Hiking Enchanted Rock

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A tree growing from the top of Enchanted Rock

A tree growing from the top of Enchanted Rock

My final day of my mini Texas road trip I headed out to Enchanted Rock, a giant granite dome near Fredricksburg. It was a bit of a further drive from Austin than I had anticipated, but the countryside was lovely and the destination completely worth it.

The hike reminded me a bit of Uluru, though geologically speaking the structures aren’t alike.  There were lots of geckos and lizards darting around, tons of desert flora to admire and an indigenous history stretching back thousands of years. I hiked to the top of the rock, then around the base to get a full view.

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East Austin Street Art

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A mural in East Austin

A mural in East Austin

During my weekend in Austin I stayed at an incredible Airbnb run by a Hungarian woman. It was a farm just on the outskirts of town. They had goats, horses, dogs, bees, and a host of other animals hanging around. The family invited me to a 4th of July “anti-party” in East Austin – a part of town not usually frequented by tourists. I arrived at the bar about an hour early and took a stroll around, pleased to find an abundance of street art. Here’s a sampling.

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San Antonio and the Missions

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An angel fixture at Mission San Jose in San Antonio

An angel fixture at Mission San Jose in San Antonio

For 4th of July weekend this year I took a road trip to San Antonio and Austin. The weather was incredible and I had a lot of fun driving through the Texan farmland. I went to San Antonio first and visited the Alamo and other missions, all of which encompass a UNESCO world heritage site. The architecture is incredible and entrance is free to all the sites.

In addition to the Missions, San Antonio has amazing Mexican food and crafts centers. It was definitely worth the detour on my way to Austin to spend an afternoon there.

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Houston Street Art

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A mural at Kingspoint, a street art mecca in Houston.

A mural at Kingspoint, a street art mecca in Houston.

Of course in Houston I hunted out some street art. I took a side trip to Kingspoint on my way down to Galveston, but unfortunately there wasn’t much going on there and most of it was blocked off. What I did see were enormous, beautiful murals and lots of tags. It would have been great to go when artists were there working.

There was also quite a bit of cool stuff around the Montrose neighborhood. I honestly can’t remember where I took a lot of these pictures, but I believe most were either Kingspoint or Montrose.

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Sightseeing in Houston

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The infamous Beer Can House in Houston, TX

The infamous Beer Can House in Houston, TX

It’s long overdue for me to post photos from my four weeks in Houston earlier this summer. I was there for a work stint but managed to do quite a bit of sightseeing. A major highlight was the Beer Can House which was one man’s project taken delightfully too far. The entire outside of the house is covered in beer cans, including wind chimes that shield the whole front entrance. The chimes can be heard from blocks away! It was worth the small entrance fee to see the inside of the house and take a guided tour, as the John Milkovisch – the man responsible – is as interesting as his creation.

I also took a side trip to Galveston which was a pleasant day. The beach wasn’t terribly impressive and the water didn’t look too appealing, but I had an amazing po’boy and enjoyed learning the history behind the island.

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