Damkier's Travels: Austin

Southwest 737 at Austin Airport

Austin, TX was the first stop on my 2015 Baseball & Barbecue Tour of Texas. I briefly visited Texas several years ago, but I really have not spent much time in the state. This combined with the San Francisco Giants visiting Houston for interleague play made this trip happen. The plan was to fly into Austin, fly to Houston, then Dallas, then return home. Since I love some good barbecue, I also wanted to taste some Texas-style barbecue, especially brisket. I flew Southwest Airlines and experienced a lot of rain on this trip, so I had to use this picture to start the pictorial journey.

Shiner Bock Monte Cristo Sandwich and Mexican Coke

Austin is the state capitol of Texas and probably the most liberal part of the state. They are also well known for their diverse food scene - especially the ubiquitous food trucks - and their lively music scene. I made sure to sample both during the trip, including the above pictured Monte Cristo sandwich from Hey!... You Gonna Eat or What? made with pit smoked meats and a delicious fig and cherry jam. An excellent start to the city, especially acclimating to the humidity and heat of the Texas hill country. Fortunately, my first day was dry which would be a rare treat over the week.

The Sideshow Tragedy at The Continental Club

After striking out with the Congress Avenue Bridge Bats not swarming towards their dinner, I took a short ride to one of the better music clubs to see The Sideshow Tragedy play at The Continental Club. This local blues-rock duo rocked the house and were cooler than the Lone Star and Shiners in the audience. This SoCo club has rocked audiences since Elvis and still hosts some of the best bands in Austin. Many local and national bands love to play Austin which supports a fine music scene, even if the music caused this author to lose a bit of hearing for the rest of the weekend.

Gourdough's Sunday Brunch

After a long night of food, music, and adult beverages, a slow Sunday was perfect for some gourmet doughnuts and some Texas wine tasting. I know, gourmet doughnuts and wine? Is this Texas? Yes. Gourdough's makes gourmet doughnuts one at a time in a restored Airstream trailer and tops them with all sort of crazy and delicious goods; mine had maple frosting and bacon. Then the rain started. So I headed to the LBJ Presidential Library on the University of Texas campus. LBJ had a very interesting and controversial presidency including being a rather strong and colorful liberal politician from a very conservative state. Medicare and Vietnam, discuss.

Texas State Capitol

Once the rain passed, a beautiful May day arrived in the capitol. That gave me an excellent opportunity to visit the Texas State Capitol and take some great pictures. This is a large building for a large state and has been the host of some rather lively and controversial discussions. One of the unique features is the overhead lamps that spell out Texas with light bulbs. One thing you quickly learn visiting Texas is that Texans love Texas. There are Texas flags EVERYWHERE. I have never seen this much passion for a state, and it can be a bit overwhelming at times.

William Chris Vineyards

After a stop at the world's largest Whole Foods in downtown Austin, it was time for the short drive to Texas Hill Wine Country. If you look past the tourist traps and wineries using non-Texas grapes, there are several wineries making an excellent product. One of them, William Chris Vineyards, was recommended and worth the effort. Wines in Texas have a different taste and profile compared to the typical California and French styles, but these guys are slowly making waves in the industry and appealing to the local spirit and daring of the Texas spirit.

All You Can Eat Barbecue at Salt Lick BBQ

Nestled in the hill country is the Salt Lick BBQ near Driftwood, TX. This large ranch-style barbecue restaurant is sprawled over several acres and famous for the family-style meals of beans, potatoes, cole slaw, and all the barbecued meats you can handle. This was a good place to start my barbecue journey. Texas barbecue is focused mainly on beef, with much less sweetness and more spice. They are rightly famous for their brisket - a byproduct of the massive cattle industry and need to prepare lesser cuts of meat not desirable on the export market. The sausages were excellent, but most everything else would actually be one of the lesser experiences of the trip.

Excellent Brisket and Sides from Rudy's Country Store

Then the sky opened up and the rains began. Coming from California, rain is a rare commodity these days, but this week in Texas was literally flooded with rain. Most iPhones have Emergency Alerts for weather, but these are rare in California. When the phone blows up with flash flood and tornado alerts, you really take notice. I was planning on driving to San Antonio, but torrential downpours kept me in Austin which meant more barbecue and museums. I visited the Bullock Texas State History Museum and IMAX which allowed for a day of Texas history and the latest Avengers movie! Texas has a storied history under Six Flags - hence the name of the theme parks - most of which dealt with complex issues around slavery and settling the west.

The rain delay also gave me an opportunity to try Rudy's Country Store an excellent local barbecue gas station chain in Texas and several other states. This was far more typical of the pit-style restaurants in Texas where you choose your meats by the pound served on classy tableware like butcher paper and plastic trays. This brisket was light years beyond the Salt Lick with the famous smoke rings and excellent texture. Sauce was very optional and complimented the creamed corn nicely. This meat restored my faith in the barbecue potential of the trip.

Congress Avenue Bridge without the Famous Bats

With all the rain and severe weather, it was fortunate that I was flying high above it between cities. I had a really nice trip to Austin and will be back soon. Austin is highly recommended for everyone looking for a fun Texas trip with lots of good food, music, wine, and other Texas-style adventures. Please enjoy the rest of my pictures below.