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Nov
2009
I believe that this is my eigth visit to Austin. It’s been a while since I was last here, which was in January 2007. The city has changed quite a lot during this time with lots of new downtown appartment blocks appearing, with some such as the Austonian being uncharacteristicly tall for the city. Which in my view at least spoils the city a bit.
The weather was a pleasant 75F to 80F so I spent my freetime on Sunday walking around the city, along 6th street and up to the Capital Building before walking back down Congress Avenue to the park next to Town Lake.
I then took the rental car a Hybrid Ford SUV over to Central Market, a supermarket with character, and did some shopping – including my lunch, they make the best Chicken Salad sandwich! Then on to more shopping in Best Buy, Barton Creek Square Mall and another supermarket, Randels before heading over to Zilker Park Botanical Gardens which is my favorite place in Austin to wander around and relax in or to just find a quiet spot and sit and chill out or think things through.
A short drive later and I was back at the hotel where I crossed the street to the O’Henry house and museum which tells the story of Austin’s famous writer. Then another walk over to the State Capital where I watched the locals and visitors enjoy the surrounding park as the sun started to set, bathing the Capital in a warm golden light.
I didn’t have much free time by myself in the evenings as I was traveling with a colleague but I did manage to visit both the old site of the Gingerman, now called the Ghost Room (apt considering we visited on Halloween) as well as the new Gingerman. Also had a pleasant meal in the the historic Driskill Hotel.
On Tuesday evening I walked over to Speakeasy which has changed a lot and now has the entrance on Congress Avenue. The bar is still very nice and similar to the old one, but it’s just not the same. Still I enjoyed watching the Salsa dancing and the live band whilst consuming a couple of Dos Equis.
Wednesday evening was by far the highlight of the trip, an evening at the Broken Spoke listening to Dale Watson sing to a crowded dance floor in this ledgendary Texas dance hall. Thanks to some really nice folks that I met I even got up and danced the Cotton Eyed Joe and the two step. Having only danced the two step once before, during my last visit, my dancing skills were not great but improved as the evening went on.
This visit still didn’t reawaken my old desire to move to the city. That phase of my life is definately over and these days my hopes and goals are considerably different. However my visit to the Broken Spoke did leave me wondering about how things would have been different if i had moved to Austin when i was younger. I will therefore be glad to get back home on Friday. Besides I have plans for the weekend that I’m looking forward to that outway anything Austin could offer.