Odyssey - slideshow

Here's a collection of snaps from the Odyssey relay race. I don't have our photographer's photos so this is the best I can scrape. Enjoy the woop woop music by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.....clean version. It's chuffing awesome !!

American Odyssey Relay

This weekend I ran in the American Odyssey Relay race. This race started in Gettysburg on Friday at 8am and finished in Washington DC on a very hot Saturday afternoon. The route is 200mile (315km) and teams of 12 or 6 relay run day/night to the end. There are 36 legs in total and I was in a 6 person team so it was 6 legs each that totaled around 32mile (52km) each give or take a bit. I know, you’re currently shaking your head saying ‘What the hell were you thinking?’ My theory is the greater the challenge, the bigger the reward. Climbing, distance and time of day determined if legs were easy or hard. My legs were 10, 8, 7+7, 14 and 6km noting a double leg in the night. I was in a team of Aussies and our team name was the Aussie Drop Bears. Our t-shirt was a lucky find on the internet and certainly stood out amongst all the colour and glamour at the race. It also made for a good story to those who asked what a drop bear was. This was a new challenge for me. My previous challenges have been on two wheels so switching to two feet was new, exciting and scary all at once.

This race is in its 9^th year and is very very popular. Many teams have competed several times, some every race. There were 11 Ultra (6 man teams) and 86 12 man (sensible) teams. I’m sure there were more teams initially so some must have pulled out prior to race day as I thought there were over 100. There were some laughable team names…Pavement Princesses, Llama Spit, Runs n Goses, The Bone Zone, Angie’s Nuts, The Sweaty Dozen, The Stash Mob, Green Legs and Hamstrings and Fuelled by Caffeine and Cheetos. Each team has a van (12 man teams have two vans) and are decorated with all kinds of colour, bling, mascots and streamers. There is a competition for the best team name, costume and van.  Cirque de Sore Legs won the best team name. The vans were nothing short of entertaining. My favourite two were Pavement Princesses who had a big silver crown on the roof and We’ve Got the Runs with lots of poo-themed names on their van. They even had a gorgeous Vizsla dog called ‘Pooper’. There was also a cancer prevention themed van with big writing on the back telling you to get your Tatas (tits), Balls and Bum checked – the driver will do checks for free !! There was one van that rang a cowbell everytime if passed me running – I think it was Rosie and Rivetting Runners. There was a large contingent of women’s teams which was fantastic to see. Each van would always cheer you on as it passed you enroute to the next transition.

 

I was Runner 1 so I proudly kicked off the race from Gettysburg running through the country farm roads, neighbourhood and into the town.  I missed a bloody sign because I was past my 10k leg length and the transition was nowhere in site. Another girl was with me but, lets just say she missed a sign way earlier on and was not much help. We ended up at the Gettysburg Visitor Center outside town and it was clearly not the transition. We stood out amongst the civil war tourists. I then realized that I had not put the team phone numbers in my phone. The other girl called her team but she was really not understanding the address to collect her so I let her go. I had no choice but to do an ET and ‘phone home’.  I had to call a friend at the Embassy who works with several of the team. After her initial panic of hearing from me, I explained I was totally fine, just kind of lost with no phone numbers and needed a phone number. After a few texts thankfully, I made contact and the team came to my rescue and drove me to the transition – I was a few kilometers away but, I actually ran past the transition by about 100m – the next street over. Very annoying. Anyway, I jumped out of the van and tagged Runner 2 albeit about 45 minute delay. So, not off to a great start but it was all part of the experience. Everybody decided it was a good thing to try look at your route map and get an idea of direction.

The first day was warm and we were carefully managing our hydration. The team were running fabulously and I’m sure they all have Kenyan genes in their bloodline. I was clearly the slow pair of feet but we were all in this together and time didn’t matter – it was about everyone finishing and enjoying the challenging experience. We each had a mix of legs, there was no good or bad set of 6 legs. The mountain goats got allocated the climbing legs, the greyhounds got the longish legs and the rest were paper, scissor, rocks allocations (well sort of). I tried to get the easiest and least distance but as I said, each set of 6 legs was ugly in some way. The rules are to run one leg after the other with the runners in order so no swapping around the order at any time. These rules apply if teams want to be competitive for a place. However, teams can still run with any number of runners, change the order etc, but they will NOT be competitive for a place. As such, our strategy was to run singles with a double leg in the night. We were not focussed on an official placing and this strategy would give each runner a longer break during the night. This strategy worked well and although sleep was limited, we managed to get some shut-eye and rest along the way equivalent to that of flying economy to Australia.

Some transitions were at churches or schools and they totally rolled out the welcome mat for us. I cannot say enough how friendly, kind and supportive the community was. There were bake stalls, hot food, drinks and toilets to enjoy. Some food was even free and others were fund raising in which everyone generously supported as a way of saying thanks and ensuring these people return next year. I enjoyed a hot dog at these spots. Mid-race (Friday night) is a school which provided showers, hot food and a chance to sleep horizontal. The gym was like a crèche – quiet time – for people to sleep but others just laid on the grass outside in their sleeping bags. It was perfect weather to be outdoors. We could see the years of experience amongst the teams as they were well prepared for this oasis pit stop. The shower felt better than words can explain and another hot dog went down with ease.

The team ran well. We all struggled with something like a headache, upset tummy, blisters, sore legs or feet. But we all overcame our demons and got through the night. My most challenging leg was the double leg which was 14k at about 2.30am. As we arrived at transition it started to rain and there was an almighty thunderstorm and lightning overhead. Great (not quite the word I was really thinking). The marshals actually said I couldn’t go because of the lightning, safety comes first. I waited about 10 minutes back in the van and then my runner came in telling me that the race was back on. So off I went into the darkness and rain. This route was straight along the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) canal trail – this runs for about 300mile all the way to Pennsylvania. It runs along the Potomac river all the way to DC. It was dark and stormy and not the Bundy Rum type. I stopped quickly to put my rainjacket away as it was warm and the rain was light so I was fine to get wet. The lightning and thunder were scary. I ran across one bridge, with big stone sidewalks and this mass of lightning streaked the sky followed by a horrendous clap of thunder. I yelled out “S-H-I-T’ and swear I crapped my pants. The route was dark, covered in trees, lonely and a bit muddy so I was looking forward to finishing this leg. I didn’t see any other runners except for early and later in the leg. There were little toad-like frogs on the trail and I was trying not to step on them and praying they would not jump at me. I eventually made it to transition and was glad that leg was over. The next runner endured similar weather and nearly fell over in the wet – phew, thankfully he didn’t and lived to tell the tale.

Transition was always a rowdy time. In daylight, I could see the team in their yellow shirts. Once seen, the team would yell loudly ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, oi oi oi’. It was great. At night, I would yell Ninety One (our team number) so they knew I was coming. Again, that Aussie chant would erupt. All the other teams would clap and cheer also – it was just fantastic support all the way around. I was pleased with my performance. I ran well, didn’t walk and my nutrition worked well. I was nervous as I’m used to nutrition on the bike but running is different. I carb loaded last week and drank til it came out my ears. The secret formula was PB Squared - porridge, pasta, bagels and bananas. My trusty ol’ Ensure Plus drink did the post run trick each leg and Torq, gels and Clif bars kept my feet moving. I also enjoyed hotdogs and coffee in between run legs and I don’t know how many times I imagined Georgetown cupcakes along those kilometers.

The team did incredibly well. I am so impressed with the team, they are very accomplished runners and it was great to run with them. It’s inspiring to see what people can and have done and these five athletes are people I look to with great admiration. It was not until the last leg, Leg Number 6, that steel and lead found its way into our legs. It was Saturday morning approaching lunch. Most of the team had long legs, over an hour and the heat and humidity was killing us. We slowed down and just focused on getting there.

We finished the race about 3.30pm on Saturday afternoon crossing the line together and proudly holding our Aussie flag. It was a wonderful feeling, we had finished, and finished ahead of our estimated time. We would have been earlier had it not been for me getting lost on the first leg. We'd taken about 31.5 hours. The medal was a serious piece of bling – definitely representative of the sweat, stench and pain. There are always people supporting in great achievements like this. I have to thank our superb race driver. He volunteered his time to drive us around from transition to transition, find the gas stations, the McDonalds, the food stops, the toilets and importantly endured the never ending smell of sweat and stench. He also was our official photographer and I can’t wait to see his photos. If ever he needs anything, I told him I would be there as we were all very grateful for him being there with us this weekend. Thanks Mark. xx There was also lots of support from family and friends from home, work and afar. Thanks again to you.

 

Deb met me at the finish. She had her own marathon getting there through the horrendous traffic. The Climate March was on that day so streets were blocked. Another Trump inspired protest march. I was barely keeping my eyes open getting home and a hot shower felt a-mazing. We went out for an early dinner where I filled my belly. I was in bed by 7.30pm and slept for 16 hours. I did wake about 3am as expected, hungry, so I had a huge bowl of cereal and went back to bed. This has been a routine feeding time after a 24 hr event so I’m not surprised I woke up for a feed. My legs are quite tired, stiff and sore. Deb drove me to Georgetown Cupcakes so I could treat myself. I came home and woofed down 2 cupcakes and half of Deb’s (she was a good girl and only ate half). 

It’s a been a huge weekend and a great experience, and the team were simply fantastic. I totally enjoyed myself and am super thrilled with my running. I hope to do this again next year with Deb and I’m sure the rest of the team are up for it again. I've made a short video on my next post. The song was our team song as Rudy played it on our way to the check-in on Friday. We tended to sing this over the weekend....chuffing awesome.

 

ANZAC Day in the US

A very proud and reflective day for all Australians. For the non-Aussie reader, ANZAC day is the day when Australia and New Zealand remember their service men and women, former and currently serving and the sacrifice they have made for their country. It is commemorated on 25 April every year to mark the 1915 Gallipoli landings in World War I when Australian and NZ soldiers landed on the beaches at Gallipoli (Turkey) at dawn to begin an offence which was ultimately a failure, resulting in massive loss of lives (both allied and Turks) and the withdrawal eight months later. 

This campaign against the odds forged an enduring spirit of courage and mateship and they became known as ANZAC - Australian and New Zealand Army Corp. ANZAC day is a national holiday in Australia. We celebrate ANZAC day with a dawn service to mark the dawn beach landings, a later morning service and street parades in cities and towns throughout both countries. And of course, for this one day of the year only, we play two-up. Here I am with some friends as we get the courage to toss our money into the ring. This is a simple gambling game where the spinner throws two pennies in the air, people bet on 2 heads or 2 tails to land and a load of fun is had, money is lost or won....of which I lost that day. Anzac biscuits are also a tradition and were on the plates for breakfast. I also made a batch for work as a treat. I have made a batch for the school I visit with the Embassy diplomacy team - they are learning about Anzac Day later this week so they will have some Anzac biscuits to munch on as they learn.

This year we went to the Dawn Service which is held at the Korean War Memorial. In the background of the first photo you will see lifelike statues of soldiers marching in formation - a very impressive memorial here in DC. It was well attended and always a moving and emotional ceremony. The Embassy then hosted the gunfire breakfast and we all head off to the National Cathedral for the morning service. I've not been to a morning service but it was outstanding to do this here at the National Cathedral. There was a didgeridoo, bagpipes and the buglar - all providing the moving sounds of remembrance. I enjoyed hearing from the both NZ and Australian Ambassadors and the entire ceremony was wonderful. I will definitely go back for a tour of this beautiful building. 

 

I am always very proud to be Australian and today is special day to remember the diggers, those who lost their lives, those who helped us make Australia the great country it is today and all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Lest we forget.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Please note I have taken photos from the Embassy of Australia, US Facebook Page. Please  visit for more photos and information.

Texas - The Slideshow

Have a look at this little collection of pics from Texas. I discovered this song while at the Magnolia Silo Markets in Waco. I thought it was Don Henley but after a quick google, I discovered it was Dave Barnes and this is Sunset Santa Fe. He's got some beautiful country music so check him out. 

Texas - Part 2

AUSTIN Continued

Our journey continued in Austin with a Segway tour in the morning. Austin has a nice feel to it, lots of bars, restaurants and music venues. We didn’t feel like Austin had any special sights to see so the Segway was more like a burn through the streets down to the Lady Bird lake and back. I didn't fall off the segway which is always a good thing. We saw the bridge where the bats live but no bats to see that morning - something to do with the rain and weather? We saw the Austin State Capitol building which looks like most other US Capitol buildings – they all have that dome shape on top like the one in DC. We grabbed a coffee at a trendy café before heading off to Waco. Upon reflection, the best thing about Austin was the donut shop we went to the night before.

WACO

We decided to take the 'country' roads to Waco in order to explore a little bit. It was a nice break from massive highways but remember, everything is big in Texas so the country roads were like our freeways! The towns were nothing out of the ordinary but I'm glad we took that drive. There were so many churches in each town despite being small towns of about 2000 people. We stopped for lunch at the Sonic burger joint which is a drive-in. They bring your order to the car, kinda reminded me of the Happy Days era. It was an impulse decision that seemed a fun thing to do (when you're in your late 40's). I’m reaching my limit of junk food and will be glad to resume healthy eating when we get home.

There really is not much in Waco – mainly the famous Baylor university which is known for its football stars and scandals.  The only reason we stopped here was to visit the Magnolia Silo’s bakery and shops - more on that later. The only other thing we know Waco for is the Branch Davidians religious cult where back in 1993 the Federal and Texas state law agencies (and military) raided/sieged the compound. The group were suspected of weapons violations in addition to allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct. The siege standoff lasted 51 days with the FBI eventually launching an assault with tear gas in an attempt to force the Branch Davidians out of the ranch. Unfortunately, a fire broke out in the Mount Carmel Center and 76 people died. The guy who did the Oklahoma City bombing (killing 168 people) a year later cited Waco as his motivation as he was an anti-government sympathizer. It was interesting to read about these incidents now because I was much younger and ignorant back in that day. The compound is about 15 minute drive out of Waco, down some farm road. We stopped at the open gate but did not enter – you are allowed to enter and visit the church area but we chose to look from the distance. I was worried the gate would close behind us if we drove in or the car would stall or get a flat tyre. There is a memorial inside the gate for the people who died in the siege. 

 

Now back to those Magnolia Silo's Markets. These are the shops owned by Chip and Joanna from the hit TV home renovations show Fixer Upper. Deb is a huge fan and she was super excited to visit here. No, we did not see Chip and Joanna and if we did, I would have been coming home alone. Someone has a little crush on Joanna!! It gets really really really busy here, elbow pushing busy – it’s a very clever and successful business venture and everyone comes to Waco pretty much to see this place. It's closed on Sundays so we arrived at opening time on Monday which was also Deb’s birthday. We enjoyed a morning breakfast sugar rush of pastry and cupcakes and wandered the grounds waiting for the shops to open. We gave the Visa card a good bash and Deb left happy with a few bags of goodies. I keep thinking of how well Chip and Joanna have done and those Silo’s markets have really done a lot for the city. I also keep thinking of that chocolate cupcake - never too early for those.

 

DALLAS

After our Magnolia Silo’s visit we headed to Dallas. Many of you are probably like me and think of the 80's TV show Dallas with the Ewing family, Southfork Ranch and the Who Shot JR? mystery. Wasn't it Sue-Ellen? I can still hear that theme music in my head now.

In Dallas we enjoyed a full afternoon of JFK history. This was definitely a highlight of the trip as we are history nerds and JFK’s assassination is a significant event in recent history albeit 54 years ago. We arrived early at Dealey Plaza which is the general area surrounding the site. The route that JFK drove is still open to traffic today but the grassed areas, sidewalks and the famous grassy knoll are all there for you to walk around, look and reflect. The Texas Book Depository is right behind and is now aptly named the Sixth Floor Museum – more on this later. There were several conspiracy people setup on the sidewalks with their stuff to buy and convince you of a conspiracy but we dodged them safely. There were two X’s on the road to mark the spots where the car was when the two shots hit JFK (the third shot missed). I have watched so many videos and movies of JFK’s assassination and to actually be standing there on that grassy knoll and surrounds was an absolute surreal sensation. It was just like you see in the videos – and of course it would be, nothings changed.

2nd Top Floor - far right window, Oswald's Window

We then took a one hour JFK trolley tour and Texan Mike the guide was pretty vocal, confessing that he used to be a conspiracy theorist. But he has since asked questions, read a lot and realized, the facts speak for themselves. Funny that – ignorance can be bliss I guess. I wonder if he believes the moon landing? Anyway….he was super knowledgeable and passionate to say the least. He explained the lead up to JFK's Texas tour, the tense relationship with his vice-Pres Lyndon Johnson and re-election focus for 1964. We drove JFK’s parade route and then continued on the route that Oswald took (walking) after he fled the book depository. I never fully understood those events but it was great to see and hear it all. The cinema where he was captured hasn’t changed a bit since that day. We drove past Oswald’s house and the location where he shot dead a policeman who approached him as he was on the run. It was a very informative one hour and totally well worth taking this tour. There was a thunderstorm and pouring rain on the tour and it added to the eerie effect of this experience.

Our last visit for the day was through the Sixth Floor Museum which is the former Texas Book Depository. No photos were allowed in there except for the 7^th floor where you can take a photo just above where Oswald took the fatal shots. This museum is excellent. The photos, information and layout were fabulous. They give you audio headsets to further explain the exhibits. We thoroughly enjoyed the museum and managed to read a fair bit despite rushing as it was approaching closing time. This is a must-see in Dallas.

I’ve never been a conspiracy theorist and believe the events are all explained including Jack Ruby shooting Oswald. JFK was a remarkable man and his assassination was a tragedy for the world, particularly at a time when positive change was needed. I’m not sure Dallas would be as prominent if it were not for JFK’s assassination there because we also did a trolley tour of Dallas that afternoon and it was nothing to rave about. We heard comments that Austin and Dallas were average and our thoughts are the same.

FORT WORTH

Fort Worth, the gateway to the West. In the late 19^th century it became an important trading post for cowboys at the end of the Chisholm trail. Texas ranchers using the Chisholm Trail started on the route from either Rio Grande or San Antonio, joined the Chisholm Trail at the border between Texas and Oaklahoma and continued to the railhead of the Kansas railway in Abilene, Kansas, where cattle would be sold and shipped. Fort Worth was originally established in 1849 as an Army outpost and named after it’s General (Worth). The fort was abandoned in 1853.

Fort Worth was stimulated by the business of the cattle drives on the Chisholm Trail and became  a brawling, bustling town. Millions of head of cattle were driven north to market along this trail and it became the centre of the cattle drives and later the ranching industry. It was given the nickname Cowtown – yee ha giddy up.

 We had a private walking tour of Fort Worth which was excellent. Our guide was very knowledgeable and also drove us around town to see some interesting sights in museums, botanical gardens, buildings and the city streets. We finished up at the Stockyards to see the daily cattle drive (just for tourists) and those cattle were definitely big with horns to match. They have a rodeo every Friday and Saturday night and I am keen to do this later in the year when my sister visits. I didn’t get to buy my 10 gallon Stetson hat but I will try again on my next visit – gotta get something to match my cowboy boots from Nashville.  We definitely enjoyed Fort Worth and there is plenty to see there, more so than Dallas. The town has forever had strong rivalry with Dallas and the guide gave us great stories about the oil barrons who have built Fort Worth and made it the town it is today.

This wrapped up our Texas adventures and we took the afternoon flight home back to DC. We were exhausted and I slept the 3 hour flight home. I certainly had expectations for Texas and while some of these were probably unrealistic, I enjoyed the great state, found the people super friendly, the food to be amazing and the history very interesting. As a kid, I watched cowboys and indian movies but never realized that it was real life for the people here. I now appreciate what those movies were all about.

So that now makes 16 states touched.

 

 

 

Texas - Part 1

We spent our time over Easter exploring the great state of Texas. As always, we jammed a fair bit in and saw some some fantastic sights, ate fabulous food and learnt more about US and Texas history. No guns were seen but lots of hats and boots were counted.

We flew into Houston and hired a car to drive our way up to Dallas/Fort Worth. The map shows our route map and we stayed one night each in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Waco and Fort Worth (Dallas).  The weather was warm, mid 20s C.

HOUSTON

We took the early morning flight into Houston and spent the day at the NASA Space Centre – this was 'a day for me' as Deb had seen enough space stuff in Florida at the Kennedy Space Centre. The Houston Space Centre was not as extensive as Kennedy but I still enjoyed it. The space center is very educational focused for kids so there were lots of activities and hands on things for kids to do. We looked around at the various exhibits and I can imagine how fantastic this would have been to see as a kid.

 

One highlight for me was seeing the shuttle on top of the shuttle carrier Boeing 747 aircraft. The shuttle is a replica of the Indepedence shuttle and together they are a huge couple of beasts. We climbed the stairs to walk through the aircraft and shuttle to read information about how they were designed and used. The aircraft carried the shuttles from its landing sites after space flight back to the Kennedy space centre and was also used to test the shuttles as they were being designed. I am always in awe of these achievements and love having the opportunity to see them.

The second highlight was taking the little tram trolley tour to see the former mission control center. This was used during the Gemini, Apollo and many space shuttle missions until 1992 when a new extension was built to control future space missions. The room was retrofitted back to the equipment used during the Apollo missions and it was cool to see the room where they controlled man landing on the moon and many other important space flights such as Apollo 13 "Hey Houston, we have a problem here". The memorabilia on the walls was impressive and again, I just looked at everything in awe.

We stopped by the Saturn V rocket display on the way back to the visitor centre. We saw this rocket in Florida and it is the biggest rocket made and was used for the Apollo missions and launching Skylab. This is a bloody HUGE rocket, massive. Pictures cannot justify its size that is overwhelming in real life.

We stayed the night with one of Deb’s work friends who lives in Houston. We enjoyed a Tex Mex dinner down the road from their house and it was the best mex food I’ve eaten so far. It was sensational and the guacamole was mmmm mmmmm. I love fajitas and these were the best ever. They say Tex Mex is the best Mexican food and that tastes pretty right to me so far. We didn’t see anything more of Houston and friends didn’t seem to rate it very high of interest so we just enjoyed the relax time.

SAN ANTONIO

It was about a three hour drive to San Antonio and our little car felt like the car ‘marker’ from the Monopoly game as we drove on the huge freeways amongst RVs, trucks and SUVs on steroids. We were in Texas after all - everything's big in Texas. We arrived late afternoon and walked around the Riverwalk area which was quite beautiful and unexpected. There were lots of cafes and shops and it was a nice few hours to browse around. We had an early Tex Mex dinner again but it was not a good as that in Houston. A margarita went down nicely and proved my inability to hold more than two sips of alcohol.

The key attraction in San Antonio is the Alamo. Note that Texas was not part of the US at this time - it was occupied by Mexicans and immigrants from the US at the time (Texians).

The Alamo is a former fortress and battle that played a critical role in the Texas Revolution. My brief summary is that the Alamo mission was first built by the Spanish as a mission to educate Amercian Indians after conversion to Christianity. Ten years later it became a fortress around 1803 and housed the Mexican para military. During the Texas Revolution the Mexicans surrendered the fort to the Texian Army in December 1835 following the siege of Bexar. The Mexicans were not happy and later attacked the fort in the six day Battle of Alamo (23 Feb – 6 Mar 1836). All 200 Texians defenders were vastly outnumbered and killed and the Mexican president was especially cruel. Famous names of those 200 Texians were beaver tail hat man Davy Crockett, James Bowie and William B Travis. 

In April, Texians were driven by revenge to drive all Mexicans out of Texas and joined the Texian Army to defeat the Mexicans. In April, the Texan Army attacked and defeated the Mexicans. The Texians were heard to yell ‘Remember the Alamo’ as they fought. The Mexican President was forced to order his troops out of Texas ending their control of the province. It’s been an interesting history lesson and I only have the learned the express version. But I finally appreciate who Davy Crockett is and what/why the Alamo is so important in Texas history.

We took the one hour guided tour throughout the Alamo and it was well worth it. There are lots of exhibits and information to read and look at and the grounds are quite big. The Alamo was a heroic struggle against overwhelming odds – a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. For this reason, the Alamo remains hallowed ground and the Shrine of Texas Liberty.

After the Alamo, we took one loop of the hop on/off bus around the city and it was not impressive. San Antonio doesn’t have much more to look at besides the Alamo and the Riverwalk. I didn’t feel like we were in Texas but more like Mexico as the cultural influence is quite strong.

The Alamo

SALTLICK BBQ

Some of our US friends kindly offered some tips for our Texas trip and one big recommendation was the Saltlick BBQ. This was a must-see. It was about half hour before Austin so we arrived late afternoon and planned this as our early dinner. Crikey, it was busy. It was in the middle of nowhere and the wait was 2 hours for a table, or, we could order takeaway and sit in the grassy picnic area – we chose the latter. It was about 45 minute before we got food but it passed quickly as we took in the atmosphere, smells and conversation with local Texans. Thankfully, the BBQ was excellent. I love Brisket, Deb loves ribs and we got our carb and protein overload in spades today. I’m glad we were told about this place cause it was pretty nice food. Texas BBQ is different to BBQ in the south but it was still nice.

AUSTIN

The capital of Texas. 

We were full from our BBQ feed but I was scratching to go out and explore. I noticed a trendy 24hr donut place called VooDoo Doughnuts. I was laughing at the donut names – Gay Bar Donut (coloured accordingly), Cock and Balls (shaped accordingly), old dirty bastard donut, dirty snowballs donut. I couldn’t decide which ‘one’ so I got a few and ate a bit of each. Total sugar rush but worth the experience. 

In the morning we will hit the segways for a city tour and explore a bit more ourselves before heading to Waco.

I'll continue the Texas report in my next post but here's a few pics to finish with.