Austin to Houston

It was a pretty full-on drive into Austin, but we got there early enough to relax by the pool once we'd parked up. It was incredibly hot, and cooling down was necessary. We've been staying in 'Carefree RV' resorts so far in Texas - they're really clean, green and full of trees. I think they're aimed at a slightly older crowd, but that works for us - less competition for the pool.

Once we'd sorted ourselves out, we got a taxi into town and wandered up Congress Ave to the Capitol. Austin is really leafy and the Capitol is beautiful - surrounded by trees and sculptures (many commemorating the Civil War and those who died for 'state rights'). There was a big group of kids rolling down the hills and playing in the trees. It was such a beautiful Sunday night, it seemed like the whole city was out to enjoy it.

We met a really nice local couple and their kids, they'd spent quite a bit of time in NZ and were keen for a chat and happy to give us some pointers on what to do. 

Then along Beale Street - Austin's famous party street. Austin is known as a city full of live music, and Sunday nights are no different. We ended up in a cafe/bar listening to "experimental electronica". I think the experimental phase will be quite long. The local beer (Shiner - named for a town just south of San Antonio) was really good. So we had a couple, and watched the very religious couple sitting next to us get through their awkward first date. Off down the road and into the Warehouse District, for a few more beers - listened to a "benefit gig" (in aid of abandoned puppies) at a courtyard bar. It was after midnight and still so hot. 

Next day we headed into Downtown Austin to check out the shops. We got looked at strangely again when we when into a cafe/lunch place and just asked for a coffee... no-one seems to do that in Texas. Downtown Austin seems to be the epicentre of the "keep Austin weird" movement - heaps of incredible eclectic vintage stores selling everything from stuffed coyotes, to old "Vote Ford for President" pins, yearbooks from the 60s, belt buckles, you name it. We could have spent hours in each one. Mark dipped out on his quest to buy the perfect cowboy boots (since we went to the rodeo, he seems to have decided he missed his true calling), as it's next to impossible to get a good pair for less than $300US, but he did pick up a cowboy shirt.

Austin's quite different from the Texas we've seen so far - there's still plenty of cowboy types, but there's also a strong hipster crowd (who wear their cowboy boots in a slightly more ironic fashion). 

Back in Winston we headed the 75 miles to San Antonio and parked not far from the centre of town. First stop - the Alamo. It was not at all what we expected. It's a beautiful green oasis in the middle of town - old stone walls surround what's left of the Chapel and the barracks. The Daughters of Texas have transformed the inner area into a beautiful tree-filled garden. It's no surprise Davy Crockett and his pals failed to overcome the Mexican forces, they were way outnumbered, but their bravery (some may say foolishness - there were about 10 Mexican soldiers for each Texian resistor) inspired the remaining Texians ("Texians" are precursors to Texans - before Texas joined the Union) to "remember the Alamo" and fight harder, and Santa Anna and his troops were defeated within a few months.

We nipped across the road for some ice-cream and then headed for the Riverwalk - where San Antonio pulled out another surprise. We'd heard a lot about this "Riverwalk", and, as Kiwis, we'd expected a DoC-style river-side semi-hike - sensible shoes required. But, as it turns out, the Riverwalk is a beautiful European-style entertainment area on the banks of the river. You have to walk down steps to get into it, so you can't see it from the street. The entire walk is about 10kms, with about 2kms of it being paved by cute little bars and cafes, bright coloured sun-umbrellas and little fountains everywhere. It's very un-Kiwi - no handrails (we like American pragmatism - if you're an idiot, you'll drown and it'll be your own fault). We were really taken with it - you'd never have known on the Riverwalk how hot it was above decks.

There was incredibly heavy rain last night, but Winston held firm... unfortunately the kitchen blind did not and we decided to ring El Monte with a not insignificant list of minor concerns - they booked Winston in for a check up in Houston this afternoon, so we got on the road. Given that there may be nothing more American than McDonalds (the number of golden arches we see almost rivals the number of stars and stripes flags), we gave in to the inevitable and got some McDs in the thriving metropolis of Flatonia, TX. I ordered the "Southern Style" Chicken burger, since there was no McChicken on the menu. It was unbelievably disappointing - literally a burger bun, two slices of gherkin and a chicken patty. Mark was much happier with his Big Mac.

Back on the road and into Houston - traffic was fiendish, but Mark did unbelievably well, as usual. We located the RV doctor, and Winston was seen to immediately. A really lovely couple, Nancy and Marv ,were there (with their wee poodle Amy) getting their (much bigger) RV attended to. They retired about 7 years ago, and are "full-time" RV-ers. It sounds like they've seen the whole of North America (bar Alaska - which is next on their list). Apart from a few months of the year with their kids in San Antonio, they go where the wind takes them. Mark and I are quite envious of their elastic timetable, but picked up some great tips off the pros and really enjoyed hearing some American points of view, other than those we hear on talk-back (other than Spanish language stations - which Mark really loves - we only seem to be able to get Glenn Beck).

Now we're parked up at "SpacePark RV Houston" - the closest RV Park to the Houston Space Museum, all ready for an early start!