After leaving the swamp country
outside of Baton Rouge we headed on west towards Texas. Texas and the rest of
the southwest is a region that has always excited me for its near mythical
associations. Growing up addicted to Cowboy vs. Indian lore, and watching the
smooth talking, quick shooting characters of John Wayne movies, Texas and the
wide open West was a place I had often heard about but never experienced for
myself. Coming over a ridge on I-10, the sprawling plains of Texas unfolded
before me and after almost two weeks, we had left the southeast behind us, and
were on wholly unfamiliar ground.
We made
a quick stop at a local Burger Joint on the outskirts of Houston and were back
underway to Austin. Though the area was going through a drought, we managed to
get caught in three torrential downpours. Earlier in the trip we used a
makeshift tarp (a classic red and white picnic tablecloth) to cover our
overhead carrier and keep rain out. After thousands of miles of driving and
weather it had been tattered to shreds and rain soaked our overhead supplies.
Finally
coming out of the rain, we checked into our Motel 6 on the northern edge of
Austin (with only two guests of course). We have gotten into somewhat of a
routine checking into our base camps after two weeks on the road. After lugging
our suitcases up a few sets of stairs and throwing the door open, someone
checks for the requisite towel number (3 of course) then as a group there is a
period of complaining (or praising) for the lack of amenities (“What, we don’t
get a spa at this place? $50 just doesn’t get you what it used to. THREE
DOLLARS FOR WIFI?!”). For the most part, though, we are more than satisfied
with our two beds, a shower and the ability to stay in one place for a little
bit. So we kick back, relax, talk about the drive and figure out what exactly
we want to do that night.
Being
in Austin, we knew that meant checking out the world-famous 6th
Street, by way of a taco or two. We found our way to a little food truck called
The Art of Tacos, nestled into a little side street called Rainey Street, where
the houses have been converted into restaurants and bars and ropes of Christmas
lights hang from poles and wires that criss-cross the yards. We were very
struck by the abundance of food trucks in the city, and in this area in
particular. The trucks all come together and form makeshift villages where
people starting or ending their nights all seem to congregate. It is a great
atmosphere where strangers sit together, and everyone has something to say.
In an
attempt to digest our meals we took a walk down by the Colorado river then up
to the Texas Capitol building, a southwestern take on the classic dome we are
so used to seeing. 6th street was getting pretty packed by the time
we showed up. Unlike Nashville which was busy and bustling where you could get
run over by throngs of people if you didn’t know where you were going, 6th
street had a laid back feel, especially considering the hoards of people. The
music was diverse and there were tons of options, the people were fun yet
classy (I’m looking at you New Orleans), and it made for a great night.
We got
a rare opportunity to sleep in the next day, and took full advantage,
eventually pulling ourselves up to go to a nearby thrift store (I don’t know if
everything is bigger in Texas but this sure was). We scored a couple sweet new
road shirts and headed out to enjoy some Texas BBQ, heavy with some tender brisket,
thick, saucy ribs and probably the best sausage we have ever had. It was enough
to put us down for a little bit and it was a bit of a struggle to get back up
for the evening.
Austin
has a pretty lively arts and entertainment scene, and there was almost too much
to decide between, with concerts, stand-up comedy and film screenings. We
settled on an evening showing of “Singing in the Rain,” a 1950’s musical comedy
that Chris had never seen. It was being shown at a wonderful place, the
Paramount Theater on Congress Ave. It’s a classic movie and playhouse, with an
old-fashioned box office, ushers wearing tuxes, gilded box seats lining the
walls and complete with a large red curtain covering the screen. The audience
was full of old fans, parents showing their children the movie for the first
time (and what a place for it!) and young people like us looking for a good
time on a Sunday night. Everyone cheered as the curtain was drawn back, clapped
after each song and laughed at the right times.
The
next day we cooled off at Barton Springs pool, a natural pool with clear water,
seaweed along the bottom, and sunbathers lining the hills that border the pool.
I imagine we could have spent all day there but our friend Andy Lutz and his girlfriend
Katherine had just returned from an extended trip to South America and we all
were eager to meet up. They showed us around the University of Texas then took
us to a place called Trudy’s, a Mexican restaurant, where Jackson and I agreed
we had the best nachos we’d ever had (we’re somewhat of nacho aficionados).
After a few drinks, some solid catching up time and a marathon of corn hole
games outside a nearly empty bar we called it a night, crashing for free on
Andy’s floor and woke up ready to make our way west, traversing the desert on
our way to California.--A
No comments:
Post a Comment