With the prospect of 97 degree heat, Daniel (another BF of Madd's) suggested paddleboarding on Lady Bird Lake. After wrestling to get four coupons off the company's Facebook page, we headed down to the pier where we were received by a not-so-enthusiastic employee of Austin Paddle Sports. When asked how his day was going, he responded curtly with, "Could've slept a couple more hours." Our coupon guaranteed us two hours for the price of one; not that it mattered, because Austin Paddle Sports didn't seem to be too stingy about their rental policies. The tired employee told us he wouldn't let us off the lake until at least two hours had passed.
Paddleboarding isn't hard. Thank God, because water/snow sports have never been my thing. All four of us bounced up, no problem. Then again, maybe we're just rockstars? We also did our part to save the world: picking up trash floating in the lake in places the common do-gooder could not reach from land.
[Maddie steals the computer from Erik and finishes this post]
Foodie day continued with German fare at Easy Tiger on E. 6th Street. I horked on a pretzel and salad while the others feasted on roast beef and turkey on sourdough accompanied by cucumber salad slathered in vinaigrette. Cool vibe, cool waitress, Easy Tiger.
Can you think of anything better on a hot day than a cup full of ice topped with sugary syrup? If so, please comment with your ideas; otherwise, listen up. Daniel took us down the street to a literal hole-in-the-wall that serves authentic shaved ice (yes, Dad - the good stuff). Ice shaved so finely it looked like yogurt. I opted for Dragon's Blood flavor (strawberry with coconut). I love eating it; it is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
Austin had delivered so far, and we already had an extensive itinerary planned for the next day, so we took the opportunity to swing down to San Antonio and see what that's all about. What made the trip was getting to see some old friends from high school, Katie (who was also my college roommate) and Michelle. Michelle works as a speech pathologist while Katie is in insurance marketing, and they have been living in SA for about a year. We met them down at the famous River Walk, a bustling outdoor restaurant extravaganza. Aside from the colors, sights, and smells, I was most surprised by the lack of safety railings along the river. I found myself wondering how many people fall in the water per year, as the sidewalks are narrow, tourists are clumsy, and most restaurants are eager to promote their specialty drinks. Shocking!
Oh, and I almost forgot - we saw the Alamo.
Wednesday kicked off with another classic Austin Eatery: Juan in a Million. Erik raved about this years ago when he saw it on Man vs. Food, and he also visited it during his summer in Houston. The highlight of Juan in a Million isn't the food (although it's delicious and filling), it's Juan, winner of 2001's "Best Restauranteur Handshake." His signature greeting is known throughout the city. As soon as you walk in, he looks you in the eye, smiles, and gives the ladies a firm handshake and the men a dominating high five that echoes throughout the restaurant. Erik went in for the follow up embrace and Juan obliged, giving him the "man pat" on the back. If you're a first time patron of Juan in a Million, there's really no other way to go than to order the Don Juan. Three corn tortillas buried under a mountain of potatoes, migas (cornmeal cooked in eggs), bacon, and cheese. The truth is, one Don Juan would've been enough for Erik, Mari and me to share, but instead we ordered one each. !Ay caramba!
We capped off our time in Austin with a very Austin-y experience: Sound and Cinema. Daniel walked us down to the Long Center where they have set up a huge inflatable movie screen on the sloped lawn overlooking the Austin Skyline. Each week in the summer they show a movie and a local cover band plays before the sun goes down. We were lucky enough to be there for the showing of Labyrinth, the 80's muppet movie with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. What a trip! None of us had ever seen it, and it was....interesting. Obviously, from looking at the crowd, it has quite a cult following, much like Rocky Horror Picture Show. Our favorite character in the movie by far was Sir Didymus (<-- CLICK THIS).
Other Austin shenanigans:
1. Got bullied by a bartender who was SURE that we were all 17 or younger.
2. Ate fancy happy hour snacks while making fun of the pianist/singer playing live to drum tracks.
3. Visited the original Whole Foods Market (mecca!).
4. Erik and Mari snuck into UT football stadium.
5. Waited in line for an hour for frozen custard.
Even with the all the fun we had while in Austin, we couldn't help but smile when finally greeted by New Mexico (see below).
Adios for now!
-E&M
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