Green Cay Nature Preserve
Green Cay is a gorgeous preserve in Palm Beach County, Florida. There is a 1.5 mile elevated boardwalk around the swamplands and you can view an abundance of birdlife and other animals. There is also an educational center where you can learn about the habitat and preservation work being done. If the season is right, you might even see an alligator.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A Yank without a Chain 