Good Times with Family in Austin.

Let me start by saying that all the pictures in this post will be lousy. I messed with the cameras’ settings and that’s what happens. Lesson learned, leave the damned thing on auto, it’s a much better photographer than I will ever be.

Five days in Austin.  We had a great time. Weather was cool but we had a couple of days in the mid 20’s.

On Saturday we went to a Brewery/Bar with Carla and Billy. The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company. These people know how to throw a party.  This is not your average craft beer place with seating for a dozen or so and serving peanuts or crackers with their beverages.

No. This is a real bar, seating maybe 200 with an outside patio with it's own bar, seating about another 100. They serve wine and beer and have an open kitchen which offers a menu that would put most New Jersey diners to shame. Great food, craft beer and live music. The band played an unusual style of zydeco music infused with a hint of rock.

The occasion was a Mardi Gras celebration paired with a dog show. (I know, right?) Most of the dogs were Pugs, dozens of them. They seem to be very popular in Texas.

Pug Pic's to follow.

Last night, our last night in Austin, Carla put on a spread that was over the top! Shrimp, beef tenderloin and 5 pounds of crawfish. Surf, turf and mudbugs, as they call them. Simply outstanding. If I had a picture I would post it. Use your imagination. 

The drive today, a long one by our standards, was wet and foggy for the entire 260 miles. We decided to abandon the interstate in favour of the secondary highways. Driving through Texas Hill Country, the scenery would have been spectacular had the cloud ceiling been higher than 100 feet and the visibility greater than half a mile.  We passed through some interesting little towns. This was Mason, I think. Some great old buildings here and lots of pick-up trucks.

An observation. Drivers don’t speed here. They don’t need to. The speed limits are realistic . Here is a typical county road, 2 lanes, speed limit 75 mph (I know, lousy picture).

This area is flood prone in heavy rain. Instead of building expensive bridges to handle the worst case, they put in a culvert or two and add a sign saying "Possible Water Over Road". The yellow sign is a flood gauge so you can tell how wet you are going to get if you try to cross the raging torrent.

Tonight we are in Del Rio, a small town a few miles from the Rio Grande, and Mexico. The park is called the Broke Mill RV Park, named after what was here before it became an RV Park. Del Rio will be our last chance to stock up on food, beverages and fuel, before we go into the “back country”. Well, not really, but selection is limited west of here and it gets expensive.

In preparation for the outback we will be spending a couple of days in Seminole Canyon State Park to get acclimatized. This will be very basic glamping, water and power but no sewer hookup and probably no internet. Roughing it! Pics to follow, when internet is available again.