Road Trip: Up The Middle Of The Country

Day 2: Sunday, May 05, 2024 - Travel to Houston, TX, and Austin, TX

Day's statistics:
Weather: 77°, overcast
Steps: Steve 8,954; Linda 6,264
Travel: 200 miles

Today's breakfast was a full hot buffet.
I had some eggs, bacon, and potatoes; and Linda had a bagel with cream cheese. We both had coffee.

Today's first stop was at a museum called The Contemporary: Laguna Gloria.

This museum happened to be free due to Bank of America's Museums On Us® program.
This site is a former home owner's house and grounds that are now a museum. The artifacts of this "museum" were all outside. There was also a nice long walking path mostly through the woods, on the vast grouds with more works scattered about the property.
We started at the visitor's center and proceeded in the direction of the on-site villa, seeing some works as well as a garden and some statues.





























Imbedded in the concrete were coins that were taken out of the fountain.


Before a brief visit inside the villa - which was being mopped clean due to leaks from recent heavy rains - we took a selfie.

Entry to the villa was via a side door. We only saw a couple of the rooms in the villa as it was, in addiition to the mopping, being cleaned from a recent event too.



The fireplace looked like it had seating in the nook.

The gathering room / ball room / living room had a door to the right of the fireplace that was up a short steep staircase.


In the foyer, near the front door was a floor that looked a bit like a carpet.



We left the villa via the same door, crossed the back of the villa, and headed down the path into the woods. There weren't too many flowers in bloom.















Afer walking down the path a bit, we came across a small staircase. I went down the stairs and came upon a field with some sculptures in it, including a large bus.


I returned back up the small flight of stairs, and we continued on.



We got to the end of the path from the house and came upon the love chapel.




We decsended a short flight of stairs and was at the opposite end of the field with the bus sculpture.



We then entered the woods on the other side, and proceded down another path.







A little further on, we came across a car. When we arrived, there was music coming out of the car.


Eventually the music stopped and it transitioned to a poetic reading - I didn't know how long it was going to go on for.

Near the car was a fire ant mound. We were told to avoid them, and I only got close enough to grab a pic.

We continued on and walked over a couple wooden bridges and through the woods near the lake.



And we came across a couple more works.




The path eventually ended at the near the bottom of the stairs near the colorful pergola in the image above.

We climbed the stairs and passed the villa on the right looking at it from the rear.



At the top of another flight of stairs I noticed another sculpture by the pond / lake. I wanted to get a closer look, but Linda didn't. So she walked down the path at the top of the hill while I ran do to... get a closer look.
I actually found a couple sculptures by the pond / lake.







Not a sculpture.

The path I took near the pond / lake returned up the hill near the crying rabbit in the very first image above.

After an hour and a half at The Contemporary: Laguna Gloria museum, and talking to the clerk, we drove next door and visited the Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve.
We parked, and adjacent to the parking lot was "City of Austin - Small Tree of the Year [2009]" - which isn't so small anymore.

We continued to the garden at the end of the parking lotm and then took the path into the woods - again - heading toward the water (sort of), and back out near the cottage, and gardens and ponds.









We passed through the gate, and on the cottage's porch were a peacock and a peahen.



Then we walked amongst the gardens and [what were supposed to be koi ponds {but we saw no koi}] ponds.




















Back at the cottage we walked toward the front, and saw another peacock.

Our time at this park was over. We decided to find a place to have lunch, even though it was a little early.

We reviewed our lunch options, and decided to go to Cypress Grill.

When we arrived, it was a little before noon. So we parked the car under a tree and sat in the car playing on our phones, and working on the Spelling Bee for a little. Then we went inside.


As it was Sunday, they were doing brunch, though they still had other items available on the menu.


Linda had the jambalaya, and I had the red beans and andoille sausage.


We at 40 / 60, then swapped plates.
The only hot sauce on the table was Tobasco®. Our preferred hot sauce with cajun food is Crystal®. I asked the waitress if they had any other hot sauce, and she said "We have Crystal, and ---" "Yes, please." I put on an amount that I would have put on at home. The only difference was that we have "regular" at home, this was "extra hot". I didn't notice that... Good thing we had large cups of water at the table...
Before leaving, we used the restroom. I think every public restroom door in the country should have a lock like this.

The lunch restaurant, while still in Austin, was more in the suburbs. So we had to go back into the city to get to our next stop, The Contemporary: Jones Center.



The Center was less than four blocks from the capital.
There was a demonstration taking place around the capital. We later learned that the capital was actually open on this day. We wouldn't have visited anyway because the crowds would have been much less on a Monday morning that anytime on a Saunday.

We drove around a couple blocks - the challenge because so many streets were oneway - looking for a parking space. We eventually found one that was a few feet from this cowboy sculpture.

This branch of The Contemporary is associated to the other one, and this one is also part of Bank of America's Museums On Us® program.

This was a two and a half floor museum, and there really wasn't too much on display.
The section on the first floor was only half of the floow. There was a large room that was half occupied by a couple of love seats, and a large screen. There was a tablet that one used to change what they wanted to watch. Additionally, there were some vinyl and concert related print materials on display.



The second floor had a collection of works by Lubaina Himid, an award winning artist born in Zanzibar, called make Do and Mend.




The third floor had a collection of sixty-four plank / slat works, also by Himid, called Aunties. Most were upright / vertical, but some they are presented here horizontally so their pictures are larger considering the 16:9 screen ratio.






While we were done viewing the artwork, we headed up to the rooftop.


The rooftop had a space that was used for parties and other gatherings.
There were large letters - that were lit at night - that spelled "With Liberty And Justice For All".


I walked to the railing to look out and see what I could - such as this Lamborghini (I don't have too many opportunities to get a picture of an exotic...).

The capital, though only four blocks up, wasn't visible due to the angle.
Across the street was a theater, and a hotel with a restaurant and second floor balcony seating.



After we were done with our visit, we crossed the street and walked past the theater. Along the sidewalk in front of it were "Hollywood Walk of Fame" like stars.


We weren't at this museum for too long. We walked back to the car, and started to make our way to Kristen's house (Kristen is Pam's huband's {Jeff} sister). We were just stopping in to say hi since we were in the neighborhood.
Near the museum was this guitar sculpture. At the top it reads "Keep Austin Weird".

Them's fightin' words!

We made it to Kristen's house, and we chatted for a while. We said "hi" to Owen and Ryder too.
After an hour, Kristen decided to take us out for a sightseeing ride.
It was lightly raining too.
Not far down the road from her house we saw a century plant.

We were taken to a high spot in the hills, saw a couple parks, and I got out to take some pictures at an overlook - though the views weren't as great as they could have been because of the rain.








Before heading out, we took a group shot.

During our travels around Austin, there was one highway that was separated by railroad tracks.
Almost every time we drove by there was a train sitting on the tracks - long trains. We saw what looked like mulch, cattle cars, tankers, and boxes. On one occassion driving by, I measured the train, after having already passed it some, at a half-mile. On another occassion, also after passing it some, I measured a full mile.

We decided to give Torchy's Tacos a visit for dinner.
This is a local "chain", and we found one nearest where our hotel was.
On the way to the restaurant, we came across a park, and an old tractor.



We found a spot to park and went inside. At this restaurant, you place your order at the counter, and they bring it to your table.



Linda had the Airstream Salad, I had a Brushfire taco and a Democrat taco (that I didn't get a picture of for some weird reason).

We usually tip on a meal and I usually round off to a whole number - like $5.00. This establishment had a tip prompt on the electronic payment screen, and I hit 20%. But the tip was applied to the bill PLUS the tax. It wasn't much on our bill, but a tip shouldn't be based on the bill plus tax, it should just be based on the bill.
If an establishment takes in, let's say $5,000 in a day, and the tax is 8% (it's actually 8.25%), and the average tip is 15%, the establishment receives an additional $60 a day, or almost $22,000 in a year - intended for the employees. I hope the employees get that...
And if a "chain" like Torchy's has 125 locations, of which 100 charge sales tax, then they take in over TWO MILLION DOLLARS intended for the employees. I am NOT saying the employees aren't getting it, I just hope they are and the consumer isn't being taken advantage of.

After our tasty meal, we stopped by Target to get some wine, and something sweet for dessert - like Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies.

We were back in the room a little before 7:00. We relaxed with a glass of wine - or two - and a cookie (for Linda) or two (for me).
We were both a bit tired, and were asleep a little before 10:00.

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