Jill and I went for a hike and picnic in McKinney Falls State Park Saturday. It was the first time there for each of us, which seems odd given how close the park is to us (it's actually in the Austin city limits). We purchased a year long Texas park pass, so we'll be visiting it and other parks soon.
Jill had some fun with the rock shelter:
It was a short but pretty hike to see the falls (bonus - there was actually water going over the falls). And we got a chance to wear our matching Alvin High School t-shirts (goofy, yes - but it's where Jill went to school and it's the obvious self-reference for me):
and finally, we settled down for a light lunch - all sourced from Costco (where we stopped on our way to the park):
It's SXSW time again in Austin, America. If there was ever a year for me to get a badge, this would have been it. Bruce Springsteen gave the keynote address this year and also played a showcase with his band. And he also made a special surprise appearance at the Austin Music Awards show, playing with Alejandro Escovedo and Joe Ely (pic from linked Rolling Stone article):
Alas, I didn't have a badge, so I occupied myself with some of the free shows. Saturday afternoon, I met up with Mollie and Pete at Rachael Ray's party at Stubbs. We were there a little late, so we didn't get any of her signature food dishes. But the Blue Moon beers were cold, and we did get to see Train perform:
Leaving Stubbs, we passed by the Belmont, where Dre and Dustin were hanging out on the roof at a Shiner sponsored party.
Mollie and I grabbed a quick bite at Walton's on 6th before taking the bus to the LBJ library to see the Big Easy Express movie and show. We met up with Glenn, Karen, Benjamin, and Madeline in line and got in pretty quickly:
It was a really great night to be outdoors - cool, breezy, soft lawn, and bug-free. Pre-show music was provided by an ensemble of band members from Mumford and Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros:
Afterward, Emmett Malloy came out to present his movie, The Big Easy Express - about the week and a half railroad trip and tour with the 3 bands playing later that evening. Good band movie, with lots of shots of Austin for local color:
About 9:PM, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros took the stage:
And around 10:15PM, Mumford and Sons:
Here's a video I shot of the band playing "Roll Away Your Stone." The video quality is ok, but the audio sucks. The microphone on my camera hasn't been the same ever since I dropped the camera a few months back:
Both bands united, along with guests from Old Crow Medicine Show for the last couple of songs before leaving the stage:
It was a nice nightcap to a very full day. Btw, the bus is THE way to get around during a huge event like SXSW.
Jill usually goes to the AWP conference this time of the year. But this year she wanted to take a break, so we went East to visit her publisher friend in the DC area. Here we are about to leave Austin:
Reb, Chris and Gideon live on a picturesque wooded lot in Reston. Gideon is Jill's godson:
Jill has a childhood fascination with Montichello, so Chris rented a minivan, and we made the 2 hour pilgrimage to Charlottsville. The grounds were beautiful:
I learned a few things along the tour. For instance, the African workers are called 'enslaved people' by the tour guides; Jeffereson died deeply in debt (a million dollars by today's standards); and he only freed 5 slaves in his will.
We also had a chance to visit the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's annex at Washington Dulles International Airport. Growing up, I had a fascination with WW II airplanes. The Udvar-Hazy Center allowed me to geek out a bit in that regard. Some of the more interesting displays include:
All, in all, it was a really nice trip with really good people. It was relaxing, we ate a bunch of good food, and drank some nice spirits.
