San Antonio, Texas

Nothing like waking up on a couch in San Antonio! How did I get here, you ask? Let me tell you.

Jayna and I had a pretty nice long day in Austin. We had a later check-out time than usual and got to relax a little more, and had basically all day in the city. After checking out of the hotel, we dropped our stuff off at the car and Jayna came up with a battle plan on our city map. By the end of the day we had traversed that whole place. Down to the Colorado River, up the Congress Street area, around the State Capitol Building, and eating in the Red River District. We were trying to make it to Franklin BBQ, a place we had heard a lot about. They warned that sometimes they sell out of brisket and to get there early, but they didn't tell us that there was also danger of selling out of ALL FOOD. Literally the place was just sold out of food by the time we got there, so we had to find somewhere else to eat. We walked a few more blocks and ate at a Tex-Mex Cantina and our waitress told us about the Barton natural springs on the other side of the river, and we had every intention of going but actually ended up caught in a huge freak thunderstorm and couldn't escape before it was time to get to the airport.

I dropped Jayna off at the Austin airport for her flight back to Raleigh. It was the end of an era. The car was immediately quiet and the trip definitely felt different. I was happy I only had a 2 hour drive to San Antonio to see Doug, a friend from San Diego who is here for a six-month internship.

Just along the Colorado, a small view of a side of the Austin skyline

Bet you didn't know Whole Foods is from Austin... and here's the flagship store!

The Texas State Capitol Building

The Driskill Hotel on Brazos St, apparently it's something of a big deal

When I got to Doug's we took off for some Texas BBQ at what I later learned was a chain restaurant, called Rudy's, but it was just great. Firewood and meat by the pound, I got a quarter pound of sliced brisket, dill pickles, potato salad, and a Texas beer. We sat outside long into the night under the string of lights and got to enjoy the warm summer air and just talk and catch up.

Om nom nom!

When I was clearing my tray, a worker came to help me since he was on that trash can anyway. I took my beer bottle off and asked if they recycled, wondering if I should toss it somewhere else. The look he gave me was half-disgust and half-"Where did you come from, hippie?" and I couldn't be too surprised... Texas sure never lets you forget where you are! Well sir, this hippie is on her way back to California! Today I'll pick up my dad from his hotel in San Antonio and we'll power through to El Paso or Las Cruces, New Mexico tonight. Getting closer... which makes me both sad and glad.