Sat Mar 15th - Back to Gruene and Salt Lick

Sat Mar 15th -  Back to Gruene and Salt Lick

Pete Anderson and band

Today was one of those days that are a gift out of nowhere. We knew it was supposed to be cool and maybe some rain so as a group we decided that an indoor free concert we had seen advertised at Gruene Music Hall would be a good option. So we piled into the truck and off we went. When we arrived it was a bit cloudy and threatening rain, but undaunted we managed to find parking. The first challenge complete we donned our macks and headed into the crowded street of the village. There happened to be a wonder craft fair on, so after a coffee at the Gruene coffee shop (THE best coffee EVER!!) we wandered around. The fair was great... unusual items and all local artisans... genuine, and not the 'same old, same old" jewelry and scarves!! There were wood products, jams, nuts, pottery and other wonderful items. After a couple of purchases we headed to the Music Hall (anyone interested in seeing the history etc of this hall go to Gruenehall.com ) It is a unique experience, but if you go, don't expect plush and orderly... it is like a huge honky-tonk type venue with wooden benches and lots of beer flowing.. even smoking allowed in the hall (for how long?.. who knows!!) But if you ever get the chance... don't miss this piece of Texas music history. The two performers we saw today were talented, but the second guy (Pete Anderson) and his band were great, foot-tapping fun. 

After a couple of iced waters (yes we actually did have that), we had one last walk through the town, including a quick snack at a german style beer garden.... (not Gruene's shining star!!!)  and a wander through the general store. It was time to figure out the next phase of our day, and considering the sun was shining and it was a lovely late afternoon, we figured the Salt Lick BBQ would be in order (we were all still a but hungry).

The Salt Lick is a Texas institution and has quite a unique story.. it is the most 'typical' Texas BBQ you will find in the Austin area... but if you go, go to the Driftwood location (  https://www.saltlickbbq.com/pages/Driftwood.html ) which is the original location... so cool, and you can BYOB. We forgot, but at only $12 for a bucket of six Shiner Bock beers, we were happy. The only problem (if you have read my previous posting) is that Saturday night is hugely busy there (remember they cook up 3000 lbs of brisket alone on a weekend night). Also a warm evening in March break added up to about 11/2 hour wait, if we wanted to eat inside.  We decided inside-eating was advisable considering the mosquitoes that were gathering to invade. But we were happy listening to the live music, drinking a beer and chatting to people around us. Once inside, the meal did not disappoint. Of course we were given enough food to feed a battalion and left-overs are on the horizon for tomorrow!!! Feeling like we would explode, we happily tested the springs on the truck and headed back to camp. Another terrific day and a gem of a surprise, considering the spontaneity of everything we did today.

 

Fri Mar 14 - San Antonio

Story of Gruene Hall

Fri Mar 14 - San Antonio 
Busy busy busy... off we go again.. reasonably early start for the drive to San Antonio. We stopped at Camping world in New Bruenfels on the way there to see if we could get a part for the BBQ.. no luck but a nice stop anyway. On to Gruene to see the old wooden music hall and a quick walk through town. We had forgotten how great this little village is... wanna come back soon. Free concert on Saturday!!!

Showing off Tickets to Leon Russell (Mar28)

Inside Gruene Hall

River Walk - crowds

Before the crowds arrive.

Mozies -Sliders, Dogs and Whiskey (on the sign)

Remember the Alamo... charge!!!!!

On to San Antonio. 
Nice sunny day and March Break equals crowds. Parking was a challenge and The Alamo was lined up for a block or so, and not being the type of people who like lining up, we decided to do the River Walk first... again crowds of people which made the stroll along the walk more like an elbow-fest.  But we enjoyed it nonetheless, and had a great lunch at an Irish pub, outside, while watching the crowds go by.

Good friends are special!!

We then took a buggy ride through town (thx guys). The driver (Jessie) and horse (Katie) were a great team and we learned a little more about some of the buildings and recent history of San Antonio. 

Lunch at the pub - Fish 'n chips anyone?

Thanks for the memories!!

Just plain silly in a buggy!!!

After a drink at the Menger Bar (one of the oldest West of the Mississippi and a favourite of Roosevelt) we headed back to camp.

I think Katie would plow straight into the van unless he stopped her!!

 Some heavy traffic on the way back, but thanks to Al's skilful driving, we made it back in good time and once again plowed into left-overs and a couple of drinks on the patio by our little red propane campfire. Lisa and Mike came over for a visit and we had a great evening.

Menger bar... note moose head!!

Menger Bar  - 1859

And back at camp......!!!

Thurs Mar 13 - SXSW/AUSTIN

Thurs Mar 13 - SXSW/AUSTIN

Outside the Moody Theatre

Bronze Willie and fans

What a busy day today. It started with a quick trip to 'Breakaway Records', a store in a northern suburb of Austin.. It carries old vinyl albums ... by the thousand  It was in a very eclectic area full of retro stores.. clothes, memorabilia from the 50's-80's era. We grabbed a coffee to go in the same strip mall. Couldn't help taking a photo of the somewhat adapted sign behind the counter at the coffee shop. Even the washroom was an experience... wall to wall graffiti. 

Playing the fool on Congress!

Headed down to downtown Austin to try and catch a flavor of the South By South West Festival (SXSW - locally known as "South by"). It is a huge annual music festival, but the main events are mostly attended by people in the music industry, as the tickets are over $650 per person for the week and includes all the concerts etc. Individual tickets for the events are not available, but the whole city gets into the festival mood. Sixth Street (and some other areas) is closed off to traffic and every bar (it is a street of bars) has live music. We started off going to see the location of Austin City Limits show (Moody Theatre) and were pleasantly surprised by a live outdoor stage and a really great band from the Netherlands, "Claes Cem". 

Bat Bar and batty people - Cheers Y'all

 After enjoying their performance we headed up to Sixth Street,  and walked up and down, but, unlike last week during the film section of the festival, most of the music was geared to a younger crowd than us (IE: head-banging music). It was still a fun time and we dropped in to The Bat Bar for a drink. We had a light lunch at restaurant on Sixth street, sitting outside in the 2nd floor outside patio. We watched the crowds walk by and enjoyed the atmosphere of the festival. SXSW is There sure were some interesting folk walking the streets. After a brief stop in the South Congress district to visit Allens boots and a couple of other stores and an outdoor craft fair, we headed home and enjoyed left overs and snacks for dinner, with a few drinks and social time together. Another great day with great friends.

Crowds on Sixth St during SXSW

We got a few laughs from this mobile rapper!!

Okay...Now What? Parking was a rare find!!!

Rows and Rows of Boots!!! Allen's boot store

DONE AND DONE!!

March 12 Tina and Al. Fredericksburg/LBJ/Picnic

Wed Mar/12  Tina and Al. Fredericksburg/LBJ/Picnic
So our friends Al and Tina arrived quite late, tired but still with enough energy (or maybe the frustrations of the trip) left for a drink. It was a late night but so great to have them here safe and sound... looking forward to a week of fun, sun and sightseeing.

First stop on the tour

In the morning, after breakfast, we figured we could make it to Fredericksburg, LBJ ranch and have a picnic lunch at the Becker Vineyards winery. Quick gathering of lunchy type food and off we went. We stopped at the LBJ ranch first for a drive through, stopping briefly at the info-centre and at each 'point of interest', listening  to the driving guide CD narration as we proceeded through the ranch. The audio narration included anecdotes from the Johnson family (including LBJ himself, his daughter). It added a great deal to the experience and allowed the imagination to wander back to when the Johnsons lived here.  We also checked out the burial grounds of the Johnson family, including the gravestones of LBJ and Ladybird. We were once again very taken with the ranch. To have lived on this ranch, must have been a truly authentic and awesome experience. The land is wide open, with herds of Bison, Longhorn cattle and Herefords in beautifully healthy condition. Also a plethora of wild animals and birds.. especially deer and antelope. 

Ladybird and LBJ grave-site and other family.

Cheers guys... Picnic lunch 'par-excellence'

After leaving LBJ ranch we headed, hungry, to the Becker Winery, which was mobbed with people in the tasting room, so we skipped the tasting and opted to buy a nice bottle of Merlot and sit outside in the grounds of the Winery for our picnic in the sun, even though it was a bit chilly it was such a lovely experience. Sausage, cheese, bagels, tomatoes, a glass of good wine and the company of good friends... it doesn't get any better than this. We have been to this winery before, and love the location, but Derek and I may take a day out to visit more of the many wineries in the area. Texas has some great local wine... who knew???!!!! After our lovely lunch we headed in to Fredericksburg for a walk through town. Again very busy (March Break), but fun to browse the interesting stores and tasting some hot Texas sauces. We bought some raspberry mustard sauce for dipping. Having had a light lunch we were hungry and headed to Randall's for some steak, mushrooms and onions. 
Unfortunately our BBQ just wouldn't heat up enough, but thankfully we had an expert 'closer' with us and Al  rose to the challenge.  The result was DELICIOUS. The meat was AAA Angus beef and the taste was heavenly. Between three of us we managed to eat only 11/2  of the three large steaks we bought (he sliced them) ...leftovers tomorrow!! A perfect end to a perfect day.

Mon/Tues March 10/11 - preparation for visitors and GOLF!!

Mon/Tues March 10/11 - Shopping and GOLF!!

On Monday we said farewell to Tiina, Mychael and Breila s they continue their trip to New Orleans and then home to Ontario... we had a great time with them and were so glad they came down to visit. After they left Derek and I went to Costco. When we got back we did some general cleaning etc and we walked around the resort chatting with fiends and neighbours. Janice went on a fun golfcart ride around the park with Lisa... boy Janice loves those golf carts!!  We were asked if we were going to join the scramble golf the next, and we decided that we would.. despite the 7:30 start. Janice excitedly unwrapped the first club from her new set... the putter,, we figured it wad the only club she needed to take.  Early night!!
We were up and off to the golf course.. Janice excitedly clutching her one and only club for the day. We went to  the Morris Williams Golf Course just outside Austin and drove there with a couple from the RV resort (Mike and Linda). We were paired up with two guys (Tom and Charlie) and off we went. It was a scramble game so we used best ball and the guys took turns hitting the ball twice in lieu of Janice... but she took over on the putting green and was totally pumped to be able to at least do that... another baby step in the healing process (but a big one). While the course was not in very good condition it was a fun day. On our return we sat and lazed in the 85 degree weather with a cold beer and our books.
It is now close to midnight and we are waiting excitedly for two more friends to arrive from Ontario. Al and Tina have had some bad luck with delayed flights but the plane has landed and they are hopefully on their way here from the airport. It will be great to see them.

Sat/Sun 8-9 March - Shopping/packing/dinner at Chilis

Sat/Sun 8-9 March - Shopping/packing/dinner at Chilis
On Saturday Derek went to the clubhouse for a 2 hour jam session with a couple of guys from the resort (Dave x 2). He said he was a bit rusty, but it was great for him to get some practice in.  We then went and did some shopping and got water filter installed (ours cracked in the freeze) Most of the day for Tiina's gang was spent packing and preparing to leave. They also managed to get the, as yet un-named Armadillo shipped.We all went out for a final drink and meal. First we went to the Oasis ... but the view was not good due to mist and rain. The menu wasn't as varied as we would like so we moved on to Chili's in Lakeway and had a great meal. (note.. they have excellent Margaritas.)
On Sunday Tiina's gang headed to the Austin Rodeo and to see a concert with Willie Nelson. While they were gone we caught up on five loads of laundry and basic cleaning. When they got back we all sat round our campfire (propane, but fun) with a drink or two  and we heard all abut the tales of the rodeo and Willie. They had some final packing to do, so it was an early night for us. I totally forgot to take any photos ... a bad habit I am getting into!!!!

Thurs-Fri March 6-7 2014 - Admin / Austin Bones and Bats

Thurs-Fri March 6-7 2014 - Admin / Austin Bones and Bats

Admin day for us while Tiina, Mychael and Breila went to San Antonio. They had a great day. We managed to plan our way back to Ontario…mileage and camps and timing. Target to arrive in Niagara Falls on April 9th traveling weather permitting. Other admin stuff and blog caught up and we are ready to go.

Fri Mar 7^th  Downtown Austin

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Kind of sad to see

Very kind of sad

Not how we want to see them.. roll on May Safari

Lazy morning then out to visit The Corner Store i North Austin…. a rarity of retail. In fact we have categorically NEVER seen anything quite like it. Taxidermy-ed animals, lions, giraffe, bison, fox, snakes... in fact hundreds and hundreds of breeds and a massive collection of animal skulls and bones. Breila bought an armadillo (a real one stuffed!!!) and she also bought some earrings made from the rattle end of a rattle snake and they really do rattle!!

Thousand of Antlers for sale

These are well preserved, but still .......!!!

The 'Corner Store" .."skulls anyone??"

We carefully put the armadillo in the back of the truck and set off to downtown Austin, all chirping merrily about what to name the armadillo... which we voted unanimously was a female. We went straight to Capital Cruises bat tour on the Ladybird Lake. We were early so enjoyed a drink in the Hyatt patio on the banks of the river. After boarding the 'bat mo-boat" we cruised around until dusk and were given a bit of a tour of the Austin skyline. We then saw the bats emerge from under the Congress St bridge. Not a huge display as its too cold and the females have not yet had their babes.. but impressive nevertheless. There are an estimated 750,000 pregnant bats under the bridge and when they all give birth in a month or so and the babies mature enough to venture out, then 1.5 million bats emerging would be quite a sight. There are no males in the colony... they are in Mexico sipping tequila... go figure.  

We (and Tiina) then walked up Congress St. (Mychael and Breila took a pedi-cab). We had a fine dinner at Manuel's and then walked over to Sixth St where the road was blocked off for the duration of an annual film/music festival called South by South West or SXSW. The street was full of party goers and the scene was in full swing. The whole street teemed with bars, and it seemed every bar had a live band. We wandered around and soaked it all up for a couple of hours, fascinated by the crowd, the music and the atmosphere.. electrifying to say the least.

Neat carriage on Congress St

Graffiti ... forgot the story!!

Janice's Batty husband

Mychael about to take off

Crowd in 6th St for SXSW

Cat video in window (it was a 2 story cat)

Bar on 6th St... Photo taken from outside