traveling

Lake Travis is only 35% full

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This photo was taken today from a road to a Hudson Bend marina. the water level is very low…

Lake Travis is a huge lake in the Hill Country northwest of Austin, Texas. It normally has 29.5 square miles of water. That is when normal precipitation falls on the Colorado River basin areas. The whole world has seen lots of area under drought conditions. The Colorado basin and Central Texas is no exception.

That boater has to watch for shallow water not normally there!

As of today, 10/20/2023 Lake Travis Mean Water Level was 627.30 above sea level. One year ago today it was 640.76. Thus in one year the Mean Water Level has dropped 13.46 feet. Another parameter measured daily is the total surface area in acres of the lake. Today the Lake Travis surface area was 8,799 acres. Last year, same date, it was 10,746 acres. Nearly 2000 acres less one year later. Seeing the low level of the water today was quite a shock.

Artemis Mediterranean Grill in Bee Cave, Texas

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It was definitely time for lunch, actually past time. We were in Bee Cave, Texas, a few miles due west of the center of Austin. Our map search “food near me” led us to the Artemis Mediterranean Grill. We are glad it did.

A lovely entrance to this establishment

Gotta have a Grecian Urn at a Greek Grill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked in and at the door we were told to sit wherever we wanted. A soon as we sat down our server Chloe came to our table to take our order, and answer questions about anything. I had a couple, and she explained what Falafel was (meatless, so no thanks) and if she liked the Greek Burger (1/2 lb house-ground lamb burger). She said she did.

Sher’s Artemis salad

Maj’s Greek Lamb Burger and fries

We both had the Mediterranean Mule

Sher went with the Artemis salad, complete with onions, walnuts, sliced pears, figs and other good stuff. My Greek Burger came with feta and caramelized onions with garlic-mint aioli. Oh, the Artemis seasoned fries with their special sauce were great as well, and deserved the “highly addictive” menu label.  The adjectives “delicious” and “filling”  did not do our meals justice.

Bar, TV’s, it doesn’t get any better

Well, maybe outside patio dining is better?

 

 

 

 

 

We had a delightful, relaxed and satisfying dining experience. Chloe went above and beyond in her attentiveness to our every need. The food was marvelous, served quickly and prepared perfectly. If you are anywhere in central Texas, do yourself a favor and head to Artemis Mediterranean Grill. This is the website. It has all you need to know. Oh, by the way,  you west coast folks will find another similar establishment at Lake Tahoe.

 

 

Some sights and sounds of Wimberley

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Wimberley Texas is in the Hill Country southeast of Austin. We spent part of the day this past Saturday with our son and his family checking out the town and sites.

The boot’s size should not be a surprise here…

There are lots of restaurants and shopping places in the town. We got there about noon and finding parking within a reasonable walking distance was a challenge. But we spotted a vehicle loading up to leave, and we got their spot, which worked out well.

Plants, incense and other stuff

Everybody needs one or two of these…

Good idea with good humor too

Strange tree looking at you.

Buy a plant, get it potted here!

Oh yes, here’s MY angel, eat your heart out guys…

We enjoyed walking around the town, visiting shops, seeing the nature preserve and of course grabbing a bite to eat. Wimberley is a must visit when you are in and around the Southern Hill Country outside of Austin.

 

Wimberley, Texas beautiful bald cypress trees on Cypress Creek

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Wimberley, Texas is in the Hill Country outside of Austin in the central part of the state. It is a small town that is hugely popular for its many shops and restaurants and the natural beauty of the area. There are some famous swimming holes close by too!

The Preserve entrance

A worthy project

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cypress Creek runs right through the town, and the banks and surrounds have become popular recreational locations for locals and visitors alike. Sher and I went with our son and his family to see the town, the creek side trail and the huge bald cypress trees.

I was told this a favorite place for weddings

The cypress trees along the banks live for hundreds of years and are massive in size.  One nearby tree has been dated to be from at least as far back as the year 1426. You can stand inside one tree whose base was blown out decades ago by a lightning strike We had to get our picture in that one!

Note the creek in the background

Close up detail of photo to the left

 

 

 

 

 

 

The roots of these trees run shallow and nearly parallel the ground surface both above and below. These exposed roots are fascinating to observe.

Typical shape of the cypress at the waterline

Shadows and reflections on the water

The size of these trees is impressive!

One shop owner explained to me that yes, these are the same bald cypress trees you see in Florida in the swamps. He pointed out that in Texas they don’t do as well or are as prolific because there is not enough water in the Texas Hill Country to support massive groves of the trees. They are still fascinating to see. Wimberley is fortunate to have such a  lovely attraction as the Cypress Creek Nature Trail & Preserve .

 

 

 

 

 

 

No glasses but still saw the eclipse

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Nope, did not have the glasses. Every store was out. However, we did see several pin hole camera type effects. One was a light ray through the curtain onto a rug.


Ok, maybe a stretch, but still look at the center and you can make out that crescent: that’s the sun partially blocked. We were at Austin, so not full eclipse. That was down at San Antonio.

Here’s another one, this was on the front sidewalk with a bunch of “pin hole camera” effects through the leaves.

See the greenish image that looks like a pin-hole type of view.

Finally, this one with the iPhone. I was holding the phone in front of my face kind of blindly snapping a couple just to see what I’d get. The above mini-green thing showed up.

Oh well, that’s what we saw at the so-called “Peak” of the eclipse at Austin, Texas.

Chill’s on the Creek in Wimberley Texas

/ Roadtirementvintage / 4 Comments

Wimberley, Texas is a a small community in the Hill Country outside of Austin. Our son and his family suggested that we go to Wimberley for a day trip. While there, we found a delightful and unique restaurant known as Chill’s On The Creek.

Out side wall mural

Sign behind the stage

 

 

 

 

 

As we had a group of five, we were led to a table indoors. There was also plenty of outside seating too. Sher and I started with a frozen margarita. There seems to be something especially good about margaritas in Texas.

Fried fish and chili

Chicken fried chicken and loaded mashed

Veggie Tacos and salad

The menu at Chill’s has something for everyone. Our granddaughter had grilled cheese and fries. Our daughter-in-law ordered the chicken fried chicken and a salad. Our son had fried fish with a side of chili. Sher had veggie tacos and salad, and I went with the chicken fired chicken with a side of loaded mashed potatoes and gravy.

With Rebecca, center

Shelby, our bartender

 

 

 

 

 

Our meals were quite delicious. This place was hopping for sure, and we witnessed a lot of meals coming out of the kitchen. Our service was very good, Rebecca made sure we had everything we needed.  And like I mentioned, Shelby made a mean margarita! We both said we’d definitely come back for a return visit. I want to try the Brunch offerings! This is the Chill’s website.

One of the best Tex-Mex restaurants

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At least some critics claim the verbiage of the title of this post. We are visiting family in the Austin area and happened on this eatery while out and about and decided to give it a try.

Turns out that decision was the right one to make. The Texican Cafe proudly states it offers “El Paso Style Mexican Food”. Regardless of the title, we were most pleased with the quality of the food at this fun place. There is another one in Austin and the newest  one in Kyle, Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got there right at noon, were seated right way, and soon had a bowl of home made extra tasty chips and salsa and some iced tea. Our wait staff explained some of the menu items, and made some great suggestions for Sher’s desire of a vegetarian plate.

Enchiladas El Paso!

Nachos

Jalapeno Poppers

I ordered the house lunch special, El Paso beef enchiladas with cheddar cheese topped with a red chile sauce and a side of pico de gallo. Sher dined on a large appetizer plate of seven nachos of refried beans and melted cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. We shared a plate of  4 red jalapenos filled with luscious cream cheese in a crispy batter and served with sweet jalapeno jelly.

Comfortable dining room

The food was excellent, good sized portions and served hot! The decor of the restaurant was very unique with interesting wall art, color patterns and comfortable seating.  Here’s the pitch: When in the Austin area look up The Texican Cafe. It is worth a stop.  This is the company website.

Roosters in Ohio

/ Roadtirementvintage / 18 Comments

Main entrance, lots waiting for a table

No, we’re not talking about the Ohio National Poultry Show. We’re talking about one of a delightful chain of chain of restaurants that carry the self given label of “A Fun, Casual Joint”. On our way to family in Columbus, Ohio, we found a Rooster’s just off of I-71 south of the beltway. We were seated immediately, even though the place was very full. This place was full of life, covered with TV screens and interesting wall décor.

Yet another clever way to ID restroom occupants

A rather punny saying

A bit of editorial content here

 

 

 

 

 

The menu was very impressive and had appetizers for everyone’s tastes, plenty of wings and a full list of burgers and sandwiches. We decided on three items and they were very delicious and filling.

Dumpster Fries “It’s a hot mess!” Curly fries, topped with melted cheeses, bacon bits, tomatoes, green onions and jalapeños with Dumpster Dressing.

Quesadilla: Mozzarella, Provolone and cheddar. garnished with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and jalapeños.

Big Bob’s Burger: You had to grab this half-pounder with both hands!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This turned into a most enjoyable break on the way to our son’s family. The food was very good, reasonably priced and served in a comfortable establishment. There are several of these Rooster’s places all over Ohio and Kentucky. They get very busy, get there mid afternoon for immediate seating.

Historic Seagram’s Distillery in Lawrenceburg

/ Roadtirementvintage / 8 Comments

Driving along US 50 through Lawrenceburg, Indiana, it is hard to miss the large complex of tall red brick buildings and multiple silver tanks that are part of the former Seagrams Distillery plant that straddles the Lawrenceburg and Greendale city boundaries. The current owner/operator of the facility is now MGP Ingredients, based out of Kansas.

This building has multiple floors of aging racks for 550 pound barrels of whisky

The Cincinnati Magazine published a fascinating and detailed story about the history of the Seagram’s Distillery, its current owners, and the ins and outs of the distillery business around the country. Read that article here. 

This paragraph is from the Cincinnati Magazine article.  “According to (Master Distiller Greg) Metze, it all starts with the water. MGP Ingredients sits on an aquifer, just a short walk from the Ohio River (most of the facility is actually in Greendale). That 56-degree water—low in sulfur and iron, high in calcium, and limestone-filtered—lets MGP make a lot of whiskey, and also have a continuous source for cooling the equipment. That’s why there were so many distilleries in Lawrenceburg in the 1800s. MGP’s began life as the Rossville Union Distillery in 1847; after Prohibition, in 1933, it was purchased by the legendary Canadian company Seagram. Right next door was Squibb, which opened in 1846 (though another distillery, Dunn and Ludlow, was on that patch of land in 1807) and became part of the Delaware company Schenley in 1933.”

More aging racks, and the tower houses multi-story continuous column stills

We were on a day trip to southern Indiana, the Ohio River and Lawrenceburg. The Seagram’s facility is huge, and we decided to drive over to the site, having never done that before.   Unfortunately we discovered that the new owners do not offer public tours of this historic distillery. At one time the Seagram’s plant employed over 2800 at the distillery and bottling plant. It is truly an iconic business with a rich and colorful history.

 

LOVE statue is now 53 years old

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LOVE outside at the IMA in the early years

Robert Indiana was born in 1928 as Robert Clark. He changed his name to Indiana in 1958 to show his roots in the Midwest. His first widespread use of the stacked four letters of “LOVE” was a Christmas card in 1964 for the New York Museum of Modern Art. This design creation led to the LOVE sculpture constructed of Cor-ten steel in 1970. LOVE in steel was first put on display at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It made the rounds of several American cities for five years until it returned to the IMA. After needed restoration was performed due to weathering of the steel, it is now displayed inside the museum building to protect it from the elements.

Permanent display inside the IMA

Remember 8 cent stamps?

The design was also the inspiration of a USPS 8 cent stamp in 1973. Countless copies of the statue were made and sold over the years, however Robert Indiana had failed to copyright his design, thus he did not reap the benefits. He died at the age of 89.