Category: Austin 2020

We dropped the doggies at the Kennel and headed to Calgary! The first part of our journey has started!

We picked up Liam and headed to Mom & Dad’s for Cocktails and Supper.

Cocktails…

Mel & Tyler joined us for Supper… downstairs in the Dining Room at Mom & Dad’s, Prominence Way Retirement Home …

Seems to me I have to work on a better way to reduce these photos without reducing to blurry… hum… always something to learn!

We’re staying in the Guest Suite at Prominence Way, and just like we did when we stayed in their condo, we’re one floor down! We’ll be off early in the morning to YYC… leaving here at 6:30!

We got to the Calgary Airport in plenty of time, and had zero lines all the way through check-in, security and US Customs — that must have been a first! And a treat!

We left Calgary a wee bit late – the plane had to be de-iced; but we made up the time and landed on time in Houston.

We stopped for a bite of lunch in the Houston Airport during our 2 hour layover …

We arrived in Austin on time, got our rental “car”… a Volvo SUV (very nice!!); then got to our VRBO home about 6 pm. It’s a nice unit, a bit dated, but suits our needs very well. We are a 5 minute drive from Bruce’s.

We spent the evening at Bruce’s… it was wonderful to see him, and Connor and Jasmine. Bruce’s home is lovely!! Sorry, I didn’t get any pics… next time!!

Our day started rainy, with low clouds and a cold wind. The rain stopped in the afternoon and the sun came out by Supper-time / sunset. I don’t think it got over 6C (43F). It was a good day to get our bearings and get some running around done!

We went to one of Bruce’s favorite breakfast restaurants… we all had Mexican/Tex-Mex, and really enjoyed it. Then came the grocery shopping – nothing like getting lost in a massive grocery store! Why do they have deadends in grocery stores??!! And where is the juice????

We took a drive into downtown Austin, through one of the older neighborhoods, and passed by the Capitol Building. Then it was off to Costco for some wine and vodka and tequila!!

We took the long way around to head back to our place in Westlake Hills, getting out of the busier part of Austin and into more small town, but not really rural. We stopped at Mansfield Dam, which dams the Colorado River, creating Lake Travis. Then continued back to our place.

Then… drinks at Bruce’s before Supper…

What a lovely day! The sun was shining all day and we had a beautiful drive on the backroads out to Gruene (pronounced Green)!

Gruene is such a fun little town! It is now apart of New Braunfels, but originally it was the home of the Gruene family who came to the area in the mid-1800’s. The Gruenes turned it into a cotton-producing community, with homes, a mercantile store, a dance hall and cotton gin powered by the Guadalupe River. The 1920’s and 30’s were tough on Gruene, and by 1950 it was a Ghost Town.

Through the 1970’s to 1990’s, the buildings were restored and the area was revitalized. It is now a fun, historical town!

The original cotton gin burned in the early 1920’s; what was left of the building has been restored and is now the Gristmill Restaurant and that’s where we had lunch!

We sat in the enclosed area on the right side of the photo. The tables on the left, along the railing, overlook the Guadalupe River.

Enjoying beer! …

Enjoying Sangria! Well, I am! …

This Texas Mountain Laurel has lovely lilac coloured blossoms. We have found it in several places now, and it is just past it’s prime blooming …

Here is the outdoor stage and seating at the Gristmill…

Gruene is home to one of the oldest dance halls in Texas. The Gruene Hall is one huge dance hall! 6,000 sq. ft.!! And, it can be made open-air! We weren’t able to stay for the evening’s entertainment, but did hear the band warming up!

After Vietnamese Supper with Mom & Dad, Bruce, Connor & Jasmine, Brian and I uber’ed down to The Continental Club to listen to live blues! We listened to Carolyn Wonderland, and she was GREAT!!!!

We had a quiet day around Austin. We went to one of the big shopping malls for an hour or so – didn’t find anything of interest!

In the afternoon, Brian & I headed back downtown to discover a bit of Austin’s “downtown life”! We stopped at a light on the north side of the Capitol Building and I was able to snap a pic…

We found 6th Street, with lots of bars and pubs; not too many shops / interesting stores, but live music and margaritas!!!

Our late afternoon and evening was spent with a friend of Mom & Dad’s and mine who we met in the 60’s…. it was wonderful to see Bev again!! We had a terrific supper at a seafood restaurant on the north side of Austin!

We spent the afternoon with Bruce and Renee!

Our first stop was at Connor’s high school – Westlake High School. Athletes were practicing Sunday, so the Stadium gate was open…

The Stadium holds 10,000 …

We went downtown to walk through the State Capitol Building. This is the third building to be used as the State Capitol; it was constructed in the 1880’s. What amazing architecture and craftsmanship!!

This photo is looking up into the dome from the rotunda…

We were able to go up to the fourth floor; it is possible to go up higher (just not the tourists!). There’s a spiral staircase up near the top! …

We were allowed to look into several of the rooms/chambers … the Supreme Court of Texas, the Court of Appeals, up on the fourth floor; the Galleries of the Senate and House were closed; we went into a gallery of a sort, and looked down into what looked like a Records Room.

We could go in and walk around the perimeter of the House …

An underground extension was completed in the mid-1990’s,

The Capitol from the north side …

We had lupper at a small “hole-in-the-wall” a few blocks from the Capitol, the Texas Chili Parlor! The food was GREAT!!!

After chili lupper, we wandered a few blocks over to the Bullock Texas State History Museum … it was well worth going to!!

In the morning Brian & I joined Bruce & Renee at his local Gun Range. We had great fun trying some of Bruce’s and some of the Range’s hand guns! I would say the Brian had a BLAST!!

Then we collected Mom & Dad and we were off to Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg is about an hour and a half drive west of Austin, and was founded in the mid-1840’s by German settlers (many towns north and northeast of San Antonio have German names!)

We took the back roads… hardly any traffic, lots of windy roads, fabulous drive!! It would be a blast on the Harley!! We crossed several dry creeks (they only flow during the rains); then crossed Flat Creek where it always flows, and it flows over the road!

There are many, many wineries near Fredericksburg, some vineyards, breweries and a few distilleries. We stopped at Becker Vineyard on the east side of Fredericksburg…

Then it was in to Fredericksburg, to Main Steet, in the Historic District… lots of interesting shops, restaurants and bars!

Here’s a close-up of the blooms in that palm tree behind Brian …

A Horse Bench, perfect for Mom & Dad to rest on while we were checking out the stores!

Brian & I were up at the crack of dawn.. okay… well, way before the crack of dawn, to go Largemouth Bass Fishing. Brian found our Guide online.

We were out the door at 5:45 am, 50F, a slight breeze. We were off on our fishing boat at 6:30 am on Lake Walter E. Long (Decker Lake) which is on the east side of Austin. It was way windier than in town and it was a north wind, so quite cold (for Texas … and for me!)

First fish of the day … 2 lbs, 11 oz; caught before 7:30 am!!

We started in the northeast part of the lake …

There were many different birds out this morning … coots (they nest at home in June), seagulls, vultures, osprey, cardinals, hawks, blue heron, several species we didn’t know, and also this cormorant …

We changed to the northwest part of the lake, into a channel to the power plant at this lake.

Largest fish of the day … 3 lbs, 12 oz !!

My turn!! 2 lbs, 13 oz …

All-in-all, Brian caught six more smaller ones that he threw in without us taking a photo, our guide caught several, and I caught the one. Okay… I caught many reeds too! 🙂 And no, we didn’t keep any – it was all catch and release.

Mom & Dad and Brian & I spent the afternoon in and around Dripping Springs, at a couple distilleries… tasting Texas whiskey, gin and vodka! We really enjoyed our time at Treaty Oak Distilling!!

Then it was an evening with Bruce & Renee, Connor & Jasmine, celebrating Bruce’s birthday. We had a lovely supper out an Italian restaurant close to Bruce’s …

Then it was back to Bruce’s for cake and ice cream!!

Connor & Jasmine are heading to Stampede this Summer, so they had to get in the spirit, wearing Brian’s boots and dancing western line dances! …

We had a beautiful sunny Thursday to drive east of Austin and out to La Grange … to Old World Antieks! Bruce had already discovered it, and that’s how we found out about it. Sadly, no photos, but what an amazing antique store!!!

They bring in, weekly, items from Europe, India, Egypt and Turkey, and sell it in 55,000 sq ft of showroom and warehouse. Amazing doors, furniture, church antiquities… it was just too overwhelming to adequately describe!!

But, alas, nothing much would fit in our suitcases; only one small item will head back to Redtail Rise!