Postcards from La Taverne: Austin wanderings

I think that Luckenbach is a magical place. Late last night, as we were just getting settled, Mario went out to "commune with the Great Outdoors". Just as he walked out of the sliding door, a herd of deer(we think) began galloping across the field from where they had been feeding. All you could hear was the sound of hundreds of hoofs hitting the sandy ground as they disappeared into the forest. This morning, I unzipped the window covers to uncover a misty landscape spread out before me. The barns and buldings seemed to appear out of nowhere, and birds chirped as the sun tried to rise from behind heavy grey clouds. I saw cardinals, likely from our neck of the woods, and overwintering in Texas. We pulled out the camp chairs for only the second time this trip, and ate breakfast in the cool but comfortable morning air. We probably stayed a little too long, being lazy and relaxing at Luckenbach's, but I think we needed a morning where we didn't pack up and drive out as soon as possible.

The plan today is to head into Austin, as per the suggestions of friends and family who have been to Texas. It seemed to be the clear winner over San Antonio, but we might have some time to devote there tomorrow, so don't get mad that we missed your favorite place just yet! Of course, when travelling in a campervan, you have to fins place to park said campervan, and in the city, indoor parking garages are just too tight and most likely too short for the 10-foot tall vehicle, too. Mario finds us a free park-n-ride option just outside town, and the bus fares are ridiculously cheap, too. I don't know why this is not a thing at home, until I realize that in a state full of gas and pick-up truck, even a crazy-low price on public transit is not enough to entice people to take the bus rather than their own vehicle.

We ride to the neighborhood of SoCo, or South Congress - named for the road, and get off at one of the location suggested to us by Cynthia, our tasting guide from Becker's yesterday. Jo's Coffee has good coffee, as well a breakfast tacos that people line up for, so they must be delicious. In fact, it's one of those places that often sells out fast, so you want to get there early. Well, turns out it's our lucky day, as there are a few left when we get to Jo's, and so a midday snack time is in order. Jo's is also known for a concoction called the Iced Turbo, a potent blend of coffee, espresso, chocolate, hazelnut and cream, so of course I had to try that with my bacon-egg-cheese taco. Mario opted for a less mixed-up, but no less potent ginger cold brew, good for waking up the senses, along with his migas taco, where fried tortilla chips added extra crunch to the filling. Fueled up, we were ready for the long walk up South Congress to the Capitol building.

SoCo is also know for shopping, and the street is lined with many boutiques, both upscale and small niche places. We stopped in at allbirds, makers of comfortable wool shoes that we've researched online prior to the trip, but have nowhere to try them in Montreal. And you know how it is with shoes - you really should try them on before putting money down on them. Well, we did, and then we did - buy them, I mean. I was in need of a pair of sneakers anyways, my slip-on ones a little worse for wear since we started this trip. These new shoes are a welcome purchase, and my feet will be happier for it.

We continue walking along South Congress, past the shops, over the Colorado river, past the business district until the Capitol building rises up before us, in all its neo-classical glory(that's domes and columns). Inside, past the standard security and metal detectors(and somewhat nonchalant security guards), we enter the majestic terazzo-tiled rotunda. Above us, 4 stories of history tower, right up to the medallion in the dome, the letters T-E-X-A-S circling around a blue star.

The place is so steeped in history, but most of it is lost on us, not having a decent base in the history of Texas already. We follow along with one of the free tours, but so do about 40 other people, and not enjoying the crowded feel, we skip out halfway. Instead, we sit on the mall outside, listening to a small group of protesters chanting for justice for Iran - it's a weekend, and the senators' offices are all empty, so I am not sure what impact the protesters are hoping to accomplish, but the women in the group seem very encouraged and enthusiastic with their plastic bottle noisemakers.

We walk back along South Congress, stopping a last time at Amy's Ice Cream, another suggestion from Cynthia. Mario orders coffee ice cream, I get the Sweet Cream flavour, and we proceed to combine bites of the two in a sort of delicious creamy-coffee confection. It makes for a good pick-me-up to get us through the rest of the afternoon.

From here, we bus back to the campervan, which, if I am being completely honest, am very happy to see still in the parking lot, and in one piece - the park-n-ride is in a "curious" neighborhood, and leaving it there gave me a slight sense of uneasiness. I am glad to see that my worries were unfounded. We get comfy, as we do every time we get back in the van, settle in, and drive further out of Austin to the Salt Lick, a series of BBQ restaurants that many have told us we should not miss. And they were right, everything was absolutely delicious, in an unassuming, slabs-of-meat-served-on-camp-trays kind of way. The potato salad in particular, with its hints of cumin and tumeric and hinting vaguely at Indian curries, was a standout part of the meal, but of course the BBQ was phenomenal. Between the two of us, we polished off smoked brisket, BBQ pulled pork, smoked sausage and smoked turkey breast, and that is more meat that we both eat in a week. Needless to say, we were both in a food coma for the short drive from the Salt Lick to nearby Seguin, and another night in the comfort of a Love's Travel Stop.