madcity girl

The second-to-last day of our Texas vacation was spent in the Hill Country, on the road, and finally back in Austin. I got up early to do a short run around Fredericksburg. Afterward, Larry and I enjoyed a final breakfast on the patio of our B & B. Then we returned our rental bikes and hit the road—Austin bound—with just a few stops along the way.

Our first stop was, well, back to Luckenbach. Larry had enjoyed our visit there the previous day so much that he wanted to go back. This time with a mission—to film himself singing Waylon Jennings’ Luckenbach, on stage in the dance hall. Only a few select family members and friends were granted access to the footage. But I’m the only lucky one who can say I witnessed it firsthand.

Next, we made a quick stop at Becker Vineyards.  For a $10 tasting fee (which included a cheesy souvenir glass I didn’t even attempt to fly home with), I tried the ‘11 Viognier, ‘10 Roussanne, ‘11 Provencal, ‘10 Reserve Grenache, ‘09 Malbec, ‘10 Reserve Merlot, and the ‘10 Reserve Cabernet-Syrah. The wine was fine, but what I like most about Becker is the breathtaking Hill Country scenery and lavender fields, as well as the impressive tasting room re-purposed from an 1800’s stone barn. It’s all quite charming.

Larry then spontaneously pulled off the road to take a few pictures of a field of wildflowers. Everyone had the same idea—there were cars turning off the highway left and right.

Back on the road, we drove through Johnson City, whereupon we began a two-day obsession with Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson. Although we didn’t stop at the historic Texas White House (maybe next time), our road trip ponderings did fuel quite a bit of web research back at our hotel room, as well as the next day’s visit to the LBJ Library and Museum. Back at the hotel, Larry told me about the famous phone call of Lyndon B. Johnson ordering pants. It was horrifying to listen to and tainted my impression of LBJ forever. But even so, I did enjoy learning more about the Johnson’s experience in the White House.

The highlight of the road trip was stopping for lunch at The Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas. I had been there for dinner during my last trip to Texas, but was eager to get back and share the experience with Larry. I was starving, which we all know is the best way to begin the ultimate barbeque feast.

I opted for Thurman’s Choice, known on the menu as “the plate poppa always ate,” which includes brisket, pork ribs, and sausage, with sides of potato salad, cole slaw, beans, and bread, and pickles and onions on the side. Somehow we also found room for dessert—peach and blackberry cobbler. The meal was mouth-watering good, but even more than the food, I enjoyed the atmosphere—a giant open fire pit with meats a ’smokin, on an old Texas ranch with beautiful views of the surrounding rolling hills. Needless to say, I was rolling out of there myself.

Back in Austin, we took a short break at the hotel before venturing out for dinner. For once I wasn’t really hungry, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try yet another Austin food cart. This time we headed to Torchy’s Tacos in the South Austin Trailer Park. I tried the Baja Shrimp Taco (hand-battered fried shrimp with cooked cabbage slaw topped with pickled jalapenos and onions, queso fresco, cilantro and a wedge of lime with chipotle sauce). It was one of the best tacos I’ve ever had, and wish my stomach would have been able to accommodate a few more samples. 

Our final destination of the day was to The Broken Spoke for Texas Two-Step lessons and live music from Americana singer/songwriter Jesse Dayton. It’s another place I had visited during my last Trip to Texas, but was eager to return to, especially since I now had a dance partner! Larry was a hesitant yet willing participant, and for that I give him major credit. The Broken Spoke is the ultimate Texas dance hall. It’s legendary. So is the woman who was our dance teacher, Terri White, the daughter of famed owners James and Annetta White. Although we certainly weren’t the best Texas two-steppers out on the dance floor (far from it), we got better as the night progressed, and had quite a bit of fun learning and trying. 

Our third day in Texas was spent entirely in the Hill Country, and mostly on our bikes. Based on a recommendation from Frank, the owner of our B & B, we decided to do a ride from Fredericksburg to Comfort, TX (the Guadernales route on cycletexas.com). Frank sold me on the 54-mile route when he described a cafe (High’s) in Comfort (the half-way point of the ride) that serves amazing cookies. He explained he always needs a little incentive now-a-days when he rides, and I agreed that cookies often serve as a motivating force for me, too.

According to the route summary, the ride “traverses a ridge separating the Pedernales River valley from the Guadalupe River valley. It encompasses quite a bit of climbing, including a mildly steep slope almost ten miles in length from Fredericksburg toward Comfort and the challengingly steep slopes of the Bat Cave Summit. The route also includes two fabulous descents, one on the ride down to Comfort, the other towards the end on the return leg to Fredericksburg. Comfort, with many shops and restaurants, makes for an interesting way-point.”

What struck me the most during the ride were the countless ranches we passed (and the cattle grids we rode over), the great roads and lack of traffic, the wildflowers, the heat (85+ degrees), and the charming town of Comfort.

When we finally reached Comfort, I was disappointed to find that High’s Cafe was closed. Meaning no cookie. Actually, it seemed like more than half the town was closed (it was Wednesday). Luckily, we found 7th Heaven Cafe, apparently known for its “Slap Your Momma Good!” hamburgers. We shared a sandwich and a slice of Chocolate Pumpkin Cake, which more or less made up for my initial cookie disappointment. Comfort was a cute town—several cafes, antique stores, and beautiful, restored buildings.

We were a little pokey on our way back to Fredericksburg, stopping along the way to explore the Grapetown Schoolhouse and take pictures with Texas longhorns. I was notably fading, tired from the heat and sun, so the last part of the ride was a struggle. Although it was a great ride, I was happy to finish and get off my bike once we returned to Fredericksburg.

After a quick snack and glass of wine back at our B & B, we ventured to Luckenbach, Texas, located about 10 miles southeast of Fredericksburg. I think it was the highlight of the trip for Larry. Luckenbach rose to fame after Country music legend Waylon Jennings wrote a song about going there to escape big city life. Boasting a “population 3″ sign,  Luckenbach  includes a post office/general store/saloon and a dance hall. With a Lone Star in hand, Larry and I found a picnic table under the towering oak trees to listen to Jeremy Steding, a Vintage Country/Americana singer/songwriter. The music and atmosphere were fantastic—I think we could have easily sat there all night soaking it all in.

Eventually we said goodnight to Luckenbach and headed to dinner at Hill Top Cafe, located 10 miles north of Fredericksburg. The restaurant had been recommended to us by one of our biking teammates. I loved the live music and kitschy atmosphere—lots of character and personality. Disappointingly, the service was bad—the worst we experienced during our trip—and the food (I ordered the Southern Fried Mississippi Catfish) was unmemorable. An interesting experience, though.

All in all, it was a great day in the Hill Country.

On day two, we hit the road for the Texas Hill Country. Instead of the more commonly traveled highway route via 290 West, Larry suggested a longer, scenic path on “Farm to Market” roads. The route took us through the small towns of Buda, Dripping Springs, Johnson City, and Stonewall, and to our final destination—Fredericksburg, a small, heavily German-influenced town about 75 miles west of Austin that serves as a popular weekend destination for Texans.

Just outside of Austin, in Buda, Texas, we stopped for breakfast at Tako Taco—located in an Airstream trailer parked alongside the road. Sadly they were out of cheese (nor did they have coffee on the menu), but I ordered an egg and bacon taco, and Larry ordered two tacos—one with eggs and potatoes and one with eggs and chorizo. They were simple, but satisfying. We ate at a picnic table alongside the road. 

Back on our way, we soon came upon an elementary school that had two giant rain water collection barrels in front. Larry is a teacher at a environmental and sustainability-focused elementary school and is in the midst of a water unit, so he was interested in stopping to check  out their system. We ended up in the school office chatting with teachers and staff about the project. Interestingly, not much further down the road, we stumbled upon Tank Town, a rain water collection utopia of sorts. We didn’t stop long, but were given a DVD and two bottles of drinking water.

When we finally arrived in Fredericksburg, we were hungry for lunch. Guided by a friend’s recommendation, we hit up Bejas Grill on Main Street. The atmosphere was great, but the food was disappointing. I ordered the BLTA sandwich (bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado) and Larry went with the Chicken Tortilla Soup. The soup was especially bad—watery and bland.

Shortly after lunch, Larry struck up a conversation with Lupe and Genaro from Weslaco, Texas. It’s one of the things I love most about Larry—his curiosity and desire to connect with other people and learn more about their life experience—that you can only truly experience a place through its people. By the end of the conversation, it was like Lupe, Genaro and Larry were old friends. 

Next, it was on to Hill Country Bicycle Works to pick up the road bikes we had reserved for our visit. Luckily, the shop had just purchased a new fleet of rental bikes, so we enjoyed practically new bikes. After that, we checked in at our bed and breakfast and made a quick trip to the grocery store.

Our B & B, the aptly names Cyclismo, is a beautiful Victorian house just a few blocks off Main Street that was renovated several years ago by owner Frank Floyd, a colorful character and cycling enthusiast who lives in one of the three meticulously decorated units. In addition to the fabulously curated book and DVD selection (not to mention a fridge already stocked with beer), our unit had a great patio overlooking a gorgeous backyard and creek. We were also given keys to the garage to store our bikes. And Frank’s garage was like nothing I’ve ever seen—the ultimate man cave.

Frank invited us to join him for an evening ride and we gladly accepted. We headed north toward Mason. Within a short time, we were in cycling paradise—smooth roads, rolling hills and beautiful Texas scenery. While we rode, Frank filled us in on the history of the area—most notably, its strong German influences. He also boasted that Fredericksburg lays claim to the only American Indian peace treaty (with the Comanche Indians) not broken in the state.

After the ride, Larry and I enjoyed a relaxing dinner on the back porch back at our B & B. Dinner included salad, bread, Manchego cheese, Chorizo, cheese ravioli, and Cabernet–Syrah from nearby Becker Vineyards. It was the perfect finish to our first day in the Hill Country.

Ready for an evening ride with Frank

Kristin and Larry at Cyclismo B & B

Post-ride dinner on the porch

And now for the full version of our trip…

Larry and I arrived in Austin around 2 a.m. on Monday morning (after a two hour delay out of Chicago). We picked up our rental car—a shiny, new Jeep Liberty, an interesting choice for the two of us, but by far the best deal we could find. We found our hotel—the Omni at Southpark, crashed, and slept until late morning.

When we finally did get going, we were ready for food. We picked Polvos—a Mexican restaurant recommended by a colleague of mine who had eaten there last month. He summed it up as “The Best Mexican Food I’ve Eaten. Ever.” Larry loves Mexican food but was skeptical of the claim. Still, we were eager to give it a try.

Polvos is located on South 1st Street. It’s a small restaurant, a bit of a hole in the wall, with a sizable outdoor patio, which is where we grabbed seats. With a recommendation from our server, Larry decided on the Chilaquiles (a traditional Mexican dish)  for breakfast, while I jumped to lunch with the Chicken Enchiladas de la Casa. We also ordered a Lime Agua Fresca, a Strawberry Licuados, and a basket of chips with a selection of original salsas from the salsa bar.  The food was phenomenal. Larry remarked, this is some of the best Mexican food I’ve eaten outside of Mexico. The prices were great and the portions were huge—almost wastefully so. The service was excellent, too.

With very full bellies, we ventured to check out Barton Springs (a spring-fed pool that serves as a popular recreational destination in Austin) and hiked a bit of the Barton Creek Greenbelt, enjoying the beauty and interesting people watching along the way.

From there we went to explore South Congress Avenue (aka the trendy SoCo neighborhood). Although Larry isn’t much of a shopper, and I didn’t want to press my luck, we made a few stops—Tesoros Trading Company (folk art and crafts from over 20 countries), uncommon OBJECTS (purveyor of “antiques, oddities and curious goods”), Allens Boots (more cowboy boots than I’ve ever seen with price tags that blew me away), and St. Vincent de Paul (where Larry proposed we try to find outfits for the evening…an offer I momentarily considered, but ultimately declined).

Then it was, of course, time for more food. I needed sugar. So we headed over to Gordough’s (”Big. Fat. Doughnuts.”), which is located in a big, silver airstream trailer (ala Austin style) on South 1st Street. Gordough’s menu includes options like the Cherry Bomb, Blue Balls, Son of a Peach, and the Mother Clucker. I opted for the Funky Monkey, an unbelievably delicious combination of grilled bananas and cream cheese icing with brown sugar. Absolutely the most rich and best-tasting doughnut I’ve ever had.

At that point it was pretty much time for dinner, so we headed to East Side King, another food cart recommended to me by a co-worker. Apparently it’s one of Austin’s most popular food carts (now with three locations) and has been visited by nearly every food show, like Travel Channel’s “Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations.” It was a bit difficult to actually find the cart—it’s hidden in the back patio of the Liberty Bar (a dive and hipster magnet). We ordered the Brussel Sprout Salad, the Poor Qui’s Buns, and Ginger Jasmine Garlic Rice (disappointingly they were out of beets for the beet fries). The food was good, but nothing to rave about. The Brussel Sprout Salad was my favorite.

Next on the agenda was to see Bob Schneider and the Lonleylands at the Saxon Pub, a wonderfully intimate, no-frills bar. Bob is one of my old favorites. Introduced to me by a college boyfriend, I’ve seen Bob play in Madison, Milwaukee, and Austin. Although often crass, Bob is very talented and an unbelievably prolific song writer. I honestly didn’t recognize more than two of the songs he played during his set. During the show, we also struck up a conversation with a local—Kyle from nearby Cedar Park. We enjoyed talking with him and getting his take on Austin hot-spots and how the city has changed over the years.

It was definitely a full day. Lots done, but there’s always so much more to discover!

uncommon OBJECTS

Employee dusting a feathered friend at uncommon OBJECTS

Allens Boots

Gourdough’s

Funky Monkey

Saxon Pub

Bob Schneider’s Lonleyland

The Cliff Notes version of our trip:

Sunday (4/1)
• Dinner at Rick Bayless’ Tortas Frontera at O’Hare Airport
• Depart from Chicago at 10 p.m.

Monday (4/2)
• Arrive in Austin at 2 a.m. and pick up rental car
• Brunch at Polvos Mexican Restaurant
• Visit Barton Springs and hike the Barton Creek Greenbelt
• Walk South Congress Avenue (visit uncommon OBJECTS, Tesoros Trading Company, and Allens Boots)
• Funky Monkey Doughnut at Gordough’s
• Dinner at East Side King (at The Liberty)
• Bob Schneider’s Lonleyland at Saxon Pub

Tuesday (4/3)
• Breakfast tacos at Tako Taco (Buda, Texas)
• Road trip to Fredericksburg (via the Farm to Market roads scenic route)
• Stop at Carpenter Hill Elementary School and Tank Town for Larry to examine rainwater collection strategies for his class’s water unit
• Lunch at Bejas Grill
• Meet new friends on Main Street (boot-wearing Lupe Sosa and Genaro from Weslaco, TX)
• Pick up reserved road bikes at Hill Country Bicycle Works, check in at the B & B Cyclismo, and grocery shopping
• Evening bike ride with Frank Floyd, owner of B & B Cyclismo (20-mile route north toward Mason)
• Quiet dinner on back porch (bread, Manchego cheese, chorizo, salad, cheese ravioli, and Becker Vineyards Res Cabernet–Syrah 2010)

Wednesday (4/4)
• Breakfast on back porch
• 60-mile bike ride through the Hill Country to Comfort, TX (passed many cattle ranches and fields of blooming wildflowers)
• Lunch at 7th Heaven Café in Comfort
• Visit Luckenbach, TX and drink a Lone Star while listening to live music from Vintage Country/Americana singer/songwriter Jeremy Steding
• Dinner at Hill Top Café and live music

Thursday (4/5)
• Short run around town
• Breakfast on back porch
• Return road bikes and depart for return trip to Austin
• Visit Luckenbach, TX (round two) – Larry shoots video singing Waylon Jennings’ Luckenbach, Texas on stage of the dance hall
• Visit Becker Vineyards and sample ’11 Viognier, ’10 Roussanne, ’11 Provencal, ’10 Reserve Grenache, ’09 Malbec, ’10 Reserve Merlot, and ’10 Reserve Cabernet-Syrah
• Lunch at The Salt Lick BBQ (Driftwood, TX)
• Arrive back in Austin
• Dinner at Torchy’s Tacos (South Austin Trailer Park)
• Texas Two-Step lessons at the Broken Spoke and live music from Americana singer/songwriter Jesse Dayton

Friday (4/6)
• Breakfast at Flip Happy Crepes
• Visit Lance Armstrong’s Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop
• Visit the Whole Foods’ flagship store on Lamar Street
• Record shopping at Waterloo Records
• Lunch at Polvos Mexican Restaurant
• Visit the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library & Museum (on UT campus)
• Visit the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
• Ice cream at Lick (all organic ingredients from Texas)
• Dinner with Kelly and Brad at Contigo

Saturday (4/7)
• Breakfast tacos at Maudie’s and coffee from Austin Java at the Austin-Bergstrom Int’l Airport
• Depart from Austin at 8 a.m. and arrive back in Chicago at 11 a.m.
• Tour of Rockford (childhood home and high school) and lunch at Beef-a-Roo on the drive back to Madison

Larry and I are heading to Austin, Texas this week for Spring Break and I couldn’t be more excited. When I last visited Austin two years ago, I immediately fell in love with the city. So much so, that I routinely call it my second favorite city—if it weren’t for Madison, I’d be in Austin. And Larry’s never been, so I can’t wait to show him around.

On the agenda for this week’s trip: Bob Schneider’s Lonleyland at the Saxon Pub, two-step lessons and Jesse Dayton at the Broken Spoke, cycling and wine tasting in Hill Country, East Austin food trailers, tacos galore, and much, much more.

Texas, here we come!

When Larry and I told friends we were taking a last-minute road trip during winter break to explore the town of Viroqua, our excitement was met by several puzzled looks. Why there? Why now? Visiting Viroqua has been on my to-do list for quite some time. I became fascinated with the small, southwestern Wisconsin town after seeing several references to it in various local publications such as Edible Madison—which is actually based out of Viroqua. It’s a town of 4,500 located two hours northwest of Madison in the driftless region of the state, meaning that a lack of glacial drift resulted in beautifully sculpted typography in the area. Viroqua offers a charming historic downtown, one of the country’s most well-known Waldorf schools, Organic Valley’s headquarters, and an impressive weekly farmers’ market. It’s also the epicenter of organic farming—one local boasted that Viroqua is home to more organic farms per capita than anywhere in the country and that the local co-op does $5 million in sales.

Maybe winter break wasn’t the ideal time to visit Viroqua, but it was the first opportunity Larry and I found to make the trip. We made reservations the day before we left at Viroqua Heritage Inn, a Victorian-era bed and breakfast located a block off Main Street. We explored all we could in 24 hours, taking in the sights and scenes while meeting a few locals along the way. The community is unique and vibrant (even in the dead of winter), and the people are refreshingly friendly and down-to-earth. A few locals we met had just recently moved to Viroqua—re-locating from places like the Twin Cities and Northern California for a chance at an honest, simple living working the land and an opportunity to help lead the sustainable food movement. One local told us the community is extremely close-knit—she explained that during various life events like birth, illness, or a death in the family, the entire community rallies together to celebrate, support, give, and grieve.

Although it was a short trip, we had a great time exploring and learning more about the area. I’d love to make the trip again during the summer to experience the farmers’ market and more of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. Here’s what we did during our visit:

Thursday
Arrived at the Viroqua Heritage Inn Bed & Breakfast
Appetizers and drinks at Viking Inn Supper Club, followed by a leisurely dinner and live music at the Driftless Cafe

Friday
Breakfast at Borgen’s Cafe in Westby
Explored the Westby Co-op Creamery, Dregne’s Scandinavian Gifts, and various antique shops
Shopped along Viroqua’s Main Street (Viva Gallery, Bramble Bookstore, Tulips, and more)
Lunch at the Viroqua Food Co-op
Hiked at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve
Checked out Organic Valley Headquarters and the Organic Valley Retail Store Outlet in La Farge

Two weeks on Kauai and it went a little somethin’ like this…

Monday (Oct. 10)
Arrived to Kauai (from Kona) early-evening
Dinner at Olympic Cafe

Tuesday (Oct. 11)
Breakfast at Kountry Kitchen
Visited Spouting Horn Beach Park
Lunch at Puka Dog (Hawiian Style Hot Dogs)
Snorkeled at Po’ipu Beach Park
Visited Maha’ulepu Beach

Wednesday (Oct. 12)
Hiked Na Pali Coast (Kalalau Trail from Ke’e Beach to Hanakapi’ai Beach)
Visited Lumahai Beach
Explored the town of Hanalei and enjoyed shaved ice
Visited the Hanalei Taro fields (root used for poi)
Dinner at Caffe Coco

Thursday (Oct. 13)
Breakfast/coffee at Java Kai
Visited Waimea Canyon State Park
Visited Koke’e State Park and museum
Looked out over Kalalau Valley
Visited Wai’ale’ale (Wettest Spot on Earth)
Lunch at Paco’s Tacos (in Hanapepe)
Ice cream at Lappert’s
Visited Kauai Coffee Estate
Visited Wailua Falls
Enjoyed fresh fish tacos for dinner

Friday (Oct. 14)
Breakfast/coffee at Java Kai
Hiked the Nounou Moutain trail (Sleeping Giant)
Pool time
Dinner at Mermaids Cafe

Saturday (Oct. 15)
Breakfast/coffee at Java Kai
Visited Tunnels (Makua) Beach
Shopped Hanalei Farmers’ Market
Dinner at Scotty’s BBQ

Sunday (Oct. 16)
Ran from Kauai Lagoons to the Ninini Point Lighthouse
Explored the natural lava tubes
Pool time
Dinner at Kilauea Bakery and Pau Hana Pizza

Monday (Oct. 17)
Visited Kealia Beach
Lunch at Mermaids Cafe

Tuesday (Oct. 18)
Unfruitful multiple-day quest for Kauai Malasadas
Hiked/ran the Alakai Swamp Trail
Taco Tuesdays at Duke’s
Hot tub time

Wednesday (Oct. 19)
Breakfast at Ono Family Restaurant
Shipwreck Beach
Lunch at Pizzetta (Happy hour Mai Tais)
Farmers’ Market in Po’ipu in Kukui’ula Village

Thursday (Oct. 20)
Wailua River kayak trip to Uluwechi Falls (Secret Falls)
Appetizers at Shrimp Station
Dinner at Caffe Coco

Friday (Oct. 21)
Rented bikes and rode along the coast near Kapa’a

Saturday (Oct. 22)
Breakfast/coffee at Java Kai
Depart Kauai mid-morning on return flights to Madison

Upon returning to Madison yesterday, I took a final picture with my friends and travel partners, Lauren and Brodie.

Then I came home to a wonderful surprise at my apartment!

And a fabulous welcome home dinner! It’s so great to be home.