I spent Memorial Day weekend visiting a friend in Austin, Texas – with a daytrip to San Antonio – and thought I'd post a trip report here in case it might help someone else planning a trip there soon. Can't help with accommodations since I had a place to stay – but as for restaurants and things to do, here's what we did: <BR> <BR>Arrived late Friday evening. Austin has a new airport since the last time I was here several years ago, and it's very nice, much more spacious and airy than the old one. Leaving the airport the heat and humidity outside hit me like a furnace – even at 10:30 at night it is still in the mid-80s and the air is heavy. I forgot how hot it can be here. <BR> <BR>Saturday morning after sleeping in late we decide breakfast tacos are in order, and my friend introduces me to a great local joint that I fell in love with the moment I saw it. Taco X-Press (2529-B S. Lamar) is one of those "you can't miss it" places – it is completely covered in colorful murals and decorations, and on top of the roof of the building is an enormous painted statue of a woman in a black bikini top, with her arms open wide in a welcoming V (my friend tells me it's the proprietor, Maria). We head inside, place our order (one breakfast taco with any two items – eggs, bacon, potatoes, cheese, black beans, refried beans, etc. – $1), and are handed a number. When they call our number, we pick up our order (along with some salsa and pico de gallo for the side) and take it outside to their little enclosed courtyard with chairs and tables and funky decorations. The place is packed and this is clearly a South Austin favorite for breakfast. My egg & bacon taco is good, but the refried bean & cheese one is to die for. And what can you say about a place where breakfast for two comes to $4? They're open for lunch too but I'm not sure about dinner. (FYI, they're a BYOB place and only sell soft beverages). <BR> <BR>After our late breakfast we spend most of the day shopping in South Austin. South Congress street is lined on both sides with a great variety of funky stores – everything from antiques to stores specializing in Mexican imports, pottery, and home accessories. Some of the shops have gorgeous mirrors and tables decorated with hand-painted tiles. I buy some hand-painted Mexican ceramic drawer-pulls and a couple of candles. For a mid-afternoon shopping break for a snack and ice tea we stop in at Texas French Bread, 1722 S. Congress – they have lots of delicious treats. <BR> <BR>For dinner my friend takes me to another place I've never been before – Curra's (614 E. Oltorf). It is owned by the Garcia brothers, and one of the brothers is there that evening keeping an eye on the kitchen and bar. Unlike a lot of the other restaurants I've been to in Austin that specialize in Tex-Mex, this one features more dishes from the interior of Mexico. On my friend's strong recommendation, I decide to try the enchiladas with mole sauce, and they are WONDERFUL, with a complex, smoky flavor. My friend's chile relleno is great too, with a creamy pecan sauce. And the margaritas at this place are fab. Prices are very reasonable. <BR> <BR>The next morning we get up early and walk down to the Colorado River, which runs through the city. There are nice trails running alongside the river. The trail is full of walkers, runners, and bikers getting their morning exercise before the heat of the day kicks in. As you walk underneath one of the bridges that goes over the river you can hear (and smell) the bats that live there. If you go to the bridge at sunset you will be treated to the sight of the bats flying out from underneath the bridge. <BR> <BR>After our morning walk we head back to shower and change, then get in the car and drive to San Antonio for the day. It's just over an hour away. We park in a parking garage downtown so that our car will be shaded from the hot sun, then head to the Alamo first. I love the architecture of the building, and its facade is striking. There is a short line to get in but no admission charge. Inside the building it is very cool and comfortable. However, I agree with many of those on this forum and particularly in the "Been there, done that" thread regarding being underwhelmed by the Alamo. Even my friend, a Texan born and bred, says that the organization in charge of the interpretive displays and the museum at the Alamo are not doing a great job, and there is apparently a movement afoot to have someone else take over. This place could be "brought to life" for visitors but for now it is almost as dry as a history book. I'm glad I saw it, but felt no need to spend much time there and am glad I didn't pay to get in. We skipped the museum on my friend's recommendation. <BR> <BR>From there we went down to the Riverwalk, which is very pretty and appealing, lined with all sorts of shops and restaurants. The narrow sidewalks alongside the river are unfortunately a bit overcrowded, and after walking a bit we decide to stop for lunch at a place my friend has eaten before – Boudros. We order the guacamole salad for two, which is wonderful. They make the guacamole at our tableside while we watch – one-half of a fresh-squeezed lime, one-half of a fresh-squeezed orange, a large pinch of salt, a large pinch of cilantro, a large spoonful of pico de gallo, some chopped slices of red onion, and one lovely perfectly ripe avocado. It is delicious with the warm fresh chips they bring to our table. <BR> <BR>After lunch we walk along the river a little longer, then walk several long blocks to the market area of town where there are more shops and galleries and food stalls. After browsing the stores in the market, we buy a couple of fresh pralines at a very crowded and popular bakery in the market square. They're delicious. The market is a great place to people-watch. There is a band playing in the square, but it is too loud and crowded, so we walk back to the car and decide to head out to tour the San Jose mission south of downtown. <BR> <BR>The San Jose mission is very interesting and I highly recommend it. We stop first at the visitor's center and watch a short documentary which airs every half-hour. It is about 20 minutes long (narrated by Tish Hinojosa, a wonderful singer from the area) and explains a great deal about the history of the various indigenous tribes native to South Texans and the missions of the area. After the film we walk to the mission which is very impressive. One thing I liked about the documentary was the way it showed how the mission would have looked when it was brightly painted as it used to be. Looking at it now it is fun to imagine its colorful facade. In addition to going inside the church, you can go inside the small rooms where the native people lived and imagine what it must have been like to live there. <BR> <BR>We had hoped to go to some other missions but it is already nearly 5:00 and they are all closing, so we start to head back to Austin. On the way we stop in a little town called Gruene (pronounced "Green") which has an old music and dance hall my friend wants me to see. The town has a few shops, B&Bs, etc. but Gruene Hall is clearly the main attraction. There is no charge to get in on Sunday afternoons and there is a live band playing. The hall is open-air with lots of ceiling fans so it is cool inside. The hall is full of families enjoying the music and it's a great time. When the band stops we walk out back and take a peek at the river, where we can see folks floating lazily in innertubes and enjoying the sunshine. Afterwards we head back to Austin. <BR> <BR>In Austin we go to dinner at a place I have been before called Guero's (1412 S. Congress). It's in an old feed store and has very good food and a fun atmosphere. I have beef and cheese enchiladas which are as tasty as I remember. Their margaritas are very strong but not as great as the one's we had the other night at Curra's. <BR> <BR>The next morning we get up early again and go walking along the river, then go to breakfast at a place I've never been before called Sol y Luna (1224 S. Congress). Delicious breakfast tacos, huevos rancheros, etc. Afterwards we head to Barton Springs for a day of sunning and swimming. It is Memorial Day and it is packed. The water is bracingly chilly but feels great in the 95-degree heat. Barton Springs is one of my favorite places in Austin to spend an afternoon. The lemonade they sell at the stand just outside the entrance is fresh-squeezed and very good – perfectly tart and just sweet enough. After our visit to Barton Springs we head back so I can shower before catching my flight out that evening. <BR> <BR>There are a couple of other places that are favorites of mine in Austin that I recommend, although we just didn't get to them on this short trip: Magnolia Café (1920 S. Congress), and Chuy's (1728 Barton Springs Rd.). <BR> <BR>A great website with more on South Austin is
http://www.auschron.com/issues/vol18...tin/first.html – click on "Food & Drink," "Arts & Entertainment," "Shopping," or whatever you're interested in. For more on the town of Gruene, go to
http://www.gruene.net/ <BR> <BR>
