A week plus some in Austin - 10 things to experience
10 things we learned about Austin & Texas.
COVID-19 arrived. From Santa Fe, we headed to Austin Texas for our month long stay. We chose Austin because we were set to participate at SXSW and the MotoGP round. Both events got cancelled and we didn't really feel safe staying in this AirBnB in Texas during the pandemic. We left Texas only 10 days into our stay, and AirBnb did nothing for us (boo!).
1. Everything's bigger: The saying goes "everything is bigger in Texas" and we found this statement to be true. Everything feels bigger; roads seem to be infinite and even vehicles seem larger here. And on this theme of everything bigger in Texas, this is also holds true for Texan pride and patriotism. The flags here are no joke. It is impressive how many American and Texan flags you see, and everyone expresses pride in their own way...
2. Cadillac ranch: In Amarillo, on the side of the freeway in the middle of nowhere along the famous Route 66, you may notice cars parked and people walking into a field. If you look a bit further, you'll see a line of Cadillacs mounted vertically like pillars in the middle of a field! It is something quite unique and worth a stop. It has become a tradition to bring spray paint to add your own flair to this art concept and now the cars are all covered with graffiti. Unfortunately, people don't clean up after themselves and leave empty spray cans and other trash around the site. Nice things don't last. We can all do better than this. The cars are repainted occasionally to mark an important moment or cultural event, for commercial purposes, or even just to provide a fresh canvas. Shortly before reaching Cadillac Ranch, we stopped at the Blue Hole. A dive site in a small town near the border with Texas, in Santa Rosa, NM, with amazing blue water. It was a bit cold to swim but that didn't stop the divers.
3. BBQ: If you visit anywhere in Texas, you'll find BBQ. Every town has its own BBQ stand and it is more than just a regional tradition. Texan BBQ is like a religion for the locals. Since we are foodies, we needed to give it a try. We stopped at Franklin BBQ in Austin and stayed 2 hours in line for a chance to savor their famous meats. It was worth the wait!!! It was melt in your mouth and finger licking good (pre-covid of course). If you are carnivorous, BBQ is a must try in Texas.
4. Austin vibes: Austin is a really cool town. It had similar vibes to Portland, OR, and a bit of San Francisco, CA. Food trucks, music bars, a welcoming atmosphere, the river and nearby Lake Travis make Austin an oasis within Texas. We met fun and diverse people and felt right at home. We were there in March and the temperature was ideal. Not sure if we would have liked it as much in the middle of the summer where temperature can easily surpass 100 degrees on a daily basis. If you love diversity and inclusion, Austin may be the (only) place for you in Texas. Go visit but make sure to pick the right time of year for the climate you prefer!
5. SXSW: South By South West (SXSW) is the annual music , film, and technology festival in Texas. The entire town comes to life and morphs around this event. Companies and artists from all over the world come together for more than 2 weeks to celebrate the creative collaboration between these industries. It would have been our first time there, and we were very excited for Stefy to be a presenter in the Esports session (her company is an up and coming agency in the ecosystem). Unfortunately COVID-19 entered the US and the entire event was cancelled. We can't wait to be there next time.
6. MotoGP: We are part of the motorcycle industry and we were super happy to have the chance to be guests at the MotoGP round at the Circuit of the Americas. Unfortunately, this event was also cancelled due to Covid, and we will have to wait for the next time. Check out some of the races on TV or online. You will not be disappointed.
7. Windmills and Oil Fields: To imagine Texas, conjure images of big open spaces with windmills and oil pumps as far as the eye can see. One of the biggest industries in Texas, besides agriculture, is oil. You can not drive through the countryside without smelling crude petroleum or seeing pumpjacks steadily bobbing, extracting that "Texas gold" with their rhythmic motion. Also prevalent are windmill farms making Texas fifth in the world for wind capacity.
8. Cathedral of Junk: This was a very peculiar site in Austin. In a quiet neighborhood street, there is a house with tons of junk behind it. The occupant of the house turned the junk into art and created what is called a Cathedral of Junk. You can visit this junk (back) yard by appointment. We did not visit but just did a drive by.
9. COVID-19: The pandemic hit the US, and life, as we knew it, changed. There were plenty of warning signs and lessons learned from Italy that could have helped prevent the crazy outbreak, but it wasn't taken seriously enough by leadership in the US. With the incredible escalation of cases and deaths, the US finally went on lockdown. It is strange how people behave. Supermarkets were emptied out but people in Texas were still going out to bars and restaurants without a mask on. We decided to leave Texas and find a location where we could feel comfortable being socially distanced for an unknown amount of time. You will read in the next blog post where we ended up.
10. San Antonio: A relatively short drive from Austin is the historic city of San Antonio. This city was made famous by the battle of The Alamo. You can tour the fort and learn about the mission, the battle and the legend surrounding this historic site. After a step into the past, take a stroll on the river walk. There is a canal in the middle of the city with restaurants and shops on both sides. This section reminded us of Europe. We enjoyed donuts, burgers and CBD infused drinks. Worth a stop. South-east of San Antonio is Cycle Ranch Motocross track. Here Rachel learned to ride a dirt bike for the first time in 2019.
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