Austin

Today, on my last day in Austin, I finally made it downtown. There wasn't all that much to see, and it being Monday, there wasn't much local culture to soak up either. Even so, I did my best to capture the spirit of the thing.

I wandered around the downtown core for a while, past offices and all the important buildings for civic-type activities (library, courthouse, city museum, capitol building), and drove by the University of Texas campus. The only place I really felt like spending any real time, though, was Stubbs Barbecue.

Stubbs was delicious, and while it was mostly empty in the afternoon, it's apparently a hot spot for live music at night. I sampled the pulled pork sandwich with a side of mac-n-cheese, which was fabulous. Texas BBQ is traditionally served with onions, pickles, and peppers, so I sampled a little of each. Despite my vehement anti-pickle stance in most situations, I have to say they go very well with barbecue sauce. There really is an exception to every rule.

I spent most of my afternoon at Zilker Park in South Austin. The park is enormous (surprise, it's Texas!), and has a trail along the banks of the Colorado River. I ambled down the path a ways, dodging joggers, cyclists, and dog walkers, rarely seeing any other casual walkers like myself. Despite being out of place, I enjoyed the stroll and took a few pictures of the lovely view.

When I had sufficiently walked away my lunch, I hit the road again, battling traffic out to Driftwood and the Salt Lick.

Like Rudy's, the Salt Lick has opened several barbecue joints modeled after the first one, and also like Rudy's, I made the trek to the original. Speeding down a narrow Ranch Road several miles from Austin, I almost missed the small sign marking the Salt Lick's entrance and had to skid dangerously onto the gravel shoulder. Potential rental car damage aside, it was well worth the trip. Inside the restaurant, you can watch your meat cooked over an open pit, and cut fresh from the grill. The ribs and potato salad were both wonderful, and I could eat just about anything dipped in that sauce.

Now I'm back in the 'burbs, tired from the sun and massive quantities of meat, sad that I have to leave tomorrow. I'm debating heading back downtown again to bond with the locals, since that is the one thing I've missed here. On the other hand, I have to get up in 12 hours and my eyes are already trying to close. I just don't know if I have it in me tonight.

Whether I make it back out or not, the trip is a success. I'm glad I arbitrarily decided to come here. Why Texas? Why the hell not?