Weekend of April 20-22, 2012

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Hi, Y’all!

Every time Mike and I go on a roadtrip, one thing sticks out as most memorable. I would be very surprised if anything in the coming week manages to surpass the impression that Austin, Tx has made on us. If it weren’t for the insanely hot weather in the summer, we may very well be looking for jobs there. Sure, the fact that we had made reservations to see three shows in three days may have something to do with it. But Austin is the live music capital of the world, so I can only imagine that it is this awesome all the time.

We arrived on Friday in time for the Johnny Cash tribute concert. Wow! The various artists present at the event did not disappoint. I even cried a little when Chris Kristofferson joined Jamey Johnson to sing Sunday Morning Coming Down, and it was a joy to watch the members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops let loose and tear up the floor as they broke out in dance as other artists were playing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bow shred up like that after one single song. Their rendition of Jackson was something else! I’m sure you can find clips on Youtube! Cameras were not allowed in, so I don’t have any pictures from the show, but Mike was able to get some with his phone. I hope to post some soon.

On Saturday, we took it easy in the morning, wanting to rest up before the Willie Nelson concert we were attending in the evening. So we set the GPS for downtown, looking for the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery. Turns out food trucks are everywhere in Austin. I’ve never seen so many in my whole life. We turned into what we thought was the right parking lot, ordered our food at SoCo (Southern Comfort Food), sat down in the park, enjoyed some good live music, had a delicious meal (better than what we find in most Fredericton restaurants, honestly – from a food truck!), then got back in the truck and drove up the street only to realize that the eatery we were looking for was 500 feet further up. So we turned in and had desert at Holy Cacao, where they specialize in cake milkshakes. Confused? Imagine a milkshake to which you add about a cup of cake, and you mix it up real good. Oh, my! We drove around the city a little longer to get a feel for the vibe, and felt like it was a little big town: small town friendliness, big town conveniences and culture. We were in love! Even the residential areas seemed quaint... until we left downtown and drove a few miles further to the town of Bee Cave, where the concert was being held. This is where we discovered The Enclave, a gated community where the “people with money” live. Not the same Austin we saw downtown, let’s say!

The concert was held in a park (The Backyard) and we had a blast! Mr. Nelson is such a generous entertainer! After his daughter, then Jamey Johnson played for us, he took the stage and sang for at least an hour and a half. At close to 80 years old, that’s pretty impressive! And he didn’t take any breaks, either. It was one song after another. Not only did he play his own biggest hits, but he also sang some Hank Williams and Waylon Jennings, amongst other artists. Hearing him sing “Mama’s, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys” was definitely my highlight of the night! My camera does not zoom very well and it was too congested in the front to get pictures from Mr. Nelson, but Mike took some with his phone, so I hope to post some soon.

Then today (Sunday), we headed to Stubbs Bar-b-que for a gospel brunch. What a morning! I’ve missed attending church services during our trip, as it is often simply not convenient, or difficult to find a service that works with our schedule. So I was happy to listen to gospel music that was sung from the heart as we had our barbecue breakfast. In fact, I’ll take this opportunity to thank those friends and family members who have been praying for us along the way. J

After the breakfast, we left Austin and headed East, stopping a few miles outside the city at a cowboy boots store to see if Mike might be able to find himself a pair of boots for gigs. And he did! Then, we had to find a Laundromat to dry the clothes we had washed at the hotel. (I realized after putting a load in the washer that the dryer was not working!) And then, we left the city for real. It was about four o’clock. Ha! Ha! Some things just don’t seem to change. So tonight, we are sleeping just outside of Houston, Tx., hoping to spend part of the day tomorrow in New Orleans, Louisiana, the land of jazz and crawfish, and so many other amazing and fun things. One day is not enough, but this time, it will have to do!

Until next time,

Cheers!

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Photos

First impressions of Austin - 1
The slogan "Keep Austin Weird" is very popular. Indeed, Austin does not seem to fit into general Texan culture.

Food truck meal - Mike
Nachos and pickles

Food truck meal - Monique
Chicken fried chicken (yes, that's how they call it - because in Texas, you can also order "chicken fried steak") and salad.