Christmas in Austin, TX
Things are different in Texas
The view from our drives through the country so far had been familiar: intentional planting of uniform trees to shield communities from the interstate; busy highways with container trucks; rest areas, gas stations and fast food restaurants. Whether we were in Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, or even Louisiana, our view from the driver’s and passenger’s seats had been the same.
It was in Texas that we first felt hints that we really were in a new place: trees disappeared and, as a result, we could see for miles in all directions, the land seemingly barren of animals and people; long stretches of the highway were empty, making me wonder if Bezos had not invaded this part of the country; rest areas were nonexistent, but gas stations and fast food places were abundant. (One advertised, “Eat Here. Get Gas.” but someone should tell them the message could also be interpreted in a non-flattering way.) The novelties on the road were the gigantic oil refineries, never-ending fences that eventually revealed this-or-that ranch and the signs for BBQ joints.
We had chosen to spend time in Texas in December to avoid the cold weather, but karma had Winter Storm Elliot follow us. (In preparation, we had winterized our van — emptying all tanks and flushing all hoses — back in Miramar Beach.) We first felt the Arctic air while driving through vast open fields that had nothing to break the wind. Weather advisories not only warned of a “hard freeze” but also issued wind advisories that stated, “Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle.”
Worse than driving in the middle lane while having to pass large 18-wheelers on either side was the feeling of driving a high profile vehicle over long, high bridges while the wind was howling at 40 mph. No matter how much of a death-grip one had on the steering wheel, the car felt as if it were on ice skates.
We arrived at our hotel in Houston— just a quick stop on our way to Austin — feeling lucky not to have been tipped over by the wind. We were so reluctant to drive more than absolutely necessary that we picked up dinner from the Mexican restaurant next door. Another novelty: the menu was in Spanish with English below in tiny letters as an afterthought. When we got into our room and opened our takeout, we were pleasantly surprised by a tasty whole tilapia steamed with peppers and onions, and a chicken quesadilla the size of a frisbee.
In the morning, travel day. The forecast hadn’t mentioned another day of winds, but Nature does not care what the forecast says. So, high-profile vehicle, blah-blah-blah, bridges, blah… howling wind… blah, blah, death-grip on steering wheel. (Another glitch in the Matrix.)
No matter. The scary drive was worth the prize: our children flew to Austin to spend the holidays with us!
***
I once had a jade plant.
I gave it water and fertilizer according to its needs. Yet, as it grew, some of its leaves and branches stretched out as if they had been randomly pulled by a whimsical hand. Online searching led to my discovery of a phenomenon called etiolation caused by insufficient light. Water and fertilizer had been fine, but the plant had needed a brighter window and was literally stretching itself to reach more sunlight.
A few years ago, Austin was on many young people’s list of hot cities. I vaguely remember mentions of tech companies moving to town and hiring young workers in droves, all of which in turn led to a boom in the vibrancy of the city in the food and arts scene (I hear South by Southwest is an exciting festival, but what do I know?) Although we arrived in this brave new post-Covid Austin, there was still evidence of the boom: the food scene was exciting with a dizzying array of restaurants, from clusters of food trucks, new Mexican cuisine, quirky ramen shops, gourmet donuts. Sixth Avenue was chock-full of bars with live music. Downtown, several cranes dotted the skyline.
Still, there were also signs of the usual too-much-too-fast-too-unequal growth: construction projects seemingly abandoned mid-way; many properties with for-sale signs in their windows; multiple tent cities in highway underpasses. I cannot even begin to pretend that I could understand the complex issues involved in city growth and management, much less have any solutions for their challenges. But it was sad to see the same problems manifest in all the big cities we’ve visited.
Water. Fertilizer. Sunlight.
What are their human equivalents?
***
Homemade brunch. It was lovely to be able to make a favorite meal for the kids: sausage hash, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, fresh fruit, and mimosas.
We decided to burn off our carb-heavy meal with a walk around the Texas Capitol grounds.
It was a beautiful sunny Christmas Day. For some reason, there was a man dressed as a cowboy — the whole getup with hat, boots and vest — riding a bike, playing the guitar, and blasting country songs from a boombox on his bike rack.The grounds themselves, I guessed, were quieter than usual — perhaps the other cowboys were taking the day off and the one on duty was milking it. Families clustered around the many monuments to take pictures. Oh, there’s a man in a pedestal! And a man in a horse! And here’s a block of stone!
Closer examination of the plaques revealed that they were monuments, respectively, for the “Hood’s Texas Brigade” and “Terry’s Texas Rangers,” both commemorating groups that fought on the side of the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Around the other side of the Texas Capitol, we saw a huge slab of granite with the Ten Commandments — on public land.
Personally, the most poignant monument was the “Tribute to Texas Children Monument”: according to the plaque, “The life-sized bronze figures depict children on a field trip to the Texas Capitol. The monument honors and celebrates the youth of Texas. Students from over 600 Texas schools participated in fund-raising activities to help build the memorial.” As we approached it, several children — live versions of the bronze ones — frolicked and mimic-ed the statues’ positions. My first thought was of Uvalde. A monument is dandy; public policy that actually helps children live, grow and thrive is priceless.
We also walked to the University of Texas Austin campus because I wanted to see the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library (check out “LBJ orders pants” on youtube). Perhaps because of the festive season, my kids indulged me. We walked through the empty campus, marveling at its size and especially its football stadium. The presidential library itself looked more like a mausoleum than a library, because it had so few windows.
But seriously, search for “LBJ orders pants.”
***
We left our kids to their own devices and plans — something about taco trucks and piercings — and went on a bike ride on the Ann and Roy Butler Trail (10 miles). The multi-use trail was being well used by pedestrians, dogs, runners, bikers, all probably trying to burn holiday calories or get a head start on new year’s resolutions. (One quibble: online reviews should have mentioned that the trail is not paved but packed dirt — I mean, that’s really important information!)
***
Our children flew the nest, back to their cities and busy lives. Now it was back to the OG members of the band, N. and me.
We used our last day in Austin to get haircuts, and taste more bbq — pulled pork, chopped brisket, sausage, baked beans, pickle, coleslaw, pickled onions & jalapeño (if offered, I would try pickled shoe leather). We then had to compensate for the savory with sweet donuts.
At a friend’s recommendation, we ended our visit to Austin with views of the sunset from the balcony of a restaurant by Lake Travis.
