about it. It has its problems, like any other state in the Union, but that doesn’t keep it from conducting itself in a kind, respectful, God-fearing and loving way.

Until we meet again, I’ll bid you adieu. This wraps-up Texas and next time I will have a new adventure to share with you. As always, take care of yourselves and each other. Be and travel well!