"You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas." -Davy Crocket

Elijah and I started the year 2014 with a trip to Texas.  Elijah's brother was living in Austin at that time, and we took advantage of the fact that Rebekah was staying with us and was happy and willing to watch our kids while we were gone.  So, January 1st saw us in the beautiful city of Austin.  Jeremy and his girlfriend, Kalie, had the best accommodations for us, so it truly felt like a vacation - no kids, surrounded by great company, in a beautiful city.  Here are some highlights:

Austin

The capitol

 

Pop art

Gorgeous river, fun bridges, and clean parks

All things cowboy, eclectic art, and unique style

 San Antonio

The San Antonio LDS temple was striking with its contrasting rocky landscape and stained glass windows.  The Celestial room was one of the most stunning rooms I've ever seen.  And the people were beyond kind.

 

The San Antonio Riverwalk was enticingly beautiful, positioned alongside San Antonio River and one story beneath the streets of downtown San Antonio.  Being underneath, surrounded by trees and lights, and equipped with restaurants and shops of various kinds, made this walk very magical.  And let's not forget the delicious scent that the food in every corner left in our trail. 

Don't you love my breakfast?!

 

The Alamo was way smaller than I had imagined, but that made the history behind even more dramatic to me.  The day we were there there was a "live history" show with various stations showing different aspects of Texas history and daily life. 

 We couldn't take pictures inside of the Alamo, but here are a couple that I found on line.  It truly is small when you consider that the battle of Alamo lasted 13 day, with about 186 Americans defending the mission against 1800 soldiers of the Mexican army.  With this kind of history, you can't blame the Texans for feeling proud of their state.

 IN-BETWEEN

While driving back from San Antonio to Austin, we stopped at various cities such as Kerrville, Fredericksburg, and other tiny towns.  This area appealed to Elijah with its beautiful green space, neat streets, calm feeling, pretty views.  Of course, I  enjoyed the panorama for the day, but I was ready to head back to Austin.  Too much space for a long time suffocates me, just like too many people suffocate Elijah.  Will we ever find a place that we both like?  Unlikely, but we trudge on with hope...

I enjoyed visiting these parts of Texas.  The people were kind, the natural landscapes were dazzling, the food beyond exquisite, and the culture unique and eclectic at the same time.  What I saw was very interesting and different from what I'm used to.  It wasn't East, it wasn't West, and it wasn't South.  It was its own place.  Texas was just Texas.  Here is something that Steinbeck said back then, but that I feel still fits what Texas is all about even now:

 “I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion. And this is true to the extent that people either passionately love Texas or passionately hate it and, as in other religions, few people dare to inspect it for fear of losing their bearings in mystery or paradox. But I think there will be little quarrel with my feeling that Texas is one thing. For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America. Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study, and the passionate possession of all Texans.”
― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America

 

A big thanks to Jeremy and Kalie who truly made us feel welcomed and loved, and took care of us better than hoped.  Thank you!