Nana & P-Pop visit

Well, P-Pop's not a Texas virgin anymore! Nana and P-Pop came out for a nice 6 day visit. Luckily they could get their own guest room since the boys were still sleeping in Morgan's bed. We covered a lot of Austin and more during their stay, including some places I had never been to. High on the to-do & see list was BBQ as you might guess, and we certainly had our fill. It rained on the first day, but we were able to do a driving tour in the afternoon to orient them, followed by BBQ brisket at Rudy's, one of our favorites. It got a thumbs up from P-Pop. The next day, while Morgan was at school, Nana, P-Pop, Dean and myself went to Mt. Bonnell, Mayfield Preserve (covered with peacocks), Laguna Gloria museum, followed by lunch at Hula Hut on the water. That night was First Thursdays where all the art vendors pitch a tent on S. Congress and stores are open late, so after dinner at the house, we went for a stroll to check it out.

Friday was also a full day, but fared better weather so we did a day trip to San Antonio. Ed had to stay back and work, but the rest of us saw the Alamo, did a boat tour on the Riverwalk, had lunch by the water and then checked out Market Square. It was a great day and gave them a little taste of San Antonio. Although Nana had seen the Alamo 30 years ago, she'd never been to the Riverwalk so I'm glad we had a chance to go. Coincidentally, that night when we got back was the first night of the Annual LoneStar Rod & Kustom RoundUp, where hot rods, vintage cars and crazy tricked out cars congregate on S. Congress. I remember seeing this show last year and thinking that P-Pop would love it given his affinity for classic cars. It was serendipitous to have it the very weekend he was here this year. After dinner back at the house, we all walked down for some Amy's Ice Cream and sat to watch the cars cruise by. Needless to say the boys were in awe, pointing at almost every car excitedly. On the walk back, we caught some live music at Jo's and danced with the kids before bedtime beckoned.

stage at Jo's

Saturday, we had a birthday party to go to, followed by more BBQ at the Saltlick in picturesque and remote Driftwood, TX. Tom loved the smokehouse and authentic Texas feel. Afterwards, we were able to show them an almost identical model of our new house. They really liked it and said they can't wait to see ours in person next time. Then, I attended a Kid Expo while everyone else enjoyed the weather by the nearby fountain/field and flew a kite. That night, Ed and I got a date night and finally attended the Piano Bar on 6th St. that we've heard all about. It was funny and entertaining and we had a good time.

Sunday held a special treat -- after a Gourdough's donut-filled breakfast, we took a 3-hour train ride on the Austin Steam Train. It was a close call, but we made it there in the nick of time as the train was backing up to switch tracks. Luckily, they had to slow down anyways so they let us and the other tardy families aboard. (Good job getting us there, Ed - next time, we'll know how far away it is!) We hadn't told the boys where we were going, so they were thrilled to learn that we were actually getting on the train. We rode through fields, small towns, over a trestle bridge and stopped at an old train station where the engine changed tracks to connect to the other side of the train to take us back. The boys loved watching the engine couple up to our car right in front of them.

All in all, it was a great visit and we were so happy to see them both and share Austin with them. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things we did and I know I don't have photos for everything. Thanks Nana and P-Pop for flying all the way out here, treating us, watching the kids so we could steal some adult time and for the beautiful "I Spy" quilt. The boys had a lot of fun playing with you and it meant a lot to be able to spend quality time. We may have seen and done a lot while you were here, but there's still a list of things to see for next time : )