R & R in Austin
10 April 2014 | Bayland Marina, Baytown, TX
Jill
Bud and I spent last weekend in Austin with Jack & Sharon. I highly recommend their place and their hospitality for anyone needing to relax and unwind. We arrived Friday afternoon. Jack grilled fish for supper and in the evening they invited us to try out their spa. Of course I forgot to take pictures of their backyard and the layout, so I'll have to describe it so you understand why I call the unit a spa and not a hot tub. Out the back glass doorway you step onto a natural stone patio, which steps down to a free form in-ground pool with a stone edge. A few steps up from one end of the pool is the spa, also free form and edged with stone. I'd guess it's about 6 or 8 feet long and 4 or 5 feet wide. It has a bench along one side and end and awesome jets and a wonderful heater. Once we agreed to step outside into the evening that was in the 60's (brrr) and slid into the spa we understood the attraction. Floating in hot bubbles is unbelievably relaxing. Bud said his knees and back felt better than they'd felt for years. It was hard to get out and if I thought I could sleep while floating on my back I probably would have stayed there all night.
Saturday was cool and cloudy. Perfect for walking and Jack and I took a long walk exploring their neighborhood. And what a neighborhood to explore! Just around the corner from their place is an establishment called Wizard Academy. It is an unconventional business school offering seminars. However, there seem to be few people there most times (per Jack) and they occupy several hundred acres of beautiful hill country where they allow their neighbors to walk. So our walk took us through their impressive campus and out along their trails overlooking a lovely little valley and through the brush and wildflowers. I'd post pictures but I forgot my camera, of course. Jack has promised to send some pictures he took with his phone, and I'll post them when I get them. The trails we walked on led along another property (several hundred more acres) owned by a Hindu temple. (Are we in Texas, really?!)
In the afternoon the four of us took off for the golf club where Jack plays. Jack, Bud and I played and Sharon rode along in the cart with me and offered her company and her sympathy. I actually did OK for the first 9 holes, but then the whole thing began to break down. Bud had a couple of bad holes but did OK. Jack is a very good and consistent golfer and had a couple of bad shots and no bad holes. The picture on this post is of the four of us after the game in front of the lovely clubhouse. You see I'm managing to smile, still.
That evening they wanted to take us to a local icon. The Salt Lick Bar-be-que Restaurant is just down the road from them. Jack and Sharon warned us it would be packed, but said they had never waited long to eat, as they were so efficient in handling the crowds. When we arrived it was more than crowded, there was acres of parking, all full. We ended up in the far corner of the employee parking lot. We waited a half hour to check in where we were given a pager and told there'd be a two-hour wait! Two hours outside. There was plenty to see and do, but it was cold (upper 50's and breezy, and to us that's cold!). We got in the shorter line for take-out orders and being told that it would be 45 minutes for take-out opted for that. Jack gave away our pager to another foursome still waiting to check in. Sharon and I wandered around and I took pictures of this fascinating place (see the new 2014 album). It took well over and hour to get our food, and Jack saw the folks to whom he'd given the pager seated before we left, but we got our food and had a picnic in Jack and Sharon's TV room and did enjoy some of the best bar-be-que I've ever eaten.
Sunday we did a tour or Austin and its environs. What a beautiful city! There are hills and vistas, hiking and biking trails and green spaces everywhere. This is the capitol of Texas, but not typically Texan. I took some pictures, but it was drizzling and cloudy, so not a great day for photographs. We ate lunch at a ramen noodle place Bud heard about on the Food Channel. It was small and filled with a variety of people that were not wearing cowboy hats or boots. And the noodle dishes were worlds away from what you get in the little cellophane packages. Delicious.
In the evening, despite it being even colder than either Friday or Saturday, Bud opted for another turn in the spa. It was cold enough that steam was rising from the water and he looked like he was in a huge witch's kettle.
Monday morning came too quickly and we ended our visit. Happily, we did not have to return to Texarkana yet. Instead we headed across to the boat and that's where we are now. Of course, being on the boat we are doing maintenance. We do hope to sail on Saturday. I will update about this phase of our trip later.