Day 46 - Austin, TX (Day 2)

It seemed unusual to not wake up in the trailer.  Our sleep was sound, the surroundings were so different.  It was a treat indeed to sleep in a home permanently attached to the ground.

Stevenson's Home:

Our site

Back yard views

Bruce & Barbara made a delightful breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and fresh strawberries and blueberries.  Yum!

Then, we headed out to find medical assistance for Carol's arm ... the swelling is down, but the bruised area looked larger and darker.  We found what we needed at Redi-Care, a highly regarded emergency care center.  Diagnosis: it's caused by a subdural hematoma.  Care: apply alternating five minutes of cold then five minutes of heat.  Bottom-line: it's healing, nothing to worry about.

Driftwood Winery:
Barbara prepared a picnic basket in the early afternoon and we headed out for a tasting at Driftwood Winery.  The GPS turned a relatively straightforward drive into a scenic drive through the Texas Hill Country.  Bruce held up well and we got to the right vineyard.

The tasting area was beautiful

It overlooked the vineyards

And explained where to find snakes in the grass

We selected an obvious Texas wine
Longhorn Red

It was a delicious treat

We enjoyed a picnic of wine, cheese, crackers
and other goodies while overlooking the valley

An unusual thing happened as we visited and enjoyed the afternoon breeze.  Dark clouds formed and we could see rain to the west.  A downpour started as we left the vineyard parking lot.  Austin is in the midst of a four year drought.  The rain was nice, but not nearly enough to solve some serious water problems.

Salt Lick BBQ:
Dinner was at a highly touted BBQ restaurant.  The parking lot and dining room were large ... obviously designed for lots of business and large groups.

The BBQ action takes place here

Seating was rustic,
the server was very accommodating

We had high expectations for this outing.  We were on a roll.  The wine tasting went as planned (or better) and we got to the restaurant early enough to avoid the dinner rush.  The pork ribs were pretty good.  Unfortunately, the brisket was very disappointing and the sausage was just OK.  We were then surprised to learn this was a cash only business.  No one expected to return any time soon.

End of the Day:
The rain had stopped by the time we left the restaurant.  We enjoyed sunshine, rainbows and toured a bit on the way home, then settled down for a night at home.

Barbara treated us to brownies a-la-mode with her famous hot fudge sauce.  Any dinner disappointment was gone by the time we finished.

Bruce & Dick got warmed up for tomorrow's OSU football game by watching a recording of the second half of last week's game.