... and then the visitors came

Our first out-of-state visitors came for a visit last weekend in the form of Sheila and Don Zinn (Jon's mother and step-father). Neither of them had ever been to Texas, let alone Austin. That gave us a good excuse to take them to our favorite spots and check out some new ones. Here's a list of some of the things we did. While the list might suggest otherwise, we didn't spend the whole time eating:

• Breakfast from the Kolache Shoppe on Burnet Road, which makes a mean jalapeno sausage kolache.
• Climb the steps up to the top of Mount Bonnell, where there's a great view of the Colorado River and downtown.

Jon flanked by Zinns atop Mount Bonnell

• Tour the University of Texas campus, providing an excellent opportunity to load up on Longhorn's gear. Hook 'em!

Although you wouldn't guess, none of these people went to UT

• Take a quick tour of the Texas Capitol.

Would we have agreed to pose for this picture if we had seen who was above us first?

• Grab a burger at Hut's, an Austin institution. Anyone up for a Buddy Holly?
• Walk off some of lunch on East Sixth Street, stopping at Tears of Joy for some of the Hottest F---ing Nuts and hot sauce that's so dangerous, you need to add it to your food with a toothpick.
• Very nice dinner at the Eastside Cafe, followed by a walk through the on-site garden.
• A Saturday morning visit to the Austin Farmer's Market Downtown.

Musical entertainment at the farmer's market


Don talking to a fellow member of the "Class of '42"


Tamalady, a weekly balancing act at the farmer's market

• A stroll down South Congress for some window shopping and a stop in Allens Boots.

Funky car on South Congress

• Drive to Lockhart, Texas for some serious Texas barbecue at Kreuz Market.

Meat, glorious meat!

• Walking off another meal, this time along the river from Auditorium Shores through Zilker Park, to the Barton Springs pool.

Turtles on a branch, outlet of Barton Springs at Lake Austin

• Stopped in for a quick beer at Uncle Billy's. Mmmm, hefeweizen.
• Crawfish boil dinner at the Shoal Creek Saloon.

A couple of guys enjoying some crawfish

• A late night visit to Book People, Austin's best bookstore, and Central Market, Austin's best supermarket.
• A trip with Lester to Red Bud Isle, where he had the nerve to growl and snap at a 150 pound neopolitan mastiff.
• Lunch at Taquería Arandas. Muy delicioso.

Hard to believe that was only 3 days, and we still had time left over to watch UConn lose to San Diego in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Come visit us, and we'll keep you busy, too!