American Road Trip

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We are on the road and headed west. After traveling completely around the world last year we are exploring the US this summer with the Great American Road Trip. We spent a wonderful week in LA, that's Lower Alabama for you neophytes. We attended a family wedding in Satsuma, Alabama and then spent 7 wonderful days on the beach in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Now, we are working our way west and trying to stay off I-10 and follow the back roads. Yesterday we were in Austin, Texas and it was booming. The downtown was alive and we ate lunch in the gorgeous old Driskell Hotel built in 1886. The food was great and the locale was fabulous. After lunch we took a long hike around the Town Lake. Formed by the damming up of Barton Springs, this lake is clear, clean and right downtown.

We took a back road out of town to escape the rush hour traffic and ended up in the small town of Llano, Texas. What a treat. The old courthouse was magnificent and the streets quaint and cute. We checked into the local hotel and went in seach of grub. Cooper's BBQ looked interesting and we sauntered in. Little did we know what we had stumbled onto. First you stop by the huge grill outside and choose your meat. Steaks, Ribs, Chops, Chicken, Sausage just take your pick and the cook will cut off whatever size chunk you want and slaps it on your tray. Then you go inside and pick out whatever sides and drinks you need. The cashier weighs your meat, rings up your other extras and you sit down in the eating hall filled with benches and stuffed heads on the wall. Beans, sauce, bread, peppers and paper towels are all on the table. Paper table mats are provided and you just plop you meat down on that- no plates. It was quite the cultural experience and based on the pictures on the wall one that quite a few celebrities and George W. know about. Serendipitous Travel is the best.

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