We have been having a great time here in Austin! Our first full weekend was a rainy one but it was hard to complain considering how needed water is here. Daniel spent a large part of the rainy weather working on some projects that Lesa had for him. Just as in Baton Rouge, Daniel easily picked up a new skill, but this time with the backdrop to the furniture rather than the furnishings themselves. Lesa decided she wanted a faux finish on the walls of her dining room and Daniel knew he was up to the challenge. They went to the paint store together, picked out the colors and a how-to guide, and then went back home to get to work. After many different steps and a couple of days, Daniel was finished and the walls looked gorgeous. Lesa was very pleased with them and Daniel had a new picture to add to his portfolio.
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| The faux painting technique on Lesa's wall by Daniel. |
The rain finally stopped just in time for my birthday on December 7th so Daniel and I spent the day together exploring Austin. He treated me to a local breakfast and then we headed into downtown for a look at the Texas State History museum. The museum is very large, understandably, considering how big the state is. We spent a long time wandering from floor to floor, checking out videos, exhibits, and artifacts. We were both surprised at the amount of information neither of us had ever heard before, especially since I was a history major. Of course I don’t think I know everything about history, but at least thought I was competent in US history! Apparently not, according to the Texas State History Museum! The museum led us through the lives of famous Texans such as Stephen F. Austin, William B. Travis, James Bowie, and Davy Crockett, for even those who weren’t born here but fought for the Lone Star State are Texans in these citizens’ hearts. We learned about things from oil to NASA to immigration and everything else in between. It was a great museum and one that we thoroughly enjoyed.
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| The Texas State History Museum. |
After the museum, we wandered over to the “SoCo” district. It is just as trendy and cool as it sounds, believe me. There are boutique clothing shops and neat thrift stores and there is even a unique little candy shop that serves delicious chocolate bars. The area is even cooler if you know the history behind it and I’m sure what I know is just a small portion. The district used to be a depressed area just a few years ago, but with some much-needed investment and determined business owners, it has been transformed into the place to see and be seen. The best part is that some of the businesses who struggled when the area was in its darker ages survived and are thriving, hip stores and café’s today. After lots of window shopping and a nice birthday dinner, we headed back to our Austin home for a movie. Even though I was missing my family more than ever, it was a great birthday and I sure am glad that I got to spend it in Austin with Daniel and the Cox family.
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| The yummy candy shop called Big Top. |
Saturday the 10th will bring an end to our Austin visit and we will be sad to say goodbye to Lesa and her family. They have been endlessly kind and generous and we have nothing but gratitude for them. Despite having our fair share of technical problems, we have had more than our fair allotment of luck with the people we meet along our journey. We hope this continues as we make our way through the White Sands National Park and up towards Albuquerque this weekend. Send positive thoughts our way!
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| A block of veggie oil jelly... lets hope it doesn't get cold enough for this to happen again! |
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