Awake: 6:43am Temp 59 sleep 6+16 fog…then sunny overnight @ Cedar Creek, Texas.
@ 9:30am, I pick up G & G, stop @ the campground office & get the package containing the bulkhead fitting from Aqua-Hot (good work FDX), then join the tardy Austin workers on hwy 71 filing into downtown. We find parking @ the Capital Parking Garage; walk to the Capital Visitors’ Center & watch a movie, “The Capital Deal.” It explained how the builders of the Capital accepted as payment, 3 million acres of land in the Texas Panhandle. This land became the famous XIT Ranch.
Around 10:50am, we saunter over to the Capital steps & listen to a group of young school children (Mariachis) entertaining the crowd. They were quite good for their age. Many school children everywhere on the Capital grounds, @ the Visitor’s Center, in the Capital building, etc. It’s spring break time.
The (4) of us join a group of “Born Again Christians” for the 11:30 tour of the Capital Building given by a Nigerian lady also a B.A.C. We didn’t know about these people or the Nigerian tour guide when we stood in line for this adventure. So now we are on tour; we have the echo of school children, our Nigerian tour guide with a different accent & our group of seniors of which many have hearing aids turned up too high or down too low. Each time our tour guide speaks, we all get into a huddle, trying to catch every word she says. It was a challenge to say the least.
Texas has a very beautiful Capital building without a doubt. In 1993, they finished the capital extension; they didn’t expand up & they didn’t expand out; they expanded (3) stories underground. $63 million gave them (2) levels containing offices for 2/3’s of the state’s representatives & 1/3 of its senators; several committee & conference rooms; an auditorium, cafeteria & bookstore + (2) levels of parking; very nice. In fact, we had lunch in the Capital Grill underground. Kathy & I shared a Catfish meal with cauliflower, zucchini + bread.
It’s time to move on; we haven’t seen much of downtown Austin & it’s a short walk from the capital. We pass Saint Mary’s Cathedral & decide to take a look inside. Then Gary became inquisitive about how Catholics can sin on Friday, go to confession on Saturday, & be holy on Sunday & throughout the week, then get ready to do it all again on Friday. We showed Gary a typical confessional; how the window slides open & “takes a picture” & where the microphone & recorder are hidden to keep track of people like him each week!
After that, we stroll along several streets downtown, admiring some of the old buildings of yesteryear that are in active service today. At one point, Gary is attracted to the Driskill Hotel on Brozos Street; alright, so we all go inside for a peek. Well, what a treat! This place is a sleeper with a touch of class. Pres. Lyndon Johnson & Lady Bird had their 1st date here. Gary finds the bar & we find an easy way of quenching our thirst.
Back to the Capital Parking Garage for our Suzuki, plug the Costco store address into our Lady Garmin & 25 min later, we are doing some serious grocery shopping.
Dinner: Grace makes beef stew; Kathy makes a large salad. As always, we have a lot to talk about during & after dinner.
High temp=? Lights out: 12:04am
Leave a comment