Day trip

Yesterday, we took a pretty spontaneous trip to Austin. Our main reason was to visit Lance Armstrong's bike shop- Mellow Johnny's, since Russ is a huge Tour fan and cyclist. It was a pilgrimage for him, so the whole family tagged along.

We made a stop at Magnolia Cafe, based on a recommendation from a friend and it was voted best 24hr restaurant in the Austin Chronicle. After a fairly long wait (we never wait to eat with three kids, quite unusual for us) we were hoping this place was worth it. Judging by the line of people outside and the happy faces on the diners, it had to be good. The menu was full of variety, with plenty of vegetarian choices. We enjoyed the creative flair on some pretty standard dishes. Little E is primarily a vegetarian now (mostly out of love for animals), so she loved her big plate of brown rice and steamed veggies covered in melted cheese.

Next was Mellow Johnny's, which was tempting not to leave with a whole new wardrobe for a hobby I have little interest in. (Road biking looks like too much effort in hot Texas.) We enjoyed an iced coffee at the attached coffee shop Juan Pelota. Then headed toward the Town Lake. As we crossed the bridge, we noticed a lot of kayakers, so we parked and walked along the shore.

We actually came up on an open dog park that allowed owners to play with their dogs in the water. We were bummed Caelin (the dog) wasn't with us- we will surely bring him back. There's nothing like the freedom to throw the ball in the water to have him chase it without getting the evil-eye from neighbors. In the area, we did witness a gentleman who is the iconic "let's keep Austin weird" sort of fellow. He was taking a shower in what appeared to be no clothes whatsoever. It turned out he was courteous enough to wear a swimsuit- a VERY European swimsuit. It was nothing more than a sock with floss. The kids tried desperately to avert their eyes but then he hopped on a bike in his tiny swim suit and rode away. We were all a little shocked, but tried desperately not to laugh.

In an attempt to do lots of fun, new activities outside, we rented a canoe and hit the lake. For only $10 (for the whole family), we had an hour of freedom on the lake. The big kids got paddles and we all rowed to and fro on the city lake, admired the architecture of a true metropolitan town, and watched a little more of Austin's weirdness. It was cool to all be in the same boat, working as a team- even though little J kept switching sides, causing the canoe to threaten capsizing. It invigorated the whole family, after a long week of nights without Dad, they truly got to experience a new adventure. We were so impressed with the quality time, we will certainly do it again, next time a little closer to home.

All in all, it was a fantastic day. We were glad to have figured the study schedule out so that we could get Russ' undivided attention for a whole day. Austin always feels like home to us, we're never going to blend in and that's why that town is perfect for us. It's very similar to Seattle, which we loved when we lived in a neighboring town several years back. Something about a town that has mastered the art of urban revitalization and the sense of community is something to be admired. They truly love their town and the people in it. It is the perfect storm for all the free-enterprise that makes the downtown so enjoyable. The suburbs- well, they're like every other suburb in America- well thought out strip malls with all the same stores.