A Texas Tour

With several days off from child care responsibilities, Andy and I took a three-day jaunt through the Lone Star State. While sailing along Interstate 37, we enjoyed seeing carpets of Texas bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush and other wildflowers, as well sweet acacia trees with Kodak-yellow flowers. En route to Corpus Christi, we passed many refineries, a reminder of how oil-dependent our nation is. After a brief rest in our beach-front hotel, we headed for Port Aransas, a barrier island community and enjoyed a waterfront seafood dinner. Next morning, we traveled down Shoreline Drive, where there is an art museum, Texas National Aquarium and the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, which is open for tours.

Then we headed north to San Antonio--familiar since we had been frequent visitors in the years Alison and Hannah lived there. Ali suggested that we try Cured, one of many restaurants in the Pearl, site of the historic Pearl Brewery. It has now been converted to a bustling area with many places to eat and shop, a farmers market, and beautiful open plaza It is also the home of the Culinary Institute of America. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch in what was once the brewery's administration building, with the original brick walls and tin ceiling. The Hotel Emma is named after Emma Koehler, who successfully ran the brewery after her husband Otto was shot by a jealous mistress! The hotel has retained much of the machinery used for making beer and cleverly incorporated it into the decor.

Then it was off to the State Capitol of Austin. We stayed right downtown, which was in a frenzy with participants in South by Southwest (SXSW), a week-long celebration of technology, music and more. Andy remembered a restaurant called Foreign and Domestic featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Well away from downtown, this tiny place, housed in a former skateboard shop, featured innovative entrees and a great wine list. Fueled by breakfast at one of Austin's funky diners, we headed for home, vowing to return and spend more time in these interesting places.   

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