Friday, October 30, 2015

Jaunt Around Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital of the state of Texas. The population size is just over 900,000 people. It's got a bustling young people scene which comes with all sorts of hip restaurants, great music and music venues, and sweet shops. The people are incredibly friendly, nice, and easy to talk with. You can eat tacos anywhere and everywhere, and they seem to always be delicious. Texas used to be part of a huge Mexican state called Tejano until a tough war in 1835 through which Texas won independence from Mexico and became it's own country called the Republic of Texas. They were not a country for long due to poor planning, continued tension and fighting with the Mexicans, and a desperate financial situation. The Republic of Texas asked the United States to annex them a couple of times and in 1845 the U.S. finally did. This is the very abridged version of course, the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin provided me a good history of a part of this country that I know very little about. I highly recommend you visit Austin and that museum!

Oh, my friend Anna has been living in Austin for almost two years, kicking butt with her M.P.H. I went to visit her! It was a lovely trip but cut short due to me missing my flight on 9/11, the day I was supposed to fly out of Newark to Austin. It's a story I won't get into because I firmly believe everything happens for a reason, and ultimately it all worked out. Anna showed me a good time and then skedaddled off to Houston for work, while I naturally walked for 12 hours, went to the Bullock Museum, walked to the lake/river, ate tacos, ate other things, went to the Beacon's Closet I visited in Austin 4 years ago on a one day stop over during a 6 week road trip, and then went home.

Overall, Austin makes me want to say A+
Did someone mention tacos?
Barton Springs with Anna
Barton Springs
Anna took me on the bat tour of Austin on Lady Bird Lake.
Ready to see some bats, I got dressed up and everything.
Austin dwellers are very physically active, always jogging, kayaking, paddle boarding, etc.
Seems like the whole town is in on this big graffiti joke.

I've known Anna for 10 years!
Bats.
Pretty reflections in LadyBird Lake.
Everyone came to see the bats, but they did not rush out that night.
That's a good thing, means they're not starving.
Can you see blurry bats?
Have we been through this that I like Batman?
(Please don't get me Batman gifts. I have so much.)
We returned to Barton Springs by night. It was quite frigid!
Everyone knows how to dance to the 50s and 60s.
Just your average Austin neighborhood street. Like at the cacti on the corner!
Anna denies working in the haunted former insane asylum.
I have this thing for colorful houses.




Bullock Texas State History Museum
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Bullock Texas State History Museum
The historic La Belle, recently found in the sea and restored after it capsized in the 17th century. 
What a funky US flag.
What Texas is really known for.
And NASA!
The beautiful capitol building.

They really love their lone star.





What a bunch of hipsters with their 'staches.
Famous places.
Old western lookin' places.