Day 11 - Austin's Animal Kingdom

 Austin, TX

On the recommendation of colleagues living in the area, this day would begin with a trip to Austin's Barton Springs Pool; an oasis just outside of downtown Austin. Barton Springs are a series of freshwater springs nestled into the rock forming a smaller river that feeds into the Colorado River. What's really unique about this place is that the water is crystal clear, but that it also stays at a consistent 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. These last days I may have mentioned the sweltering Summer weather in Arkansas and Texas? Well, when it's 100 degrees in the shade, diving in to these Springs will make you ever forget that you use coffee to wake up in the morning. An amazing first stop! We really enjoyed our time swimming here, and even learned of a creature unique to the region, the Barton Springs Salamander. Of course, by the time we reached our next barbecue spot, Terry Blacks Barbecue, Conor was ready for a primetime spot on Animal Kingdom, having absorbed every detail he could stuff into his head about these small, rare, endangered creatures. A good start.

Remember when I said the Salt Lick was so amazing, and you should try it out if you're ever passing this way, etc.? Well, I stand by that. It's certainly worth a stop. But Terry Blacks Barbecue was the best plate of barbecue I've personally ever had. It's about one mile from the Barton Springs pool back toward Austin, but you can smell the place a half mile away. It's very unique in its setup in that you move through the line and choose your sides first, then moving on to proteins and drinks. When you decide on proteins, you order by the pound giving the opportunity to try much more. Conor and I split brisket, smoked turkey, two different kinds of sausage, mac-n-cheese, cowboy beans, coleslaw, corn bread, and a cool and refreshing banana pudding for desert. Good LAWD!! The day could have ended after the meal and we'd have been quite satisfied, but instead we set out for the Austin Aquarium for an hour or two.

The Austin Aquarium is unique for a live animal habitat. And for that matter, it's much more than an aquarium. This place is situated in a strip-mall about 15 miles outside the city and is filled with fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and more. A bit pricey, but given Conor's infatuation with the Animal Kingdom I'd say it was worth it. Half of the animals you can feed and or pet! As we moved through a labyrinth of creatures arranged throughout the building in no particular order, Conor meandered into a bird cage that saw a dove land upon his head, he touched rays and dogfish sharks in a shallow tank, and even found himself in a Lemur enclosure with these animals crawling and hopping all around him! He was in HEAVEN! The lemur who came to Conor and spent the most time with him was a Red Ruff Lemur named "Angel". By the time we left this place Conor was considering a career in zoology and asking about what it must be like to experience life in Africa...

From here we made our way back to the hotel and took a little break before heading back downtown. We walked Austin's famed 6th Street for a moment until I realized that 6th Street in the daytime is no place for a 10 year old, so we made our way over to 5th Street where you can still grab a good meal and not be harassed by Austin's wayward locals.

After a fantastic dinner at "Stella's San Jac", we made our way to our final destination for the day, the Congress Street Bridge.

The Congress Street Bridge looks like any other bridge for 23 hours a day. But for an hour at just around sundown, it becomes something else. Perhaps Austin's most famous attraction, in fact. Bats. Lots and lots of bats. Thousands of 'em! No sooner did the Sun dip down below the Western hills they appeared as though they were on queue. Scores of small brown bats took to the sky in swarms moving out from bridge in every direction. Standing on the bridge and looking down toward the river below would give a perspective that's as unique as Austin itself. A great way to finish the day...

And now it's off to Lubbock, TX for a night en route to Taos New Mexico! Both places I've never been and am excited to see. The abyss of the road grows deeper and less predictable from here and frankly, we couldn't be more excited to see what's in store!

Down the Healing Road we go...