I’ve tried for three years to climb Mt. LeConte, “tallest” (not highest) mountain in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, with the tallest “face from base” east of the Mississippi. In this case, it wasn’t just about the journey. My destination was the remote, rustic Mt. LeConte Lodge.
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I had a deadline to leave Austin, get my things packed up from the house sitting stint, and get across the country to Tennessee. I had a date with a mountain – a reservation at LeConte hiking lodge, the only lodge in the Smoky Mountain National Park, and assessable only on foot. It books up a year in advance, and I had the reservation longer than I had the RV. So I was motivated to move. Continue reading
Here is “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” of my month-long trial run at full timing in the Austin Pecan Grove RV Park. (It’s every new RVers rite of passage to use that title just once, right? ) Continue reading
I spent my last weekend of my month in Austin finishing up my list of things I wanted to see while here. The first was the LBJ Presidential Library. I have made it a goal to visit all of the libraries, or at least as many as possible. Continue reading
Chuy’s weekly special of Fried Avocado, stuffed with chicken, cheese, and Hatch green chiles
By far one of the biggest treats about my month here in the Pecan Grove RV Park has been the variety of incredibly unique delicious food offerings, from the brew pub over the fence to the long row of inexpensive outdoor dining options along Barton Springs Continue reading
As much as I have been loving my time in Austin, I needed some time to escape the “Barton Springs Scene.” I enjoy the energy of being immersed in a “university town,” but it can start to feel a little like my graying hair is being blown back by all the “awesomeness” from the twenty-something population. So I wanted to get out of town for the weekend when the Zilker Park crowds reach critical mass. Continue reading
Anyone who traveled to the Texas Hill Country to see the annual bluebonnet bloom this year was no doubt sorely disappointed. Oh, sure, there are a few rows of them lining the highways and entrances to the State Parks, but nothing like the endless fields of fragrant blue that we experienced last year. Continue reading
During my time at UT, I had a group of sun worshiping buddies that would purposefully arrange their spring classes to fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays, just so they could spend MWF baking at the lake.
It was all about the tan back then, and it is a wonder none of us died from skin cancer. Slathering Hawaiian Tropic “SPF Zero” or worse yet, baby oil mixed with iodine was standard procedure to achieve a dark golden bronze that would make even John Boehner envious. It was a ritual to pack the ice chest with tequila, pineapple juice, and ice, as my five buddies and I would take turns driving the car pool to Lake Travis. Continue reading
I graduated from UT in 1979, and hadn’t been back to walk the campus since. After being back in Austin for two weeks now, reminiscing the cool vibe that perpetuates the “Keep Austin Weird” campaign, I ask myself why I ever left? Continue reading
Let me just say that I love every kooky, quirky aspect of this little RV park, and there are plenty of ’em to like. I am afraid having this be my first “full time” destination is going to rank right up there with getting my SCUBA certification in Cozumel…it will forever be the standard by which other RV parks are measured. Continue reading