Our trip has really gotten better, so writing has been…let’s say, delayed. However, we’re catching up and getting onto a better schedule, so let’s catch up from when our trip started to turn around – Austin, Texas.
I think M and I both understand the city motto “Keep Austin Weird” and we fully support it. Our time in Austin, Texas was just what we needed after a rough beginning to the Great RV Journey.
The Austin KOA
The first thing we see in every city is the campground we’re staying in, and honestly, arriving at the Austin KOA was a sign that our trip was finally changing for the better. The campgrounds are IMMACULATE – we saw the staff cleaning constantly, blowing leaves, and picking up any trash that managed to escape. The people were so friendly, and while we were checking in, they offered us a special deal for 50% off if we stayed for two extra nights. We took a quick look around and agreed, because again, it was a truly wonderful place to stay – and we hadn’t figured out where we would be going after Austin.
If you’re RVing in Southern Texas, I really cannot recommend the Austin KOA enough.
Going Meta At The Austin RV Expo
The next day, we went to the Austin RV Expo, because well, we kind of love RV shows. It was fun to see different gadgets available, solutions to RV issues, and some of the new RV models on the market. We’ve just upgraded, but it’s always interesting to see other options.
Visiting A Pooping Chicken
We’d heard about a can’t-miss spot in Austin called the Little Longhorn Saloon, so the day before my birthday, we decided to make a trip there. The place serves food and drinks, and regularly has live music, but their real claim to fame is bingo. Not just any bingo, however! Instead, they may be the only place in the country playing chicken-s*** bingo!
Yeah, I was laughing, too.
So, we headed out, intending to lay our bets on where Stella the chicken would poo.
Despite arriving before the game started, the place was packed and we couldn’t get anywhere near the bingo board. We hung around for a little bit, hoping to catch a glimpse, but left when Stella apparently showed no signs of doing any business and we had no chance of seeing it anyway. I never thought I’d be a bit disappointed to not see a chicken go to the bathroom!
That evening, however, we were able to light our first campfire of the year. It may sound like a small thing, but reading outside by a campfire has kind of become an RV trip tradition, and the fact that this year, it took 7 weeks to be able to do so – well, it was a special night for us.
Touring The City
We decided to celebrate my birthday with a city tour of Austin on a bus. We chose the AO Tours Austin Panoramic Tour of Austin and the Hill Country. This tour’s bus was small, and since the sides and roof slide back, it felt like being in a convertible! The sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, and we had the wind in our hair. Even if we hadn’t seen anything, it would’ve been a pretty good day.
But the bus tour was amazing, and took it to the next level. We rode all through town, seeing interesting buildings, quirky sites, and more, then we headed out to Hill Country and saw a bit of the natural landscape surrounding Austin. We even got off the bus for a little hike to a cliff overlooking the river – what a gorgeous view!
When we arrived back in town, M and I decided to partake in one of our favorite activities and found The Escape Game right next to the city tour drop-off point. We ended up doing two escape rooms back-to-back (The Heist and The Playground) since they gave us a great discount on the second room! Afterward, we wrapped up with dinner at the Melting Pot – which was wonderful as always.
Visiting The Capitol
The next day, we were still riding high on finally really getting out to explore, so we visited the State Capitol building in Austin – and got to see some of the elected officials at work. Afterward,we went to the Bullock Texas State History Museum, which has exhibits covering the history of Texas, stories from real people in towns across the state, and a glimpse into the infamous Texas oil industry. It was pretty interesting, all in all!
Regrouping And Making New Plans
After so much fun, we were in desperate need of errands, so we took a couple of days to take care of business. During that time, we also finally decided to sit down and choose where to go next. We were NOT ready to start heading north yet, but we didn’t want to get too close to the border and I will only drive so far at a time while we’re towing the camper!
We decided to go from Austin to San Antonio for a week, before moving on to Corpus Christi and spending some time on the Gulf Coast. And with the camper clean, laundry done, emails answered, and a plan, it was time for more fun…
Our Last Day In Austin
For our last full day in Austin, we decided to go out with a bang. We went to the aquarium in the morning and wandered through the gorgeous building, admiring all the sea creatures. Then we took a drive past the Hindu temple, which was stunningly beautiful and quite ornate.
My sister had gotten me a gift certificate for us to go to a place called Upstairs Circus to do some crafts, so we finished with that. It was pretty cool – for a flat fee, you can choose from any of their dozen craft options, and they give you everything you need to make it! I made a stamped leather wristlet, while M chose to make a concrete catch-all bowl. She ended up having so much fun that she chose to make concrete coasters as well. And, I must say, I think it all turned out pretty good!
Heading Out
Finally, after 9 days, it was time to leave. Honestly, we were not looking forward to moving on – we both LOVED Austin, and kind of wanted to stay. Plus, we may still have had some lingering trauma about hitting the road! But, this year we are gypsies, wandering nomads who can’t be tied down. So, we hitched up, climbed into the truck, and pulled out, heading for San Antonio…
