Week 4 - second half - crossing the South

     The last half of this week was a travel week.

Austin Botanical Garden

Austin Botanical Garden Gate

Austin Botanical Garden

Bee in the flower, Austin

     After a night in the Panhandle, we drove Route 10 to Lafayette, Louisiana.  We planned a stop in the Atchafalaya Swamp where we wanted to do some birding.  So, we got off on a recommended route which said that we'd go about 12 miles on a gravel road.  Hmmmm.  We drove and drove.  On the left was mainly a high levee which we could not see over and was marked as "no trespassing."  On the right was a swampy forest.  I think all we saw were a few crows!  Plus, we also passed by some pretty funky dwellings where the guys from the movie "Deliverance" would have felt right at home!  We ended up driving about 20 miles where we hit another road and then drove to Lafayette.  Oh well - we tried.  In Lafayette, we ate at Prejean's Restaurant, noted for its Cajun cooking.  Mark had a delicious sausage and chicken gumbo and I had a wonderful seafood gumbo.  We also had some shrimp appetizer and a crawfish enchilada.  All was yummy and we left very, very full.
    The next day, we drove all the way to Austin, Texas, a new town for us.  We took the 'scenic' route and left Route 10, which was probably a mistake as we hit quite a lot of traffic around Houston.  Mark also got stopped by the police for going 56 in a 45 mph zone.  Luckily, he only got a warning.  Whew!
    We stayed for 2 nights at a La Quinta in downtown Austin.  It was a nice hotel.

Fran's Burgers, Austin

Mark climbed to the top of the rock!

    The night we got there, we did a lot of walking, seeking barbecue, as well as getting our bearings.  We walked Red River Street down to the river and along what they call Town Lake.  (Really part of the river.)  We eventually ate at IronWorks Barbecue which was recommended by a local.  I had chicken and Mark had ribs.
    The next day, our only full day in Austin, we went to Zilker Botanical Garden to start our day.  It was clearly not the best time of year for the garden which seemed pretty rundown and little was in bloom.  Still, it was a nice stroll.  The day was very windy and we decided to go to a movie at mid-day.  We have been wanting to go to a movie ever since we left the island, but never found the time.  As the Oscars had been only 2 nights before, we felt lucky that "The Artist" which won "Best Picture" and "Best Actor" was still showing.   The theater itself was great - lounge chairs and ottomans.  But, the movie was great; we both really loved it.   Afterwards, we walked to a wonderful sushi restaurant.  Later, we walked to the State Capitol Building where we walked the grounds and went inside. The rotunda was quite amazing. The grounds were beautiful, but that Texas spirit of secession was a bit 'in your face'.  Suffice it to say, Texas politics are not our favorites....Rick Perry governor.  Ugh.
       To end the week on another high note, we drove from Austin to El Paso.  Wow - our longest day's drive yet - about 600 miles.  But, en route, we stopped at Enchanted Rock State Park, about 100 miles out of Austin, on strong recommendations from our friends, Fran & Al, who taught at the University of Texas for many years.  Anyhow, we drove through the lovely German town of Fredericksburg and then drove 17 miles north to the State Park.  Enchanted Rock is the largest single rock in the U.S., bigger than Stone Mt in Georgia.  It is the second largest rock in the world, second to Ayers Rock in Australia.  The weather cleared just as we arrived and it was good climbing weather.  Mark climbed the entire way up.  Whew!  Vertigo hit me about 2/3's of the way up, so I stopped and waited for him to come down.  It was a lot of fun.  Afterwards, we drove to El Paso, across terrain that became suddenly very Western.  Beautiful, although windy.  We stopped at the best Comfort Inn we've ever slept at there.  They had fresh-baked cookies and tacos for the guests and a fire going. The room was fabulous and we managed to do a laundry.