Jan 18-20 – On the road to Austin
Having bid farewell to San Antonio, I’ve got a couple of days to kill before I’m going to catchup with Siri in Austin.
I’ve been told about Fredericksburg, TX in the hills district who apparently make great wine and beer. The place itself is pretty enough – sort of a big rural town feel, with really wide streets, but there’s not a lot there outside the usual tourist haunts.
In the surrounding areas, as I head East, I hit up a few places based on recommendations from my Antonia contacts – Fat Ass Ranch and Winery (certainly a memorable name, and a really great chat with the hostess), Pecan St Brewing (in the very small town of Johnson), Twisted X Brewing (a staple in these parts)
I take my time and choose what I sample, so as not to push the generous Texan 0.08 laws, or my own safety for that matter.
I wanted to check out Hamilton Pool, but when I got there it was closed due to an algae bloom! The quite surly attendant wanted $15 to drive in and take a look – that was the easiest “no” I’ve made this trip.
Finally I get to Dripping Springs, TX. A pretty small place population under 2000, which make for an unusual choice as an overnight stop, but people on that interwebby thing had highly recommended the local hangout, The Barbershop.
It’s a small place, and on first views is a little backwoods ramshackle, but sure lived up to the recommendations. Lots of locals, and eventually a band struck up to entertain everyone. It was an absolute hoot – just goes to showoff the beaten track places are more than likely to be the most interesting you go to.
I overnight in the local park, before heading into Austin, a day earlier than planned. I’ve been pretty good for the last little while – no major splurges, so I treat myself to some of the best sushi I’ve had at Uchi (happy hour). Glad it’s happy hour though and 50% off or it would have been crazy expensive!
Jan 21-26 – Austin, TX
Thursday is chore day with a little bit of driving around. Friday night however I meet up with Siri, who has completed her epic ride from Long Beach, at the Sahara Lounge, one of Austin’s local music icons. According to those in the know, it is one of the last bastion’s of how Austin’s music scene used to be.
Siri is fine, if a little tired and sore, and we catchup on travel tails. She’s here with some friends she knows back from Pittsburgh so I join them. We have a grand old time, listening to bands and just hanging out before heading back to her friend’s house for a chinwag and a few beers in the backyard over a fire.
Sahara is cool – the music varied, and by the end of the night it had been packed and jumping.
We catchup again on Saturday, checking out Austin’s Rainey St, a cool strip of old stand alone houses transformed into various bars and restaurants. Finally we end up at a free comedy gig, which garners a couple of laughs, but having to stand for the entire show due to crowding was a drag.
The next couple of days are lazy ones, having slept in Sunday meant that I had to Stay until Tuesday if I was to get to eat at Franklin Barbeque, widely regarded as the best barbeque, not only in texas, or the US, but the world.
I can’t give up the opportunity, so when Tuesday comes around, I’m up early to go and queue. Franklin’s is incredibly busy, they open at 11 am each day until they sell out, but people start queuing from 8 or 9 am to make sure they don’t miss out.
When I get there around 8.30, I’m around 15th in the queue, but by the time 10 am rocks around, there are at least 100 people lined up.
It’s known to be part of the experience, and they send someone around to gauge your order size in an effort to try and estimate when they will run out. People are told that they are on the cusp of missing out, but some end up waiting it out just in case. At least they provide about 30 fold out chairs to help those that are waiting.
As 11 am approaches, excitement grows and the doors finally open.
It’s nothing fancy, the menu is pretty straight forward, but I end up getting some of everything that comes by the pound – 2 types of brisket, ribs, sausage and pulled pork, along with sides of slaw and potato salad.
I’ve brought a bottle of Belgian Abbey beer to wash it down, and once served I grab a spot to enjoy.
OH MY GOD!
Nothing can describe how good this is – ribs that collapse off the bone, brisket so tender it almost dematerialises on the tongue. The pork and sausage are very good but pale by comparison. Smokey, sweet, juicy, carnivore heaven. I’ve never had anything like it – sure I’ve tried brisket since I’ve been here, but this is like a box of goon opposed to a Penfold’s Grange (in it’s best years).
This is one of the culinary high points of my life – nothing you will have tasted or made elsewhere can match Franklin’s brilliance. And it’s reasonably priced – all up my feast is a little over $25 USD.
I even manage a snap with the great man himself, who really should rate up with the modern day culinary celebs, Heston, Marco, Mario – but I think it’s just not in his nature.
If you are ever within a day’s travel of this place, make the effort – it is sublimely good. And based on chats with a few other people on the day who had tried a few of Austin’s other famed haunts, a league apart from what they thought was good.
Jan 26-30 – Dallas, Waco and Houston
To be fairly blunt, the next few days are spent on a not so interesting our of the other Texas major cities. Dallas is pretty bland – just another big town, Houston the same. About the only real point of interest in this loop North then South is to stop at the site of the Branch Dzvidian massacre near Waco back in 1993.
It’s not the easiest place to find, but perseverance gets me there. There’s not much to see, the buldings are long gone, and the only real traces can be found in the new Davidian building and grounds built since the event
I try the American barbershop experience in Dallas at Brownie’s with results I ‘m happy with.
I manage to take in the Sam Houston Statue, which is huge, before hitting the last stretch to Houston itself.
The decision not to get new tyres back in Albuquerque bites me in the behind a little way short of Houston, when the back left goes bang whilst I’m on the Interstate heading into Houston. Despite managing to get to the shoulder, I can’t get to the spare which is under the rear, so it’s roadside assist for me.
They won’t change the tyre on the shoulder for safety reasons, so Charlotte and I get a tow to the nearest Walmart, where the Auto Centre is still open.
A couple of hours, and $350 USD later, Charlotte has 4 new shoes. Lucky girl.
One in Houston, I check out the National Museum of Funeral History. It sounds creepy but it’s not – filled with caskets and hearses, it details celebrity lies and deaths from the Pope to JFK. It’s a fund few hours for $10.
As I leave the museum, I notice Charlotte probably needs a good wash – anyone can tell you that a gal with new shoes wants to look her best. Almost across the road is a self-serve car wash and I pull in ready to go to work. However a local black (do I say African American?) man offers to do it for me. He has his own gear – buckets, sprays, cloths so all I do is pay $2 to turn the water on. (I slip him a $10 when he’s finished)
For once I’m happy to give a few bucks to a man looking to earn. He’s clearly known, he already has another local guy lined up for his weekly wash but jumps me in front. We all get to talking and for the net 3 hours I hang out with the local crew, talking about life in Houston.
Where I’m at is not an affluent area, so the stories are a little different – but the guys are cool, they are taken with Charlotte and my choice to get out and about. One of them has 9 kids with a 10th on the way, his mate just got out of jail, they work when they can, and when they don’t they hang here at the local store (a combination coin laundry, car wash and general store).
They might not be the usual model citizens but they are genuine and welcoming. It would have been rude and narrow minded not to stop for a bit but it becomes more. They warn me of the local drug streets – about a block away, offer me a blunt to which I decline, but we share a couple of brews before I say goodbye and head on down the road. They even give me directions to the cheapest gas station in the area.
Nice guys, though they are much like you might see depicted in media – full of chatter, lot’s of ribbing, slang that I don’t quite always get. None of the “N” word.
Who would have thought pretty white me would hang with street guys, even for a little while? Goes to show hey.
Last stop in Houston is Beer Can House – it’s closed but I think I saw everything I needed to.
So that’s Jan done – Part 3 of the catchup (here) will get you all up to date
[…] More of the catch-up in Part 2 soon! […]