Oh no! Leaking Toilet
Texas Photo Round-up: Somewhere in Central Texas
This week I’m sharing some photos which I think look great. I can’t tell you exactly where they are from other than probably somewhere in Bastrop or surrounding Central Texas counties. Robert likes to get up early and go on photo excursions while the morning light is perfect and the likelihood of catching a good sunrise photo is ideal. This particular day he got up around 5am and went adventuring. I kept right on sleeping! But when he came back I was disappointed I had missed this misty morning bridge overlook.
It’s Too Cold to Go Camping! What Now?
Granted, it’s not frigid in Texas, but the temperatures lately have been under freezing. Would could bundle up and break out the tent but the freezing temps make it unwise to take the travel trailer out. Why? Well, just like your house, the trailer has water pipes and water tanks. Unlike a house, a most trailers don’t have a lot of insulation overall (there are some exceptions) so there is a big risk of freezing and breaking pipes and fittings. So, what are the winter options for RV campers?
We’re sharing some Texas photos again this week, in conjunction with the Wandering Off blog’s Texas Photo Round-Up. Sarah V. shares her photos of the Bandera General Store which we’ve been meaning to visit. And Linda over at Travels With Children shared a photo of the Christmas Pyramid in Fredericksburg. We saw it this year too, and agree – it’s definitely big!
Zilker Park is an oasis in downtown Austin – filled with green spaces for sports, picnics, lounging and playing with the dog. It’s a great open space for the city. Inside the park is the Botanical Garden – 31 acres of planned gardens with themes ranging from Asian to a prehistoric dinosaur garden. There is also a butterfly garden, rose garden and several others to enjoy. The garden is free all year, but there is a $3 parking fee from March through early September. It is absolutely worth a visit if you are in Austin!
A water feature in the Asian-inspired garden.
A rose - not perfect, but it was December after all.
A bamboo forest connects one garden area to another.
Geocaching and hiking, a perfect match!
Chris and I love to go hiking, often there are great hidden gems along the hiking trails leading away from civilization and into the woods. It is here that we find solitude, peacefulness and natural beauty to enjoy – a great combination for stress reduction and personal reflection. Sometimes we need a change to a more engaging adventure or need to add some interest to a hike with a less than beautiful scenery (think of the flat plains). This is when we pick up the handheld GPS and go geocaching.
Road Food: Murphy’s Steakhouse, Winchester, Texas
Murphy’s is one of those places that you could easily miss. So is Winchester for that matter. So small it’s one of the “if you blink you’ll miss it” kind of towns, Winchester used to be big. Like many small Texas towns, it boomed with the railroad and died a slow death in the 1970s and 1980s until now, it’s a town of 50 residents. As our dinner companions directed us down twisted country highways and onto deserted looking roads we wondered what we were getting into. Then, all of a sudden, we turned a corner and there were cars everywhere. Murphy’s was packed.
Taco Traveler: Juan in a Million Austin, Texas
Juan in a Million is a landmark Austin eatery that offers its customers “legendary tacos” from its wide and varied TexMex menu. Perched along Cesar Chavez Avenue in East Austin, Juan in a Million is easy to find by its pink stucco exterior and queue out the front door. On any given day you will find the owner Juan Meza standing near the entryway greeting customers and offering everyone a hearty handshake. Juan’s restaurant has been the subject of local TexMex lore for many years and was recently featured on the Travel Channel. With such a warm welcome and a reputation for great tacos Chris and I were left wondering, could Juan in a Million be a five taco experience?
We decided to share some of our favorite photos from the Dallas Museum of Art for the Texas Photo Round-Up today. It’s the first Tuesday of the month, so the museum is full of great kid and family activities as part of the monthly First Tuesday offerings. We prefer Late Nights at the museum since we don’t have kids to enjoy the kids programs with but, the museum always has great activities planned, no matter what your age group, so, check it out!
The beautiful atrium of the museum.
Hiking in Buescher State Park
Over the Christmas holiday, Chris and I took time away from shopping, parties, and the year end rush to slow the pace of life down to only a few miles per hour on a long hike in Buescher State Park. Nestled south and east of Austin outside of Smithville, Texas Buescher State Park is in part of Texas known as the Lost Pines. The Lost Pines sit at the boundary between the Central Texas Plain and the coastal bend with a touch of the East Texas piney woods. The result is an area of wide open plains and rolling hills topped with pine trees and crisscrossed by the Colorado River as it winds from Austin’s Lake Travis down to Matagorda Bay south of Houston.
Taco Traveler – Guadalajara Grill Bastrop, Texas
On our recent trip to Central Texas, Chris and I visited Bastrop Texas a little south and east of Austin. Our plan took us to Buescher State Park for some hiking and a visit with some family in the area. Along the way we decided to try a recommended Mexican restaurant in Bastrop the Guadalajara Grill. Here’s our take on the local’s favorite TexMex restaurant.
