We drove into Dallas on a Sunday morning to avoid the massive traffic jams that are common each rush hour weekdays. But we were drawn to Dealey Plaza and the infamous Grassy Knoll, where on Nov 23, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
From here we could see the 6th story window of the Book Depository from which the bullet was fired. There's a museum upstairs now, but neither of us wanted to re-experience the shock and sadness of that time in our young lives. It was interesting to see that even today, young children and foreigners come to pay homage to the great tragedy that occurred on this spot nearly 50 years ago.
We'd chosen a County Park within the city of Austin for our next stay, only to discover they had no water and were 6 miles of twisting hill roads from the main highway to anywhere in Austin. But we did enjoy the spot, a nearly deserted campground on Lake Austin, for it's solitude and quiet.
This prosperous area of the city is quite hilly, and lovely homes can be seen on the hill tops and deep in the valleys, such as these on the Lake across from our camp.
The downtown is a mix of glass high rises and historic Victorian architecture. On 6th Street and through the adjoining Warehouse District there are nearly 200 venues for food & live music, thus the city bills itself as the Live Music Capital. We toured through these areas, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells (BBQ!) of places like Antone's, the Backyard, Stubb's and Threadgill's, but had to depart too early to enjoy a night of honkey-tonk because the gates to the park get locked at 10 PM!
Tonight we are in Georgetown, home of Southwestern University, the "Red Poppy Capital of Texas". This is home to one of the finest collections of Victorian commercial architecture and the downtown area oozes with hospitality and charm. Many of the homes are of the arts and crafts style, and I felt right "at home" in this small city which is growing into a big city with all the latest malls and new home communities.
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