Beer has become the best boyfriend ever. No complaints, no demands, just sweet kisses that go down easy and make me feel amazing on the inside. A nice little pint sized lover who's shoulder is always there for me to lean on...

(and there's lots of fish in that sea, if you will..)

On the left is 512 Pecan Porter which has already been reviewed.

INDEPENDENCE STASH IPA - A tangy IPA with a very mild citrus aroma. A good head at first that gave way to nice lacing. Lots of fruity notes, a tinge of pine, with a sweet finish.

Breakfast at Kerbey Lane Cafe

This breakfast place was dynamite. Apparently it's a 24-hour cafe that serves breakfast all day. We actually made it for the real breakfast rush - but boy, it was worth it. Check out those GINGERBREAD PANCAKES. And that delicious dish I got - Eggs Francisco - was amazing. Eggs on top of English muffins, tomato, bacon, avocado, all topped off with spicy queso. Uh, yes, it was amazing. And no, I couldn't finish it all. Thanks to Caitlin again for bringing me to a great institution. :)

Barton Springs, Austin, Texas.

Barton Springs was definitely one of the best parts of Austin. It's part of the Colorado River that has been partitioned off and turned into a swimming area. The area in the photo above is the "free side" - they charge $3 per person per day to go into the deep end of the springs. One of the most awesome aspects of Barton Springs is that the water stays at a cool 67 degrees - all the time. And boy, it doesn't seem like it'd be cold - but it sure as hell is!!! 

Veggie Heaven, Austin, Texas

This place was awesome. All vegetarian and vegan friendly options. I got the Kung Pao Chowmein. Bok choy, napa cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, noodles, and tofu. It was so good!

My last night in Austin..

My last night in Austin was pretty fantastic. We went to Blues on the Green - then headed downtown to 6th Street to check out a local band that Caitlin was wild about...now I know why! They are AMAZING! Eight old white guys, resembling cowboys, rocking the fuck out and playing reggae music! I ADORE them! They are called.....

THE MAU MAU CHAPLAINS

Please, don't resist. Go and give a listen. I think you'll enjoy it. :)

Daniel Johnston - yes indeed!

Austin!

Austin, Texas

THE GINGER MAN!

THE GINGER MAN!!!!

FUCKING PARADISE!

This bar had 87 beers on draft. Uh, beer heaven? Why, yes! A super cool chill place, too. I met some cool fellas outside, one of them showed me a bad ass drum solo on youtube by a 12 year old kid. They ended up buying me a beer, one of which I was really hoping to try, 512 Pecan Porter. I’m gonna go ahead and say that this is my favorite beer I was able to try in Austin.

512 PECAN PORTER - A deep, dark, almost black beer. Rich and flavorful. Amazing, almost smoky, sweet aroma. Pecan flavor is absolutely evident. There are notes of coffee, also lots of mild chocolate flavor. I actually had a few of these while I was in Texas - it’s that amazing of a beer!

JESTER KING WYTCHMAKER RYE IPA - This IPA is brewed with rye, which happens to compliment the hop flavors extremely well. It’s a medium bodied, smooth beer with notes of grapefruit and other fruity flavors. Also noticed some notes of pine flavor. Copper in color, with a standard IPA aroma. I really enjoyed this - I was glad the bartender recommended it to me!!

LIVE OAK HEFEWEIZEN - This beer itself was pleasant and enjoyable - it was a very light, cloudy lemony color. Not much on the front of head retention - it all seemed to dissolve away pretty quickly. It had a good flavor, with notes of clove, some other spices, lots of wheat flavor, and even some fruit notes at the finish. It had a nice, light body, and lots of carbonation. It was drinkable and refreshing.

The Ginger Man is my new favorite bar. I wish I could live there! The bar itself is loaded with sofas, tables, only a couple of tvs thankfully, and lots of good conversation. I’m so glad I made it over there!

My first day in Austin, my Couch Surfing hosts took me to Barton Springs and then we went to this African food trailer called Cazmanche. This was my dinner there. It’s called a lamb bunny - it was so good! A little messy to eat, of course, but delicious all the same. 

“Food trailers” as they call them in Austin are a common sight. Usually they always are parked in the same places, but apparently you can get some of the best food in town from them.

THE DOG AND DUCK

THE DOG AND DUCK.

The bartender and bar patrons must’ve loved me. I rode in on the bicycle from visiting with Caitlin - she mentioned it was close by and I heard about this place before I came to Austin. The bartender let me sample any and every beer I pleased - but of course I bought myself a couple, too. ;)

REAL ALE IPA - I never thought much of anything I’d had by Real Ale, and this IPA just reminded me why. It was good, very drinkable, but it was too mild and lacked the hop flavor I look for when I drink IPAs.

REAL ALE EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER - Now this beer was tasty. It went down smoothly, was very light despite the dark color, and had lots of yummy hop flavor. I think this must be the only good beer they make!

512 IPA - Very tasty brew here. It wasn’t a heavy IPA, it was smooth and light and went down easy. The aroma was perfect and sucked you in for more. Dry hopped with Cascade hops that you can clearly taste when enjoying. Apparently 512 uses a lot of organic grains, too - awesome! 

REAL ALE FIREMANS #4 - This blonde ale was pretty good, very drinkable, but not memorable at all. Notes of citrus, just not a lot of flavor.

CIRCLE ENVY AMBER - I believe Circle Brewing is a new brewery in the Austin area - and drinking this beer made it seem to me that they have no idea what they are doing. Their amber is clearly made with lots of molasses - a flavor I don’t typically enjoy in my beers. Despite the pretty color and a nice mouth-feel, it was a bland beer with an overwhelming molasses flavor. I do not recommend it.

CIRCLE TEXAS HEFEWEIZEN - Now this beer may have just saved my opinion of Circle Brewing. Their hefe is delicious! So good that I actually ordered an entire pint of it. ;) It’s brewed with some great spices, is a subtle yet flavorful brew that I really truly enjoyed. A great aroma, too!

INDEPENDENCE SAISON - A beer that didn’t really flip my trigger. Claimed to be brewed with mandarin orange peels and spices - I couldn’t identify either of those flavors. To me, it was just another mediocre beer.

And oh yes, the fish and chips - it was great! I felt like I had way too many fries but so be it - people dig it, I understand. But the fish was great! :)

Arriving in Austin...

Crossing the Colorado River in Austin, Texas on the train.

Passing through San Antonio in the wee hours of the morning. I slept on a bench outside with the warm breeze blowing - it was too cold inside the station!

My amazing friends Samantha & Richie in front of their home. Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Lake Charles, Louisiana

                                     

My latest battle wounds. This bike wreck happened about 2am on Saint Charles Avenue around Napoleon. I was just trying to go and say goodbye to a special friend - I’m just glad I didn’t get any road rash!!

Leaving the Big Easy

Saying goodbye to New Orleans was a feat for me. Life, love, happiness, friends, family, food, music, charm, characters…how do you say goodbye to all those things? Saying farewell became a teensie bit easier once I decided I’d return in the fall.

Wednesday afternoon I got into Lake Charles, Louisiana to visit my dear friend Sam. The evening before was filled with hugs, kisses, and so long’s. The hardest people to say goodbye to came on Wednesday morning, when I made a special pass by the brewery to say goodbye. They had become like my family, and saying adios to them was like cutting the umbilical cord. For days, to get out of the sun, rain, and heat, I found myself there, working hard and loving every minute of it.

It was wonderful to see Sam and Richie again. I surely wish they weren’t so far away. They are some of the best folks I’ve ever been lucky enough to meet.