November 10, 2011
Austin TX
First and Foremost…..Happy 236th Birthday to all my Fellow Marines….Semper Fi to all you Leathernecks out there !!
Today was a beautiful day in Austin. Harley and I started out with breakfast at 24 Diner where we ordered the Waffle Breakfast consisting of two eggs over medium, ham, brown sugar butter waffles and an Applewood Bacon & Cheddar Frittata with pickled jalapenos. We then shared half and half for a great breakfast with very tasty coffee. Kim was our waitress and she, as well as her teammates ensured we had everything we needed and never let our cups get empty! A quick visit to Waterloo Music Shop next door gave us a view of all the LP’s they have in stock for DJ’s and the eccentric public at large. Found a nice straw cowboy hat in there but didn’t buy it as I would like to check around.
Our next stop was the Capitol building of the great Republic of Texas. Wow! It is a gorgeous building…and it’s taller than the Capitol building in D.C. Passing security was not as strainful as airport security. And the Texas guards engaged us in conversation the whole time making it a very pleasant experience.
And once inside we were treated to many visual joys….portraits of David Crockett, all the Presidents of the Republic and Governors of the State, Barbara Jordan, LBJ, statues of Sam Houston and Steven Austin, grand paintings of the battle of the Alamo and another of the battle of San Jacinto where Santa Ana was defeated, and much, much more. Interestingly, the legislature was not in session as the legislative body is only convened in the Capitol every other year. In the off year elected officials are in their districts conducting their administration.
From there Harley and I drove up Congress Avenue to the quirky shop section and visited the costume place and Allens Boots where she tried on a pair of $1400 boots…it was reassuring to see her walk away leaving the boots on the shelf….whew!
When we emerged from Allens we realized the sun was setting so we quickly headed over to the Bats of Congress Bridge. I thought this moniker was developed because the road lead to the Texas Congress…..but not quite. This bridge does indeed accommodate the road to congress AND it also is home to a colony of Mexican Short Bailed Bats! As I stood under the bridge watching hundreds at a time streaming out from their berths Harley commented on their sounds, I asked what did she mean as I didn’t hear anything. She said they make a high pitched squeak as they fly.
I couldn’t hear a single squeak. Years of flying, age, and now Harley riding has deadened my ears to the higher frequencies. I was momentarily saddened by this…but then thrilled at the view of this nightly occurrence. Soon, however, the bats will migrate to Mexico and we’ll all have to wait until their return sometime in March.
Afterwards my son Zach joined us and we went to dinner at Z Tejas on 6th street (also located in CostaMesaCA). We had Grand Marnier Margaritas, chips and dip appetizer, and I had the GREEN CHILE BARBACOA ENCHILADAS. A slow roasted beef barbacoa & Jack cheese, topped with green chile sauce, sour cream and escabèche, served with green chile rice and black beans. Not bad for $11.75 a plate! our waitress, Mandy, and her team made sure that we had an excellent dining experience….highly recommend ya’ll try it.
Oh, and if some inebriated patron at the bar keeps calling you “Rodney” just ignore him J.
And an aside, I really do think the citizens of Austin appreciate the implication of the Bats of Congress….they luv to pun here.
C ya mañana,Gonzo
twitter: @GonzoCrossUSA
email: GonzoCrossUSA@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment