After we left The Capitol Building, we stopped at Chedd's http://www.chedds.com/ for lunch. As we were leaving, we got another comment from the Peanut Gallery about wishing we could stay in Austin a bit longer. That was about the time we pulled into the hotel. I'm shocked people didn't hear the screams, yells, choruses of righteous and awesome coming out of the their big mouths.
We stayed around the hotel for a bit waiting to spring the next surprise on the boys which happened to be bats. Brian found a state park animal preserve in Fredricksburg, TX that would allow us to get up close to the bats as they emerge for their feeding. Old Tunnel Preserve is an old train tunnel where the bat reside. I had the best time convincing Caden that the tunnel was really where Batman lived. We debated back and forth for a good while. To get the best view, you have to be one of the first 60 people to purchase a ticket to go down close to the tunnel. Otherwise, you get to sit up at ground level to see them. We knew about the bats at the Congress Avenue Bridge, but this was on the way through Luckenbach and next to Alamo Springs Cafe- both places Brian wanted to see. The boys loved the bats and I thought it was highly intriguing. What I didn't like, and the boys confirmed their dislike for it too, was the smell. Gag.
Not birds...BATS
Batty Bats!
Alamo Springs Cafe- you can go pick your own beer (from a bazillion selections) and their hamburgers are ginormous! It was a pretty cool place with live music and great food.
That's a dang good sammich, y'all.
This sweet dog was out on the patio with his owners. He was just the sweetest baby!
We left and got back to the hotel pretty late, so what else was there to do? Go for a late-night swim. Duh. I took the boys down for a quick swim before bed. When they were done, I took them back up, stuck them in the shower, put them in the bed and they were out in less than 10 minutes. Easy.
I slept in a bit the next morning, so Brian took them downstairs for breakfast where the kids loaded up on waffles, sausage, bagels, cereal, fruit, and juice. Crazy, bottomless pits for boys I have.
We headed to the Austin Zoo after breakfast. It's the tiniest zoo EVER, but the animals are amazing. They're rescues and some were just walking around- like the peacock. I realized that if I ever hit the lotto, I would donate money to that place. It's beautiful and they have a moral ethic to the way they run their zoo, but man they sure need money for improvements!
Knock, Knock...
The saddest thing EVER. Wolf-Husky hybrid found connected to a trailer in Houston. The left leg was infected and had no feeling, so they had to amputate. You can't see it in this picture but, he had huge shade trees and fans to keep him cool.
She is a full-bred wolf and completely beautiful.
Random rooster who walked around, crowed, and was obsessed with chasing Caden around.
Zomg! A real-live fox. Adorable and she barked/yipped at the rooster walking around.
The tigers here looked healthier than the ones at the Dallas Zoo. Shame.
Gift shop? Yes please!
We didn't stay much longer because, again, it's a super tiny zoo. I don't even think it's a zoo as much as it's an animal refuge. We took a drive through Austin and ended up at County Line on the Lake for lunch. The food was really good, but the atmosphere is even better. It's an old lake house lodge thing right on Bull Creek (Austin Lake is right there) and has the most beautiful scenery. I highly recommend eating here if you ever get the chance. After lunch, we had to take the boys onto the dock and around the area to look around.
The ducks gave Caden El Ojo as he walked by...
We had a great time! The boys were well-behaved and appreciative of our efforts. Brian and I were impressed with our ability to plan, pack, and pull this whole thing off without them suspecting a thing. We also ended up falling in love with Austin and how beautiful it is. I would not mind living there, traffic and all. Up next---First Day of School (eek!)
