LOVING AUSTIN: part 3

The Herb Farm - Fredericksburg, TX

We got out of bed before noon today! TL picked up some breakfast tacos from Taco Shack this a.m. YUM! I only managed one... Eggs, chorizo, potatoes, cheese, and onions.

CA and I gather our stuff and maps and travel guides for the trip to Fredericksburg, first stopping next door to beg some Tylenol for Arthritis from Peggy. Nice lady. TL and she are tight, so I invite her to join us for the Yellowfin Tuna Burgers he is making for dinner tonight. We hope to climb Enchanted Rock, but there are no footwear stores between Austin and Fredericksburg (and I ruined my Brooks with the red clay in Kaua'i), and the day is short so we decide next trip.

Fredericksburg is very appealing, but we tool through and head 6 blocks south of Main to The Herb Farm for lunch. Cute. I order Quiche and iced tea and CA opts for the Chicken and Dumplings. Not sure how they make the chicken and dumplings, but it is so rich and tasty CA thinks it tastes like lobster. My quiche is bacon and onion and comes with mixed greens and fresh fruit--oranges, grapefruit, and green apples. The food is outstanding. We decline dessert, but a large piece of chocolate fudge layer cake comes gratis and we do not turn it down. Chocolate cake two days in a row!

After lunch we wander through the shops where CA tastes some wines at Texas Wine Cellars and chooses a Becker Malbec. I find a black t-shirt for my sister-in-law who is known to appreciate the grape. The t-shirt is black with rhinestone lettering: "Wineaux."

We enjoy the 5¢ 10¢ and 25¢ Dime Store--memories of childhood when 25¢ went a long way... I find the cowboy hat I need for LE for $2.19! CA buys a thimble for his mom's collection. That's just the way it goes--we don't spend much but we have fun looking.

I find a fabric at Skye and Henry's: Where Vintage and Modern Meet to recommend for JE's kitchen curtains, and get an idea for an Etsy shop and branding GJ and my creations... We could spend more time here, but we are weary and have the two-hour drive back to Austin. We make one stop in Johnson City at Whittington's Jerky & General Store for some $28 per lb. jerky. I ask. It takes approximately 3# of meat for 1# of jerky. Still don't like the economics, but CA is satisfied with just 3 pieces at less than $10. I don't even like jerky, but their salsas are HOT and HOT HOT--no kidding!

Traffic is heavy heading north and south today--yesterday we only noticed the congestion in the south-flowing lanes. We skip all plans to stop/shop along the way and get back to TL's a bit after 6:00pm.

The Yellowfin Tuna Burgers with wasabi aїoli , thinly sliced cucumbers and alfalfa sprouts are outstanding and the fresh Margaritas please! I have already ordered the McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Cookbook! TL is an accomplished cook and effortlessly tools through the recipes.

A fine day and I am not going to blog until 1:30am, so maybe I can get to sleep at a decent time. (Last night/this morning I was awake until 4:00am.)

We called American Airlines today and extended our visit an extra day--leaving Friday late morning instead of Thursday. So much to see/do and so little time.