Our first week-long stop was Austin, Texas. We arrived after an overnight in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, on a Sunday, and we are now departing on Friday. We managed to squeeze a lot into our short time here. We got to catch up with friends from Salem and friends from Virginia. We got to eat excellent food with beautiful influences of Asia, Mexico, and good ol Texas BBQ. We got to dance the two step, and we got to listen to excellent (like jaw-dropping, casually excellent) musicians. We went to the local YMCA every day (twice daily for me). We explored 6th Street. I visited the Botanical Gardens on a perfect Texas spring morning. Larry sampled the wares at a famous guitar store. We stayed in a great little rental in the Zilker neighborhood but saw many other neighborhoods that seemed quite inviting.

For me, Austin feels like urban-lite. It feels like a little city, despite its sprawl. It has its share of unhoused, addicted, and unwell. It has its share of litter and graffiti. Its roads and traffic leave a lot to be desired. But I think it has more than its fair share of charm. It has lots of green space. It has a gorgeous and accessible river that a lot of people take advantage of. Every single person we interacted with was genuinely nice and kind. The city feels very young and very eclectic. It seems to be a place where you are welcome to be whomever you wish to be. Cowboys and hipsters, punks, preps, new age hippies, and old, dusty coots intermingle happily. The motto of “Keep Austin Weird” is wonderful. It is weird in a beautiful way. From the neon signs to the independent stores, cafes, tattoo parlors, restaurants, and bookshops, Austin has a very approachable personality, one that deserves more than a week. Here are some photos from our stay.