Flying to Fort Lauderdale

Tuesday, April 25

It was an early start as we had peak hour traffic to contend with as we made our way to Austin airport. We did well and arrived about 8am, so we had a couple of hours before our flight.

We took off on time and got into Fort Lauderdale early as we had a tail wind. There was a bit of a wait for the shuttle bus but we finally made it. We then got a shuttle to the nearby shops where we had 2 hours of retail therapy before returning to the hotel. We had dinner in their restaurant and then got ready for the start of tomorrow's cruise.

We'll be at sea for 2 days so will be off the air for a few days. We've loved our time in the south and especially Texas, and a big thank you to the Brooks and Buchanans for taking care of us so well. Thanks for the memories.

Fredericksburg, Texas

Monday, April 24

After a drive to the preserve behind Pat and Burgess' home and a short walk to Lake Pointe, we set off for Fredericksburg. We arrived about 11:30 and started off at the Pacific War Museum. After looking at the beautiful and touching memorial plaques on the walls in the gardens, as well as some of the exhibits in the gardens, we realised there was too much to see in an afternoon! So we walked along the Main Street looking at all the quaint shops and restaurants, and it was 2pm before we sat down for lunch! 

After our lunch in a German restaurant we returned to the Pacific War Museum to look at an exhibit on fashion in the 1940s. This was fantastic, but alas we didn't have time to go through the main rooms in this building, let alone the other 2 buildings that make up this complex.

Our first stop on the way home was in Luckenbach for a beer and to listen to some music. The signs say the population is 3, but the tourists there everyday ensure there is always something happening. It was very old worldly and very quaint!

Back in Austin we visited Pat and Burgess' son Stuart and his beautiful daughter Berkeley, who at 10 months old is very cute. Some drinks and nibbles were enjoyed by all, then we said goodbye and went to a fried chicken restaurant for dinner - this was really good! We finally arrived home after another big day touring the sights of this part of Texas, but as we didn't get to do everything we'll just have to come back!

Austin, TX - Day 2

Sunday, April 23

We attended church with Pat and Burgess at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church, their local church, and really enjoyed meeting some of their friends. The service was great too, as it was a special musical program presented by the children - they did a great job along with the musical team who directed them. It was a great way to start the day.

After church we had lunch at the Buchanan's local Italian restaurant, and were joined by Lorraine and Jack. The food was fabulous and we had a great lunch.

We made a quick pit stop at home to get changed and then we headed into Austin for the big adventure - a Segway tour! Apart from Burgess none of us had been on a Segway, so there was some trepidation as Alex our instructor and tour guide showed us the basics. We had a bit of practice as we rode around the grounds of the Capitol building, and then it was time to hit the streets. During the 1.5 hour tour we went from rank amateurs to confident riders, and really enjoyed the experience. We also enjoyed learning about the history of Austin and the downtown area, as well as more about the Capitol.

We were excited about our achievements and the buzz that comes from doing something for the first time. It was good to relax a bit at home before Keith (Pat & Burgess' son) and his 2 daughters dropped in for a visit. It was great meeting them all as we had heard so much about them.

We had a quiet night in just chatting and watching some tv, as there is another big day planned for tomorrow.

Austin, Texas

Saturday, April 22

We awoke to inclement weather, so we had to reschedule today's activities! Burgess did a great job changing the schedule to fit the weather, so we set off for a tour of the Capitol Building in Austin.

The grounds it is in is superb, and the Capitol really stands with its tall dome and its strategic location in the downtown area. The guide gave us all the information we needed, and the workmanship in the building and chambers was amazing. Even the hinges on the doors were impressive, as was all the woodwork in the various rooms.

We then moved on to the Bullock Museum, where we learnt more about the history of Texas. It was good that we'd been to the Alamo yesterday as it gave us a good background for all that we read and learnt in the Museum. Again the exhibits were well presented and informative so we really enjoyed it. We had a quick lunch in the cafe before driving to the University of Texas campus.

Burgess had booked a tour of the UT Tower to get an over view of Austin - it was also the University where his sons went to college. The tour was conducted by students and they did a good job, while we enjoyed the views from the 27th floor of the tower.

Next was our "rest" stop where Noelle and I got our hair cut at Burgess' hairdresser - she also cuts ex governor Rick Perry's hair! 

It was then time to drive to the Hula Hut on Lake Austin for dinner. We were all full after consuming a cocktail, entree and dessert within an hour from when we arrived to when we left! We waddled to the car and headed to the 6th St entertainment district.

Burgess had booked tickets for us to see Esther's Follies, a revue type show that contained magic, jokes and parodies about life in Austin/Texas/USA, as well as local, state and federal politicians! It was very well done and reminded us of Beach Blanket Babylon which we saw in San Francisco. We all had a good laugh and it was a great way to finish and very long but highly enjoyable day.

San Antonio, Texas

Friday, April 21

We were sad as we said goodbye to Bill and Linda, who are such fun and fabulous hosts, as they headed back to Dallas and we headed for San Antonio with Burgess and Pat.

San Antonio is famous as the site of the Alamo, but before we visited it we took a boat ride on the river that runs through San Antonio. The river area has beautiful trees growing beside it and lovely gardens, as well as many bridges, and the whole area is now known as Riverwalk. We enjoyed hearing about the history of this town and the buildings that line the banks of the river as our guide pointed out the many points of interest.

It was a sunny day, and refreshments were required before we hit the Alamo. Prickly Pear Margaritas and guacamole made at our table by the river hit the spot, then we walked back to the Alamo. Our tour guide explained the layout of the Alamo as it was in 1836 and where the Mexicans attacked after a 2 week siege. Unfortunately the defenders were outnumber massively and they were overrun and all 200 of them were killed, including Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie. This is an important event in the history of Texas, and the USA have used the battle cry of "remember the Alamo" ever since. The whole complex and the museums inside the compound are really well done, so we really enjoyed seeing it.

We then had a 2 hour drive back to Austin where we kicked back and had a quiet night after another wonderful day.

Port Aransas, Texas

Thursday, April 20

We slept late and then enjoyed a wonderful brunch to start the day. It was sunny and warm, so after feeding the turtles and birds in the local pond we walked along the beach where they were setting up for Texas Sandfest 2017. This is a huge event and lots of the top sand sculptors from around the world we're setting up for the coming weekends competition. There were lots of RVs parked along the beach, and the road runs along the sand as well!

On our return to the hotel we swam and sat in the sun and chatted the afternoon away - it was so relaxing and enjoyable being with good friends and enjoying a few drinks and nibbles. For dinner we ordered take away and sat around the pool just enjoying the good food and company on a lovely spring night.

This is what travelling is all about!

Drive to Port Aransas, Texas

Wednesday, April 19

We set off from Austin with Pat and Burgess, and arrived at Port Aransas around 2:45pm. We had to wait about 35 minutes before we drove onto the ferry that took us across the water to Padre Island where our hotel was located.

We enjoyed pre dinner drinks around the pool before we set off to Corpus Christi where we had a very enjoyable dinner with Linda's brother Clarence and his wife Susie, along with Linda's cousin Georgina and Rick at their house. It was a great night, a lovely meal and their house was beautiful.