Back in Austin!

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
It's COLD here. 42* this morning when I walked the dog....and raining.

Saturday in Dallas it was mid-80s, then overnight the temp dropped and froze every living thing. I'm not unhappy about this because I have a great coat that I bought in Salt Lake City and haven't gotten to wear in two years. Plus I have some cute sweaters that have been packed away for just such an occasion. So I'm sitting in the motorhome with the heat on, wearing my snuggly green turtleneck, long pants, and socks. It was rainy and cold in Lincoln, too - they got snow (!) the day after we left.

When Monello and I were packing for our 2 month car trip, it was 100+ degrees in Austin. I knew that early Fall in Lincoln can be iffy, so I packed a few pairs of pants and a light jacket but still had to hit the Goodwill for some sturdier clothing. I went to Sheels for a good rain jacket, and they had the cutest Fall/Winter clothes on display. I managed to rip myself away because we chase the seasons and I rarely have a need for cold weather clothing, plus I have a bunch of things packed away that I never get to wear. That's why I hit the Goodwill: find something for a few bucks that will work, then donate it back at a later date.

Thank goodness I thought to pack shoes other than sandals.

It's good to be back in the motorhome. When we left here on August 1, which seems like years ago, we put the motorhome in storage and car tripped to Gatlinburg for a few days, then Scranton to house sit for Monello's sister, then to Lincoln to see the folks for a couple weeks. We stayed in some pretty nice places - Monello's sister's place is a swanky joint, and we had some terrific hotel accommodations - but it's nice to be back home.

In our daily living we (and by "we" I mean "Monello") collect weird food things. Oddball condiments that we have no use for and take up our limited space; unusual snackie items that seemed like a good idea at the time; impulse purchases of things we don't even like. When we leave to car trip for an extended period, everything gets cleaned out and pitched, and the motorhome gets a good cleaning so it's nice when we get back. So currently our cupboards are fairly bare and I need to go to the grocery store this afternoon.

In Cedar Key there is an amazing seafood restaurant called Tony's. Their claim to fame is clam chowder, and I'm pretty sure I raved about it in the Beverly Hills thread. Anyway, they sell cans of their condensed chowder and I bought some and stuck them in the pantry. What a nice surprise it was to come back to cold and rainy, and finding a lovely can of chowder just waiting for me to get the cream to mix it with and have for dinner tonight!

Beverly Hills was 7 months ago, but it seems like forever. We've been to so many places since then...

And also! When we were in Beverly Hills, we met a woman at the bar we liked (and wanted to buy). We talked about our travels and she was like, "I want to do that..." And now she is! We're friends on FB and she and her husband bought a motorhome, took some leave, and are currently all over the US. It's really exciting following her travels - she's going to some places we suggested and also blazing her own trail. I love when people travel and share their experiences, and it's exciting if Monello and I sparked that in any way. I feel like it's paying it forward from when Lizz & Bob inspired me.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
I was talking with my daughter yesterday evening - she's at her sister's place outside Dallas - and she was complaining about how cold it was. Said the condo has really crappy heat.
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
We covered 5,550 miles in 2 1/2 months of road tripping. That includes running around miles when we got to our destinations. I rented a car for our Cast & Blast camping weekend. We stayed in Green Ridge State Forest, staying right on the banks of the Potomac river. There was fishing, swimming, target shooting, snoring, drinking, campfires and an overall good time.

Kansas & Oklahoma are a whole lot of nothing. Texas' I35 has to be 1 of the worst roads in the US. It's under constant construction. These people have a lot of patience to drive in that every day. But they also have Buc-ees, so I guess that makes up for it.
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
Yesterday we just HAD to get out. The Texas state capital was our destination. The building is impressive but the inside doesn't have the historical displays like other state capitals. There were protesters complaining about the death penalty hanging around outside. Of course all the posters mention how all the convicted people were actually innocent.

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vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
After coming to Austin area at least once a year for the last 10 years or so, I FINALLY visited the State Capitol building. :faint:

Compared to other state capitols we've visited, it wasn't all that. No real history presented unless you take the tour. Other capitols have educational displays set up, but not Austin.

Afterward we went to Rainey Street, which is one of Austin's many famous drunkard crawls. The bars/restaurants are set up in former homes and assorted shack-like venues, and most have outdoor seating. There are food trucks dotted around, with a little food truck court as well. I had the BEST hotdog - a chargrilled beauty topped with kimchi, spicy ramen, and sriracha mayo. That dog was created with me in mind and it was delicious!

We thought we'd go hang out at Ernie's Dockside and have a drink by the lake.

No.

Closed due to flooding, and in fact the whole road is blocked off.

Instead, we went to Infamous Brewing Company, which is right up the road from our campground but for some reason we've never gone there. I had an impression that it was a swanky hipster bar. No. It's a super casual shack with picnic tables outside, a guy playing the guitar, and a taco truck. I'm a sucker for a beer with a good name - the one I had on Rainey St. was called "OU Sucks". At Infamous, there was a beer called "UGLY You Ain't Got No Alibi" but it was an IPA (ick), so I had a Bugsy's (amber ale) and mentally renamed it "UGLY" so it would sound cooler.

Off to Bastrop tomorrow!
 

Monello

Smarter than the average bear
PREMO Member
Our 2nd stop yesterday was Rainey Street. We were in need of hydration and nourishment. It's hard to describe that area. It's a mish mash of crappy, potholed streets, high rise apartment buildings, food trucks and repurposed residential homes that are now bars and eateries. There isn't much on street parking. Rental scooters, I'm not making that up, zip by. Driven by hipsters and college students. I wonder if you can get a DUI on 1 of those contraptions.

1 of the food trucks serves lobster. The pizzaiolo is from Palermo. Food choices are Indian, Venezuelan, tube steaks and gourmet grilled cheese. Lots of micro brewery beer is offered. I saw the largest mule mug on the planet. That drink was easily for 4 people. I wish I got a picture of that.

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