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A short but fine adventure by Laurie Read more
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  • Laurie ReynoldsFirst trip since covid began

    Travel day to Austin — via Charlotte!

    April 14, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    I hadn’t planned to write a Find Penguins for this test-drive-trip, but two friends in Spain asked me to. Since one of the features of this new mode of travel is that I always have a few hours in the afternoon while Joe takes a nap, I decided to go for it.

    Now that we are both vaccinated, and since I wanted to see how travel goes for us now with a slower mojo, I booked a flight to Austin, Joe’s home town. We usually go with the 9 other members of the family, but this year it wasn’t possible.

    Travel was weird, I had almost forgotten how to check in. Both the AA and TSA staff welcomed us back with a “Where’ve you been???” Just one of the advantages of living in a small town with four or five flights a day. The airports were mobbed (our best connection was through Charlotte, and if you know anything about US geography, you will know that Charlotte is in the exact opposite direction from Austin). But we had no real issues and everyone was wearing masks. I had ordered a wheelchair for Joe because we had a very short connection, but no one was there when we got there. The gate agent gave me a wheelchair and told me to head out and push him myself.

    First stop in Texas was to pick up a loaner wheelchair at a friend’s house. It has been a challenge learning to use it. After hotel check-in (my two criteria were good location near I-35 and an elliptical), we went the short distance to Torchy’s, our favorite taco place. Then off to bed. Uneventful day, thankfully!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsFirst trip since covid began
    Day 1

    First day in Austin

    April 15, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    My modus operandi is to plan to do two things a day. That leaves plenty of down time for naps and just chill-axing as my kids would say.

    The weather wasn’t spectacular, but there was no rain forecast for the morning, so we headed to the Capitol. Got to see the place where Joe was a page, way back in the Stone Age, and the building is beautiful. It was interesting to note that the Senate required visitors to the floor to have proof or vaccine or negative covid test. This is the same body that voted to oppose Austin’s mask mandate, if you can figure that out.

    In the afternoon, we went to the Blanton, the UT art museum. It is a very nice place. I particularly liked the Latin American room, which both had a Santiago and some festive Virgin Marys.

    We met Joe’s high school BFF for dinner at Fonda San Miguel. Probably the best Chile Relleno I’ve ever had. When I went to pay the bill, the waiter told me Armando had paid it. Turns out Armando is a good friend of the owner who eats there frequently. He was sitting at a table near us and we had a nice chat. He told us he thought we seemed like really nice people. I was kind of gobsmacked.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsFirst trip since covid began
    Day 2

    Laguna Gloria!

    April 16, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    I won’t say the weather has been great, but we have not yet been rained on. Looking at my phone, I decided that the morning looked like the best chance of dry weather, so we went to Laguna Gloria, a sculpture garden/mansion that has now been absorbed by Austin’s museum of contemporary art. One big advantage is that there is now a café with good sandwiches! It is a very beautiful place.

    Our afternoon stop was the Texas Historical Museum, which I love. Lot of good but unbiased information about Texas as a part of Mexico, as a Republic, and then as part of the US. Can’t say I would object to going back to one of its two earlier statuses.

    Before dinner, we went to Sixth Street and stopped in the Historic Driskill Hotel. The very polite valets asked us if they could help and I explained that Joe’s grandmother had a florist shop in the hotel. They showed us the place where it used to be and let u roam around the spectacular lobby a bit. The Driskill is on 6th St., which is way too hip for me, but I’m glad we saw the hotel.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsFirst trip since covid began
    Day 4

    Matando Saudades

    April 18, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Matando saudades is a good Portuguese expression to describe what you do when you go back to places that hold special prominence in your memory and you want to dwell on them a bit.

    Today was a day to go back to old haunts. Joe’s childhood friend met us in town and we did a lot. First stop, the pedestrian bridge with great views of downtown. Next, the Ulmlauf Sculpture Garden. Turns out that Austin’s premier sculptor studied under Lorado Taft, and any careful observor of the Taft sculptures in Champaign will recognize the similarities.

    Then to the Emma Long Metropolitan Park, where Joe and his buddy had gone swimming on Christmas Day, 1956. And then the obligatory stop at Mount Bonnell, with a hundred steps to climb but good views over the river.

    A good pizza in Marye’s Pizza, and then a wheelchair handoff and back to the hotel. Back to Champaign tomorrow.    Read more

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  • Laurie ReynoldsFirst trip since covid began
    Day 5

    Home again

    April 19, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    In my younger days, I would have scheduled either an early morning or a late afternoon flight, which would give us more time at either end of our trip. But now the main things are not being rushed at the airport, not having close connection times, and not having to get up too early!

    Since we had an early afternoon flight, we were able to have a leisurely breakfast at a very popular café on Lake Austin, Mozart’s Café. From there to the airport, and 7 hours later, home again.

    O’Hare was mobbed. The only difference you would notice is that today people were wearing masks. Since we are both vaccinated, we feel pretty safe, but who knows what bad news the variants will bring.    Read more

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