The Lady's Visit - Part 3 of 3

We thought we had retired for the evening until Marion asked if we were interested in taking a drive to downtown Austin, an hour away from her place. I thought it was a good idea because I wanted to see what Austin looked like at night. Pat was game for it too. Besides, that was our only chance because we only had one more day left and we had designated the next day to see San Antonio.

Although we did not go into any of the clubs or restaurants to experience what they had to offer, it was evident why Austin promotes its city as "The Live Music Capital of the World". There was just so much happening around us. We could hear the revelry of the night life from our drive by. We all agreed that, apart from very special occasions, the night life is not for us anymore. We prefer to be at home relaxing - reading, watching TV or sleeping. If we do go out with friends, a café or restaurant is more ideal than trying to talk above the music at dance clubs or pubs.

One thing that captivated our attention were the horse-drawn carriages. Since it was difficult to get a picture of the carriages from a moving car (and the next place to pull over was too far away from them), I did not get a chance to take close ups. Here's one courtesy of Austin Tours.

Now that I had a glimpse of downtown Austin (and familiarised myself with the roads), I promised myself that I will return someday and hopefully get to ride in one of those carriages. We had planned to stop at Starbucks in Round Rock on our way home but found it was closed - hours earlier.

Next morning, Pat and I headed out to San Antonio. Since it was a two-hour drive from Marion's place, we decided to break our journey by visiting my sister in law, Susan and her husband, John. They live south of Austin. Her son, Jason, and his family were in town and so was Benny, John's brother.

We sat around and caught up on news before having lunch. Susan treated us to a scrumptious meal at Cracker Barrel, a restaurant chain that serves traditional southern food. One thing I noticed at all Cracker Barrels, the porch has rows of rocking chairs - very inviting. (As we get older, we find every opportunity to sit down!)

The interiors are decorated with antiques - photographs, household items and always, at least, one gun (hopefully not used on patrons who feel the need to complain about their food). All Cracker Barrels have a store. The store carries mainly nostalgic merchandise. We did not have much time to shop but there was a quick opportunity to buy something for Susan.

Pat by the fireplace of the Cracker Barrel dining room

After lunch, we thanked Susan, hugged and kissed everyone good bye and parted ways. With the help of the GPS, I found my way into San Antonio's famous downtown area. I took the first available parking lot. (I did not want to waste time looking for more parking lots when we could be walking around looking at stuff).

Pat slotting our parking fee into the box at the lot.

On our way to The Alamo, I noticed that there were many empty shop lots. I wondered if they went out of business (or some did not want to attempt to open any) with the Riverwalk Mall around the corner. It is a pity because I feel little specialty shops add charm to a historic area. Besides, it would be nice to have some shops within reach from the parking lot - last minute shopping or a place to snack before hitting the road.

Anyway, here are some pictures taken at The Alamo, used as a fortress in the 19th century and was the scene of several military actions, including the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, one of the battles between the forces of the Republic of Texas and Mexico.

We also took the Riverwalk cruise and saw much of downtown from there. Our guide was very entertaining while giving us a brief history of San Antonio and what it had to offer.

By the way, I have a brother in law, living in San Antonio. Despite the horrendous traffic that was building up on a Friday evening (where does it not build up in cities of this world?), he made his way to The Alamo to meet us.

Mark unaware that I took his photo while he was sorting out business (work never ends)

Pat posing under the statue of Davy Crockett. He was an American folk hero, served in the Texas Revolution, and died at the age of 49 at the Battle of the Alamo. To know more about Davy Crockett, read here.

After we left San Antonio, we stopped at Susan's house to pick up my sunglasses which I had left behind. When we arrived at Marion's place at 9:40pm, she said that we had missed a bad storm. In fact, they were getting ready to take cover from a hurricane. It would have been scary if we were closer to her area an hour earlier. That made me realise that some things just happen for a reason. Our delay due to my forgotten item could have saved us from untold danger.

We left for home next morning thanking Marion for her wonderful hospitality. It was also a morning of promises - that we will meet again and that Pat will not sleep on the long road trip (she was sleeping in the back seat of Marion's car the night we went to Austin). Pat was a good sport (thanks!). I don't mind talking to Peanut, my dog, but a one-way conversation can get dull.

The day before Pat left for Malaysia, we had lunch at the Wagon Master Steakhouse. We filled up on barbecued ribs, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. We wished we could have relaxed after that but we had something important to do - pack Pat's bags. We had less than 12 hours before leaving the airport.

Inside Wagon Master Steakhouse

Outside Wagon Master Steakhouse

It was a thrill to have Pat with me, my first Malaysian visitor in the States. A holiday to remember, for sure. I told her that the next time she returns to visit me, I may have to change our mode of transportation (horses, dear?). She was surprised to see how much we pay for gas (or petrol in other parts of the world). Well Pat, if you think what we paid was a lot, this is how I feel with this week's prices ....