Austin - Yesterday adventures

Saturday is the Austin Farmer's Market day. This is held in the middle of town (on 4th and Guadelupe - Republic Park). The focus is on organic food. Apparently there are a lot of small farms around Austin devoted to making good food.



































 The produce is top-notch.

There are also cheese and bread makers. We took the loaf closest to the camera home with us. It was very good, whole wheat, and well-baked (even bubbles, good crumb, sesame on top).

For kids and adults there is a bit of entertainment. Here are the finishers of Heat 1 of the zucchini races. This ends the age-old question: "Does a human get both feet off the ground when galloping?" Note the zucchini batons in hand.

There is quite a bit of music, too. These guys were playing a fine country blue-grass set.

This young lady was hawking something by walking up and down, but I did not catch exactly what it was. She was obliging for a picture. (She actually thanked me!)

There was a little something for every one. Here is a store with Chinese lettering on the boxes. We know not what is inside.

Then we were off to the Bob Bullock Museum and the Story of Texas. This is a terrific museum, with a couple of movie theaters. We saw the Star of Destiny, a story of the Texas spirit. The seats rumbled with the thunder and lightening, and we were misted during the Galveston Hurricane part of the presentation. Sam Houston (or the actor playing him) sounded suspiciously like George W. Bush.

In the middle of the atrium is this huge inlay with a variety of the historical features of Texas' history.

The building itself is quite a monument.

















It seems you can only get a decent picture of the Texas Capitol from the middle of a huge street. Careful!

For din we went to the Iron Works. This is Texas barbecue at its best. Iron Works is in a galvanized tin building that used to be a blacksmith shop. Some of the tools are still inside. The place is raw, simple, and makes outrageously good bar-b-que, Texas style. That means slooooow cooking, smoke, and really good quality meat. No fat and gristle here. They serve up a plate cheap, $7-9 with potato salad, beans, a slice of Texas sweet onion, some  bread, and all the jalapenos you can stand. Order at the counter, put it together with a Dos Equis or a Shiner Bock, and it's close to heaven. The meat is smoky, tender, darkened on the outside, and unsauced (unless you do it). Brisket, pork ribs, chicken, sausage, and more are available. Like much of Austin, this is close to the green belt. It is a couple of blocks from Town Lake/Lady Bird Lake/Lake Austin, and right next to Waller creek that winds alongside a walkway down through Austin to the lake. It is cool and shaded by the trees, some of which grow up through the porch roof.