Day 32 | Dallas to San Antonio via Austin
Today we are off to San Antonio from Dallas. We are lucky enough to be able to meet up with Derek and his family in Austin, the State Capital. Busy trip down but we made it meeting Derek, Laura and Natalie and the irrepressible Duke, the affectionate boxer. We caught up with Derek about adventures so far before he took us out to just a few of the sites of Austin, firstly coffee on Lake Austin.
Mozart's is the coffee house on the lake also famous providing for a spectacular Christmas light show. The weather is clear but a little cooler but it was nice by the lake. Students at the University of Texas make a significant portion of the customers this Saturday afternoon and there’s lots of laptops and textbooks out.
We also got to visit the State Capitol not before walking through a bit of a protest. Turned out there was a dedication of a monument to the contribution of African-Americans to the development of Texas which attracted a protest and a counter protest. Things are in flux here in America.
The structure is a rose-tinted granite structure complete with dome. After the usual security, we could view the interior and the actual historic Senate floor. As functional government offices, it is tremendous to be able to wander around the fabulous interior. The grounds are busy with the dedication mentioned and a wedding.
We walked down Congress Ave through the historic district to the Driskill Hotel and the Sixth St live music area. Already in the early afternoon the energy was rising.
We met up with Laura and Natalie for dinner at the Iron Works BBQ. The restaurant was warm with the wood-fired process (it was cold outside but this was sauna in some places). It was fun and the food was great on sectioned trays with the sides and the selected meats. All too soon it was time to go but we are thankful to have had a Derek as a guide to Austin. Hearing some of the stories made it memorable.
Dallas to Austin - three hours - Austin to San Antonio - one hour 30 minutes
On the rest of the road to San Antonio we saw a Christmas lighted area off the highway. A bit of research had us returning to see the lights that had been set up in a trail ("Santa’s Ranch") for a small fee. They even had a bit of a shop. The lights were imaginative and spectacular in the quantity on the trail. Certainly, this is bigger in Texas, and that’s just grand.
Highlights
Rosie | Meeting Derek, Laura and Natalie and the Xmas lights of Santa’s Ranch
Angus | Touring the Capitol
