#2: Ascend All 106 Steps of Mt. Bonnell to Enjoy the View

And what a view it was! The number 106 sounds like a lot, but in reality, it took my husband, David, and I hardly any time to climb from the yoga class practicing next to the stair entry to the young couple kissing at the top of the mountain. We looked around at the wonderful view from all sides--we got there at sunset, so it was perfect!
We even got to see our church, Riverbend, from the right-hand side, just behind the trees.
We walked into a clearing a bit down the mountain and unpacked a dinner of Italian bread, brie, strawberries and kiwi, and sparkling grape juice. Very tasty! It would have been perfect if there were candles (preferably citronella ones--the mosquitoes were out in a vengence!), but it was a wonderful time.
We came back down and had just enough sunlight to enjoy the rest of our picturesque drive down Mt. Bonnell Road and 2222. A fabulous time! Enjoy the pictures!

#1: Take a Historic Walking Tour of Downtown Austin

Well, the project is officially underway: no way was I going to back out now, not with all the wonderful support I've gotten so far! I also love the fact that people are expressing interest in experiencing Austin with me--it's much more rewarding to share this with people I love! I got to enjoy my first Great Thing with with one of my favorites, Jamie, who was nice enough to act like a 65-year-old tourist with me as we made our way down Congress Avenue and over to historic Sixth Street on this muggy 90-degree-day.




The tour started us on the south entrance of the State Capitol Building (bigger than the U.S. Capitol, being true to the Texas notion that bigger is better), and moved south on Congress Avenue, which is the main street going through the heart of downtown Austin. We didn't cross the bridge and enter into the eclectic land of South Congress, but there were still plenty of really neat things to see along the way, most notably the architecture of the buildings. Most of them were built in the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, and we began to see lots of patterns emerge, such as the arched windows and iron gates.




As we made our way down Sixth Street (which is a TOTALLY different place in the daytime than at night!), we entertained the notion that the architects and previous owners must be turning a bit in their graves to see what their beautiful works of art now house: a store that sells T-shirts that say "F*** Y'all, I'm From Texas"? A bar called TooLoose? Seriously. Of course, the jewel of Sixth Street was the amazing Driskill Hotel, which I've been fortunate enough to stay at. Very old world, like one of those places you'd expect to have a jazzy martini at.






There were lots of other neat sites, especially the St. Mary's Cathedral, which we didn't even know existed, but is beautiful and reminded me of Europe (sigh). We were glad to see, as we finished our tour, that not all great architecture is dead west of New England. I was pretty proud of the buildings that we saw--no matter how many high-rise condos are going up and changing the skyline daily, we still are able to appreciate these smaller, but just as eye-catching, works of art all in a row, almost everywhere you turn in this area. Some anecdotes and stories we enjoyed:

- The sanctuary at St. David's Episcopal Church was funded by gamblers.
- The Austin Opera House was once on the second floor of the M.M. Long Livery Stable. In 1871, a newspaper reporter was overcome by the distinct odor of manure.
- The Walter Tips and Edward Tips Buildings are next door to each other, and Edward, the older brother, built the first one, to be followed 11 years later by his younger brother Walter's building. Walter's building is 10 times cooler. Little siblings always win. FAIL.
- We wondered if the people who were hanging out on Sixth Street at 3:00 in the afternoon actually thought that it was just as cool as hanging out there at 11:00 at night because Hey! It's Sixth Street, man!
- We were photographed by a newspaper reporter and warned by a man crossing the street towards us. Jamie was holding a GIGANTIC Diet Coke and hid it behind me as we were being snapped.

All in all, a very interesting trip! I can't wait for my next event--not sure what that will be yet, but I'll post it on Facebook when I decide. Most of my posts probably won't be this long, but hey, lots to see, lots to talk about! Until next time...

101 Great Things To Do in Austin

One complaint that I tend to have about myself (Alissa) is that I don't take advantage of all that my remarkable city has to offer. I have lived in Austin, Texas since June of 2007 and since I have been here, I have seen and done many things, but I tend to have fallen into a routine, only frequenting the same eateries, bars, nightclubs, theaters, etc. I moved to Austin so that I would never be bored, never be without new things to see and experience, but yet I feel compelled to stick with what is familiar, what is close to me in proximity. I always tend to make excuses as to why I don't attend certain concerts, festivals, museums, restaurants, etc. But as I write this on October 6, 2009, I am at the precipice of a rut. The two big events of the year, the weddings of myself and my sister, are over. My class reunion has passed by, and (as far as I know) my husband and I are not expecting a child anytime soon. My work and choral responsibilities are in such a nice routine that they require minimal extra work. This is the opportune time to get to know this city that I love so much.

The project: Experience 101 Great Things to Do in Austin in one year's time. I came upon a list (author unknown) listing many different activities, events, shows, restaurants, museums, etc. to do in Austin, and I am going to do and attend everything on this list by October 6, 2010. (When I came up with this idea, I was not even thinking of the correlation to the Julie/Julia Project until my friend Jamie pointed it out. So be it; I'm not looking for movie deals here, just a place to share my journey--although if a certain brother-in-law/producer was at all interested in the story, I'm available. Megan Fox can play me.)

A disclaimer: I realized today, as I was researching dates of the events, that several of them don't exist anymore. In that event, I will simply substitute an event of my choosing, most likely one that I haven't done before, so that by the end of the year's time, I will have done 101 Great Things.

I would love to encourage you, reader, to participate in my journey! If you live in Austin, come join me! I'll post my upcoming trips on Facebook, and if you'd like to come along, just let me know. Also, I know some of you have an "in" with certain Austin bigwigs--if you find out any ways I can defer the cost of any of this stuff, I'll be glad to take it! Most importantly, just read, comment, and encourage. Procrastination tends to be my middle name, but with your encouragement and support, I can do this!

My first excursion is on Thursday: Jamie and I are going on a self-guided walking tour of Downtown Austin. Look for the recap with pictures soon!

Thanks for reading my opening ramble. I'm off!