19

Yippee kay yay from the Wandering Berkmans in Austin, TX!

19.....

The year just finished (Happy New Year to you and yours!)

But more significant to us....

19 is the number of Airbnbs or rentals or hotels we've stayed in since we left NJ on November 17.

19... yeow!

Here are the continental US routes we took-

- Jersey to LA

then LA to Austin with Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan in between (Map Quest couldn't deliver Asia for me.  Poor workman...)

That said, we were extremely happy to pull into our Airbnb condo in Austin on January 1, knowing we would be here for one long, glorious month.  Because you know what?  Moving around 19 times in 45 days is a lot.... even for us!
Giddy, we were, to be able to completely unpack our 2 suitcases each, toiletries and food stuffs we've gathered along the way (EEVO from Ensenada, and where did that bottle of champagne come from and how long have we been carting it around?)


The ride out to Austin included a stop in Tucson, our home away from home the past 2 winters.  We stayed in an eclectic casita 2 blocks from the University of Arizona, one of our favorite stomping grounds.  Here is Don with our roommate-- they got along famously.

With this little one, not so much... :0




Tucson highlights for us on this visit--
--morning walks around the campus
--bubble tea at Saigon Pho with our friend Phil
--drinks at Gentle Ben's while the 49's beat the Seahawks
--drinks at BJ's with DNB friends

Looking back, lots of different beverages.  We were very thirsty, apparently. (it's a dry heat)

I chose to go incognito on our way to El Paso.  The border control guard (yes, one in the middle of Texas), surprisingly,  gave me nary a look, even in my Carmen Sandiego disguise.

Oh, and we had Impossible Burgers on the road.  Because they are tasty.  We don't ask how they are so tasty.  Ignorance is bliss.  But look how happy Don is.








Things we are loving about Austin:
-- these temps!  68 degrees and sunny as I type this at an outdoor table at the University of Texas at Austin.  Not too shabby

--our condo.  Plenty of space to spread out, it's comfortable yet stylish.  And clean! (we did the bedbug check)

-- Lady Bird Lake right down the street from us for beautiful morning or evening walks (we're thinking of upping our Fitbit goal to 11,000.  baby steps...)

-- Barton Creek Swimming Hole, where it's local tradition on New Year's Day to take a dip in its chilly waters.  We opted for ankles only as we searched for the famed Blind Salamander that resides there. 

-- the music-- we spent Friday walking around 6th Street popping into bars to take in a terrific blues band fronted by Brad Stivers  (check him out-- his facial expressions as he plays are the best https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmBBCskVAUvGYQ4Y3WsfvOg), dancing to salsa in another place and singing (more like screaming) along at Pete's Dueling Piano Bar.




We opted out of the mechanical bull (been there, done that.  My legs are still sore 2 years later) And we could have gone to many more places (no cover and they close off the street for the first 2 weeks of the month) but we're old.  Still, it was a terrific night. 

And for our 80's fix, last night we had a "Jesse's Girl" sing-along with the Spazmatics at Cedar Street Courtyard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sah2gm27QKM

 -- and who knew Texas had a wine country?  Jason at Grape Creek Winery https://www.wineroad290.com/grape-creek-winery treated us well.  We could only take on one of the 19 wineries on Rt 290 near Fredricksburg so we picked the best.... or so Jason told us.  And the selections were tasty-- not a Boones Farm Strawberry Wine in the bunch.  We digested with a tour of LBJ's homestead and a distant view of bison, the poor things.


and for this post's SOL:

--- we've come to the conclusion that Austin is about dogs, dogs and more dogs!  And largely unleashed.  You can't walk a block out here without encountering a dog park.  I love me a good dog fix but they pretty much ignore us because 
 
1. we don't have food   
2. we're not another dog 

The playing that goes on with these pups will put a smile on your face for the rest of the day

We have a list a mile long of more we'd like to see and do in Austin and happy to have 3 more weeks in which to do it. 

Until next time, thanks for following along!

 Don and Monica

texas