Day 2 Austin (ACL)

 Woke up in the hotel a little earlier than the rest of the fam, so I went down to the breakfast area. I know this isn't a review site, but holy cow! the spread was above and beyond. I had some biscuits and gravy (because white), then went back to Lola and Billie to wake them up (as the breakfast was only open for another 30 minutes. They rolled out and also expressed delight at the sheer amount of quality food. Neither had biscuits and gravy though!

I went to the front desk, as the ladies finished their meal, to find out when the pool opened. I was informed that the pool was closed because it was "out of season." Some stupid BS right there. We had picked this hotel with the goal of swimming in the morning, so that kind of sucked. Billie was less than thrilled. So we filled our bellies and then wandered back into the room. Checkout wasn't till 12, so we lounged a while before leaving.

The drive into Austin was just 2.5 hours from Junction, so it was a short leg. We had a nice drive, taking the route through Fredericksburg and Johnson City. I repeated the same story I always do about Johnson City being named after the Johnson family and how Lyndon Johnson was a political powerhouse from this part of the state. Happened to read a Johnson biography some years back. Lola laughed and said she'd heard it before.

Since we were arriving earlier than our check in at the Airbnb, we drove straight to End of An Ear Record Shop. It's my favorite record shop because of 1. selection, 2. price, 3 vibes. The vibes have dropped some since the move (apparently 6 years ago) from its original "residential" location into a more commercial looking spot. Apparently their original location got bought out (according to a guy behind the counter). Not surprising, given Austin real estate. Anyway, picked up three records and a tshirt.

After, we drove to our Airbnb and it's a great little spot. Nice sized, though only one bed. The couch is big enough for one sleeper though. It has a very private yard and a nice deck. We settled in for a bit and then Billie and I headed to HEB to pick up groceries for the stay. HEB is a Texas institution that hasn't (so far) reached El Paso yet. Both Lola and I have lived in Central and South Texas, so we love the store dearly. Billie and I grabbed a bunch of snacks and headed back to the spot.

When we got back and unpacked, it was time to head out to meet Rachel and Josh (they were in Austin prepping for their wedding) at a Mexican food restaurant, Gabriella's. When we got there, parking was a bit of a mess, but we eventually found a spot and walked a while to get there. The food was ok. Chips and salsa were bomb, no lie. Lola had a torta that was definitely a hamburger in disguise. We all had a great time, as our group was not 5 (as we had expected), but was instead 11. Rachel's mom and partner were there, plus several college friends. Both Lola and Rachel went to college in the area, so there are remaining friends in the area.

After we ate, we talked for a while, as you may have guessed. I was on the corner with Lola and Josh and I love chatting with someone from another country. Josh is always game to put up with my American bullshit, so I just let loose with him. That was basically the end of the night, as we drove back to our place and crashed for the evening.

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