Let me just say that I had a
great weekend in Austin. My pals Melanie and Joe were wonderful hosts, and we had a brief but enormously fun tour around the Texan capital. Our first stop was South Congress (locally called SoCo) at the store
Uncommon Objects.
I don't know what it is about taxidermy that alternately fascinates and terrifies me, but this baboon definitely fit the bill.
Now we come to what was arguably my favorite part of the trip.
Hey Cupcake! is a company of Airstream trailers that have been turned into mobile cupcakeries. Yum. I ate four.
Here we have a red velvet and "the standard," which is a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I also got another standard and a Michael Jackson. That would be a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting.
Parts & Labour was a recommendation from my pal Dawn. It's a really neat shop where you can find things like Burt Reynolds pillows, complete with felt mustache, and hilarious postcards (see below).
One of our last hoorahs was a trip to
The Oasis at Lake Travis. It's a nice restaurant overlooking the lake, where we were able to snag a balcony table and eat some delicious TexMex as the sun set over the Lonestar State.
One night we also went to
Esther's Follies, which is a wholly unique experience. It's a show that combines music, magic, and political satire--almost like a scaled-down (funny) version of
Saturday Night Live. If you're ever in Austin, I recommend all of the above. I think it makes a great destination for a long weekend, and we didn't even go to a concert, which is the heart of the city. The mind reels at such prospects.
I am already planning a return trip next year.