I may have grown up in Minnesota, but Texas was my college home and the first place I made my own.
There's a sort of magic about choosing a place to be when youthful hope, emotion, and intuition take precedence over logical criteria. These rolling plains and big skies were the backdrop of many firsts and important moments in my life.
So, as Scotty and I cruised into El Paso on I-10, it felt really good to cross that state line again.
Initially, the only drawback was that on our way there, we (*Scotty*) drove most of the night on a very icy highway where semi-trucks were pulled over in droves and nearly every stopped car seemed to be the victim of a fender bender.
We kept going... because the van had new tires and Alaska license plates.
The above pull-off is where we spent the latter portion of that first night. Supremely taxed after a straight shot all the way from San Diego, we decided to stop in Austin after another four hours of driving. Even after living there for four years and driving some pretty insane distances alone, the state still seems huge.
We checked into a simple Crowne Plaza the first night on the outskirts of Austin, but when we got a late start the next day, decided to stay in Austin a second night. Hotwire came in handy when we scored the Omni hotel downtown within spitting distance of 6th Street (we were on 8th).
Even more unexpectedly, the lady at the front desk gave us a suite on the top 18th floor.
I still have no idea about her motivation (it was a Sunday, kind of slow, and we checked in early around 2 p.m.), but we thought her kindness was pretty awesome indeed when we saw the room and our view.
And since 6th Street was really close, of course we had to go check it out. The last time I was here I was twenty-one years old, on a road trip with a group of friends and sleeping on the floor at a friend of a friend's apartment. It looked a little different this time, though perhaps it's the lens. ;) I'm just glad to see Austin is still thriving and that even on a Sunday, live music is omnipresent around town.
And if you're ever in the Austin area and want a really great spot with "real" food for breakfast all day, check out Cherrywood Coffeehouse.
This place is one the best made-from-scratch breakfast spots I've ever been.
The next day we made our way to East Texas to see one my closest and dearest friends from college, Kristi, and her sweet family.
It's hard to believe it's been almost ten years since I've been back here. The next time I visit won't be anywhere near as long!
Yep, watch out Texas. I'll be back. ;)
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