In honor of our upcoming vacation to Austin, I thought I'd make a not-so-comprehensive list of the things I'm looking forward to enjoying while in the Lone Star State (time with family and old friends notwithstanding, of course!)
1. The Don't Mess With Texas propaganda. It may have started as the slogan for an anti-littering campaign, but this phrase has turned into one kick-ass state motto. Even as a die-hard Colorado native, I sported a Don't Mess With Texas bumper sticker on my car for years after I no longer lived there. I love seeing theses signs that unabashedly state the love Texans have for their homeland.
2. Texas beer. Yes, I can buy Shinerbock in Colorado (and also the Blonde, Hefeweizen, and 101 varieties!) And I could probably even find Lone Star if I looked really hard. But there's just something about enjoying a Texas brew within the state lines that makes you want to toast the Alamo, Longhorns, and Lyle Lovett with every swig.
3. Dinner at the Salt Lick. In college, we made many crusades
from San Antonio to Driftwood to enjoy the delicious BBQ, live music and
outdoor setting of the Salt Lick. Always toting fully
stocked coolers (Driftwood is in a dry county), we'd trek to this
seemingly middle-of-nowhere site and to drink beer, eat amazing food,
and burp loudly. (OK, the burping part is just me.)
4. Taco Cabana. I'll fully admit to making hotel reservations and immediately MapQuest-ing the nearest location of this fine dining establishment. It is quite possible that during my four years of college in Texas, I subsisted solely on their bean and cheese tacos and diet coke. It is also quite possible that this is the reason my "Freshman 15" turned into the "Freshman 45". But OH THE HOMEMADE TORTILLA GOODNESS!
5. The Music. I'm not a huge country music fan, but something about being in Texas makes me want to sing along with the three-name legends like Jerry Jeff Walker, David Allen Coe, and Robert Earl Keen. Really, is there any better accompaniment to beer and bbq than a cowboy song? Once again with the food and alcohol thing - I'm nothing if not consistent, yeah?
Hope y'all have an amazing weekend! Come back now, ya hear?!
