Days 26 & 27 - Austin, TX

Wednesday and Thursday were lazy, hot days in central Texas. No organized activities were planned, just a few errands and sightseeing we had always wanted to get around to doing, but never had all the free time. We had a small scare with the car when the engine light came on Tuesday night as we were driving home from a movie. We scouted out the only Audi dealer in town and hit it first thing on Wednesday. Fortunately, it was only minor and was remedied fairly quickly.

On Wednesday night we had dinner in downtown Austin at Cantina Laredo. Local reviewers categorize the fare as "upscale Mexican." We categorized it as "average Mexican." Since we were already downtown, we decided to hit my favorite bar from my college days - Cedar Street. Located on 4th Street, it is actually a few streets shy of the famous 6th Street bars, but just as fun. They were featuring a live band called the Spazmatics - an 80's cover band clad in headbands and pocket protectors. The lead singer was great! Below is a picture of my sister and I in the courtyard watching the band play.

On Thursday we decided to check out a local watering hole - literally. A spring-fed pool located among the cliffs on the outskirts of town called Hamilton Pool is a popular place to cool off in the hot Texas summers. When there is a not a drought, a waterfall is constantly streaming down the rocks - but the rain levels are way down right now, so no waterfall for us. The water was about 72 degrees, but felt much colder. It was about 94 degrees outside that day, so it was pretty refreshing. A fun way to spend the day!

After we left the pool, we drove down to the UT campus to hit the Co-op (what we longhorns call our bookstore) to stock up on UT gear. Since I graduated, the Co-op has erected a giant orange Bevo in the old parking lot for tourists to take pictures in front of since the real Bevo is somewhat tempermental.