Nov 6 -Nov 11, 2019 Berry Springs RV and then fun in Austin!

Nov 6
We're up and at it this morning after a good night here in Georgetown. Nice, quiet park off the highway so we had a great sleep. I'm going for a run on the trails and Leslie is taking Margaret for a walk and then out for her own walk. Les clocked 4k according to  her phone which is fantastic with her back being so bad lately. The park across the road is a really nice treat with a mix of gravel paths and cement walkways. There are lots of birds and some gophers and in the back part there were some donkeys and goats in the field. Lots to see while enjoying the trails.

Our site #59; 50 amp p/w/s and a nice cement patio.

The map of the trails.

We're not birders, a red jay of some sort.

Have never seen these before, obviously ripe.

Weird looking orange.

Says they can be "roach" repellent. Leslie had a bag full ! Just kidding ;)

There's the goats but the donkeys are hiding.

We got cleaned up and jumped in the truck for a driving tour. We ended up pulling into an outlet mall in Round Rock (the two communities join) and toured a few stores. Leslie found some new runners and they had a promotion to get a second pair free so she has two new ones now. She can toss the ones she is replacing as they are worn right out.

A giant bag for 2 pairs of shoes.

Of course after our exercise and walking an outlet mall we are hungry and thirsty. We googled some places and found a cool pizzeria in the historic downtown. Perfect. I have a craving for pizza which is not on Leslie's keto plan but she can usually find a good substitute. After a short search for a place to park the dually we walked up to 600 Degree Pizzeria and Drafthouse. It was in a really old red brick building with the old dark wood seating inside. They have a patio too so we are going to sit outside. It's a nice day.

Like an old Charles Atlas pic with pizza lol.

Nice little patio and it was dog friendly, Margaret's at home.

I thought about ordering 3 slices, wow! $8/ slice but sooo good.

Leslie got a salad with donair meat, 

she stole some of my toppings too.

We took the long way back to the truck and continued a driving tour of the area. Some absolutely beautiful places down here.

Hard to see the whole place but it was gorgeous.

Williamson County Courthouse.

A sign by the courthouse. Times have changed

for the better.

Of course now that we are full of food and it's warm and muggy we are feeling a little sluggish. Back to the rig for a little lie down and recharge. We got up and researched some places to stay ahead of us towards Houston. Found another state park that looks interesting but that's down the road a bit. The rest of the day was nothing special. We had a drink outside on the patio until it got dusk-ish and then just relaxed inside. We only had snacks for supper. Still really full from the pizza feed.

Nov 7 - Another weather change. It's pouring rain here and cool again. It's a good chore day. We had a brief power outage in the park while we were having breakfast and working on the blog. It didn't bother anything we were doing and was back in within the hour. We headed out for a couple grocery items and stopped at Panda Express for lunch while we were there. After a fuel stop we headed back to the rig to do laundry, yayy! The park has a decent laundry room and nobody else was there so it was great for our needs. That was really our whole day. It's raining, kinda cold and miserable so we just turned on the fireplace and our electric heater and watched TV. We get 61 channels here on the antenna; love that part of being down here and close to a city.

Nov 8 - We have a short travel day to Austin Lonestar RV Resort on the south side of Austin. We had a nice easy start to the day and got packed to leave just before 11 am. GPS says it's just over an hour trip but the traffic is crazy. We're on I-35 South and there is construction on both sides of the road so it's a lot of stop and then go like hell to the next spot. We got to see lots of downtown and the surrounding area while we moved slowly forward. The GPS got us safely into Austin Lone Star (the construction is on the service road too) and we checked in with a super nice lady at the desk. We got 2 nights at a P.A. rate of $29 and then a Good Sam discount for the rest. Not a cheap place but the location is great for us and it's a nice park. Super clean and they have recycle so Leslie can unload our storage bay plus they have propane onsite. We were led to our site, #62, by Chuck, the manager. Really nice guy from western New York state. We got a chuckle out of his "I'm from western New York so I'm almost Canadian" statement. We chatted for a few minutes and he told us about all the stuff in the park and then he moved on. Good guy.

Tough to get to but worth it.

Chuck, leading us to our site.

Nice pull through with full services.

Spotless clean laundry room that we will be back to later in our stay.

We got set up and relaxed for a little bit and then hopped back in the truck to find a burger for lunch. With the construction it's a one way in and out so you have to turn right and follow the freeway then turn to wherever you're going. We took an easy left turn and hit a What-a-Burger in a strip mall across the freeway. Never tried their burgers before and I can tell you it was pretty good. Leslie got hers lettuce wrapped so it's even keto friendly. We did a little shopping in the strip mall and then drove back to the park. Friday afternoon traffic on Veterans Day weekend is insane. We can just hang out at the park for a bit. We're still killing giant wasps in the rig. Not sure if they all got in at San Angelo but we're up into the teens for the amount of wasps we have "relocated". Can't find a nest anywhere and trust me I have looked. We are getting good at sucking them into the Dyson vacuum with the crevice tool though! No touch wasp removal.

Nov 9 - We are excited this morning because we are going to the airport to pick up Sam & Richard for their stay here in Austin. We knew when we left that they had planned a trip to Austin but we weren't sure if we would be here. Well we are and we're looking forward to a weekend with the "kids" haha. Big kids. I dropped Leslie at the terminal and Margaret and I waited in the cellphone lot for them to arrive. FYI the road into the cellphone lot is not big rig friendly, some tight corners on the entrance. Didn't take long and Leslie texted me to come get them. With big hugs and handshakes I said hello and we headed back to our rig for a bit.

There they are on the escalator!

They can't check in to their B&B until after 2:00 so we'll do some other stuff first. They had looked up a food truck park that was near us so once we had washed up etc at our rig we took off again for brunch at the food trucks. There was a few choices but we all went to the taco truck and enjoyed a few different breakfast tacos. They were really good and not very expensive, a good find for brunch. Leslie's son Ryan sent us a picture from Edmonton and the fresh snow. Yikes they got a good shot of snow. Of course we sent back a pic of sunshine and green leaves on the trees. 

The food truck park, nice setting with tables in the shade.

Our choice for breakfast burritos. Really good.

This was Edmonton on the same morning. We win lol.

Next up is to check out a tailgate party downtown for the Texas Longhorns football game. It sounds like a ton of fun right? Let me tell you, there is probably around 100,000 people going to the game and I think every one of them drove! The streets downtown are not that wide and I'm driving the dually. Parking is almost non existent and there's no way I'm finding a spot for my fat ass truck. (Here's a lesson about wanting a mini Freightliner) I'm finding it a little overwhelming being in the crush and I'm getting umm...edgy. We got close so we told Sam & Richard to go ahead and we'll try to park and join them. That way when I have my snap-show Leslie will be the only one here and she knows all about my show haha. I did my little rant and then we drove around trying to find a parking lot. Not a chance.

Just a few of the fans on the streets, there were thousands of them!

We ended up getting on a road that took us to the Capitol Building area. We figured most everyone would be downtown at the game so this should be better. Wrong! There was a pretty large rally at the Capitol for a death row inmate that many feel was wrongfully incarcerated. No parking or even stopping down here either. I'm not having a good time here. Les is great though, just remaining calm and helping navigate us around. We finally found a spot many blocks away on a one way street that I could park. Phew, that was a test! Our parking spot was quite far down on the infamous 6th Street in Austin. We walked down closer to the action and just enjoyed all the sights. It's much like Whyte Ave in Edmonton in the summer with the buskers and people trying to sell you stuff. Of course there are a few that just want some cash but not that many really. We're hungry and I would really enjoy a beer after the drive down here. Les and I found a cool looking Irish pub, B.D. Riley's, and grabbed a street side table so we could people watch and have some lunch. Really great food, the best wings we have ever had, and an awesome fresh Guiness perfectly poured, even Leslie indulged in a Guiness.

Much better ahhh.

All better now, a frosty Guiness. Perfect pour!

Sam texted while we were having lunch and they are going to grab some scooters and come meet up with us. Perfect! I don't want to go back downtown. We met them outside and walked back to the truck and headed off to find their B&B. Their place is fairly close to the action on 6th street, a short ride in a cab or ride share away. It's a nice little place in the back yard of the owners house that they will share with the chickens! Yes, they have free range chickens in the yard and a dog. The B&B is also dog friendly but they didn't bring the dogs this trip.

Nice little B&B in Austin. WTH Sam lol?

Once they were settled in we jumped back in the truck and headed to an area close by with lots of shops and restaurants/bars. It's a street named South Congress and is fairly busy on a Saturday afternoon but with a little maneuvering we got a parking spot for the truck. We will enjoy the walk and checking out some of the shops and bars. One stop we did was at Allen Boots. It's a big name shop and the location has been here in Austin for decades. The smell of the leather when you walk in is amazing. The place is huge and they have just about everything in western wear. Holy boots Batman! There were thousands of pairs on many shelves all divided by size. Very cool. I found a pair that looked really cool and thought well maybe I should get them. We have two weddings this coming summer and they will look great. I pulled out the tag.... of course they will look great. lol For $409 USD they would look awesome on someone else! I'm too cheap for that much on boots that I won't wear very often. We all wandered around trying on hats and looking at all the stuff, Leslie and Sam found some cool hats. Didn't buy anything after all that though.  

Trying on some hats. They look good.

After looking at a few restaurants we decided on Hopdoddy Burger Bar. It looks really good and we can get in right away. You go to the counter and order what you want and they give you a table number. Then they bring your food to the table. It was delicious and fast, perfect. After dinner we basically walked back to the truck the long way around and then dropped Sam & Richard at their place. They are tired from the previous night so they are having a nap and then going out afterwards for drinks. We would like to see some live music but I have had enough driving in Austin for today. Leslie and I went back to the rig and enjoyed a quiet evening with Margaret.

The turf car! Good advertising lol.

Some good live music going on but we're looking for food.

Good burgers and beer.

Table selfie, Leslie, Richard,Sam and me. I need a longer arm.

Nov 10 - Of course we are up earlier than the night owls and I want to get a run in this morning before it gets too hot. Supposed to be 25C/77F this afternoon. There is a state park not far from us that I want to check out and run one of the trails. Les is going to take Margaret on a nice walk and enjoy the trails too. We could have camped here at McKinney Falls State Park but there were no sites available for the weekend so Lone Star is a good option. Our  Texas park pass got us in and we parked with ample room in one of the lots and got out to enjoy the trails. What a beauty morning! Perfect temperature to enjoy the park for a bit.

Beautiful trails to enjoy.

The water is low but this is a "falls".

Leslie with Margaret on a stroll.

We headed back to the rig and cleaned up and headed to Barton Springs Picnic. It's another area for food trucks to gather in a circle and there is enough parking that I can park the truck easily. Bonus, it is dog friendly so Margaret can come too. Sam & Richard used the bicycles that come with their rental to meet us. Everyone got what they wanted for lunch and then we loaded into the truck to check out Zilker Metro Park and Barton Springs Pool. The "pool" is a small dam on the river and looks really nice. The pool is quite deep and you can walk out on the limestone and jump in. Very cool spot to cool off in summer. We aren't going swimming today. We walked the path along the river to a metal bridge where we watched two people jump off a clearly signed "no jumping" bridge. The river is deep but the rocks are all over and hard to see. They made it though and swam away to their canoe at the edge of the river. Brave or stupid, there's a fine line sometimes.

Quite few food trucks, Austin is famous for food trucks.

Sam & Richard with their rental bikes.

The "pool" at Barton Springs Park. Complete with lifeguards.

The gates to control the pool depth and the river.

Some kids fishing and you can rent kayaks, paddleboards and canoes.

Clearly marked bridge....but of course

Somebody always needs to do it. We missed the splash.

After the walking and being in the sun everyone is a little thirsty. We backtracked to the food truck parking area but walked in the other direction. Leslie saw a sign for "the best Margaritas" haha and she needs to be the judge. The place is called Baby Acapulco and their patio is dog friendly, Margaret can come for drinks! There are other dogs though she will have nothing to do with any of them.

The table beside us, super well behaved.

Safely tucked away from the other dogs.

The winning Margaritas! Me, Richard, Sam & Leslie

Their Margaritas were very good apparently but compared to what you might ask? Well how about the place next door that also advertises best Margaritas? Leslie, Sam & Richard were testers while I just had a beer. I do need to drive later in this city traffic. I believe Baby Acapulco was the winner lol. We did have some really good buffalo wings at the second place, Shady Grove.

That was enough fun for the older crowd. We drove Sam & Richard back to their place, said good night and play safe. They're going out again tonight. Oh to be young again, sigh. Leslie and I drove back to Lone Star and kicked back with a glass of wine. More our speed after a great day. It's so good to be able to hang out with these two. Mama is a happy girl....me too of course.

Nice sunset on the way back to the rig.

Nov 11- Veterans Day here in the U.S. and Rememberance Day in Canada. A day we all should observe and thank the people, currently or in the past, who have served our countries and have given us the opportunity to be able to freely travel about and enjoy all of these great places. My favourite picture that I use to honour our military past and present.

My dad training as a pilot in RCAF. 

Never forget that our freedom was and is not free. Many people paid the ultimate price for what we now enjoy.

It's overcast and about 20C/72F this morning but there is a wind picking up that is bringing a cold front down all the way from Canada this afternoon. Tomorrow morning is supposed to be at or just below freezing and the park is warning folks to leave a tap dripping so they don't freeze up. I chose to just add water to our tank and coil the hose up before it's stiff and hard to work with.

We messaged Sam but no answer back yet so we just relaxed and worked on the blog a bit. It turns out they found some fun last night and stayed up really late enjoying more than one or two drinks lol. We have a reservation to see the Hamilton Pool Preserve. There is a short hike to the natural pool. There is something else I have been waiting to try; The Salt Lick Barbecue that I first got a look at a few years back on Jim & Barbs blog! I showed a bunch of the boys at work the picture of the pit and told them that one day I will get there. Well my friends today is that day! I'm excited enough for everyone.

We pulled up in front of Sam & Richard's place and Leslie went to get them while Margaret and I waited in the truck. The wind is steadily getting stronger and the temperature is dropping slowly. By this afternoon both the wind and the temperature are supposed to be in the 50's..... 50F/10C and 50 mph wind or about 80 kmh. Big change from the heat wave yesterday.

I had to chuckle when everybody got in the truck. Richard looks okay but maybe a little tired. Sam looks not bad and sounds like she's nursing a good hangover. Hahaha with age comes wisdom, well sometimes it does at least. Richard was smart enough to eat, he ordered Jack in the Box at 2 am but Sam fell asleep so she didn't eat. Needed the greasy burgers to feel better. It's funny when it's not us lol.

Even has the window down for the extra air lol. 

Kinda dirty posting this but c'mon that's funny lol.

Hamilton Pool is near a town called Dripping Springs to the southwest. After a slight delay in traffic getting out of Austin we followed the GPS directions to the preserve. There was a younger lady at the gate checking reservations and she politely but firmly told us "no dogs in the park". I said that's fine that Margaret will just sit in the truck. No, there's no dogs allowed in the park. What the?? Richard had already paid $10 online for the reservation but we're kind of stuck. We can't just tie Margaret to a tree outside the park gate can we? So we left but then I got a brainwave. Sam & Richard can do the hike to the pool and we'll loop back out with Margaret and wait until they text us. After waiting in a construction delay just down the road we looped back and sure enough the gate guard was okay with our plan but now we had wasted a bunch of time and there was only enough time to walk to the pool and snap some pics and then hustle back. What a gong show. $35 US for pictures of a river pool under a ledge....nice. Oh and a quick walk on a rough trail with a hangover. Worth it? Nope maybe not.

This is our picture of the same river on our little drive.

With pictures of the pool and both passengers feeling much better after a stroll we headed over to The Salt Lick for lunch. I can hardly wait.

The drive was only about half an hour and we pulled into the parking lot in a really strong wind and a pile of swirling dust. The place is huge! We need to just get inside out of the wind so no outside pics to share. Inside is my definition of heaven! The smell of barbecue is everywhere and because it is early in the day the lineup is short. We waited for a table in the reserved dining area and then were escorted to our table in the main dining area. The portions are great and after a good look at the menu we ordered and then tore into our lunch. Well I did I know that, it was fantastic! I'm getting some extras "to go" so I can have some for breakfast tomorrow. Everybody was very happy with lunch. Thanks Jim & Barb for finding this gem and telling us all about it. So worth the stop. 

Note: They only take cash and you can bring your own beer or wine with dinner. There is a wine and beer store next door too but we didn't go there. Ice tea seemed okay today for everyone lol.

Could be heavens gate if not for the fire. Built in 1967!

The original owner and some history.

That's a happy barbecue smile.

Ribs, sausage and brisket with beans, potato salad & slaw.

A group selfie attempt, pretty bad.

Had to get another shot of that pit. Love it!

Of course now is the hard part: getting back to Austin with meat sweats and a full belly in a strong wind and the odd rain shower. Plus the traffic is heavy already. There are too many cars in this city! We dropped Sam & Richard at their place and went home. It's time for a little lay down and recharge the batteries. We are so full. Forgot to mention we topped all the meat with pecan pie. It was like home made pie so you just couldn't say no.

After a nice rest and getting washed up we got in the truck and went back to the B&B. It's raining fairly hard but we're not going far from their place anyway. Our first choice for dinner had no decent parking for the truck so we went with plan B. Turns out the plan B was where Sam was hoping to go in first place so it's a good thing we changed. The restaurant is called Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar. It's a casual place where you seat yourself, look at a menu and then go to the bar to order food and drinks. They give you a number disc for the table. A server then brings your order to your table. It was incredibly good food. We shared a bit around the table because each order comes in a separate dish. It was packed when we got there but not so bad while we ate. Great stop in that area of Austin for sure. Thanks Sam and Richard for paying for dinner!

We got stuck at a railway crossing on the way back to their place and had to turn around on the street and go a different way. I can't wait to leave this traffic behind in a couple days.

Sam & Richard leave early in the morning to fly home so we have to say good bye. What a great time we had and it's so nice to see people from home while we are down south in nicer weather. Well, not tonight but the rest of the visit was great. With big hugs we said good bye until spring when we get back. The snow has already started to melt in Edmonton so it won't be bitter cold when they land at least. Bye guys, safe flight home.

We'll post this much and carry on next time. This is a picture heavy, long post already. We are booked in a State Park next which should be way less traffic and much more quiet. The forecast is for lots of rain again and cool but we'll have power and hopefully a decent TV signal.

Cheers everybody!