Austin

I wake up to a rooster crowing. Yes a rooster. I am in a city and there is a rooster crowing at 5:00 am. Did I mention sustainable living Martina? She would have a cow or a goat if they could. Martina has left me a bicycle to get around Austin with. It's an easy city to figure out and very bike friendly.

First stop is the capitol. It has the standard dome. I walk up to the large oak doors with brass door knobs with the star of Texas on them. It seems odd. No signage, No guard. Do you knock? I open the door and find myself in a large empty entryway. No receptionist, no guard, policeman, metal detectors. Am I back in the 90's? This is GWB country. Where are the scare tactics? The high security? Here's a "humph". A "well I'll be". Texans believe in free and open government. They have restrained themselves from using security measures that would make people feel unwelcome to participate in their government.

On a Monday morning I am the only one queuing up for a tour, So I get the private one. It's a beautiful building that was built on the barter system when the original one burnt down and their was no cash to build a new one. They traded 3 million acres to a firm in Chicago to build this pink granite structure.

Down the street to the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. This is a three story building that traces Texas history from before European exploration to the early 1970's. The Star of Destiny presentation in the theater comes with special effects including rain, rumble, and your seats shaking and or filling with air. It does a good job on touting Texans independent spirit. They almost take credit for landing on the moon. Remember the phrase " Houston, the eagle has landed" or "Houston, we have a problem".

Right down the street, four blocks from the capital, is the University of Texas - the Longhorns. The campus and their 102,000 seat football stadium that is used 7 times a year. I drop in to meet my counterpart, Bill, at the alumni house. He gives me a brief tour. We swap notes and part ways.

I bike over to the other side of the city to Barton Springs park. I'm hungry and have yet to have a real good Texas barbecue. Iron Works was the recommended spot. I find it. If you didn't know about the "joint", you would have passed it by. I order beef ribs. You get your ribs served on a styrofoam plate with a scoop of potato salad and beans. Pull a beer out of a galvanized tub full of ice and head over to a table that has a roll of paper towels awaiting you. My trip is complete. They were the best. I left feeling full and the roll of paper towels a little smaller.

I go over the Congress Street Bridge. This bridge is home to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats - one of the largest urban bat colonies in the nation. At sunset they create a spectacle with a mass exodus from underneath the bridge for nocturnal flight. I am to early in the season to witness it it. But I can say I was riding over 1.5 million bats.

I walk the bike down East Sixth Street (Old Pecan Street). It's is one bar after another. At this time of day it is gearing up for the night life ahead for the 30 somethings.

Martina and I hook up. We go out for ice cream. Back to the couch.