From Austin, TX to Houston, TX
From Austin, TX to Houston, TX
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Loquats in the courtyard at the Austin Motel
Two views of the Texas Capitol Building. |
The day's morning in Austin is overcast and a little cooler than expected. The ventilation in the funky hotel room is inadequate and the room reeks of sleeping man. I pop over to Jo's (the coffee shop where the motorcyclists had congregated the night before) for a triple latte and a monster cinnamon roll. I read the local newspaper and watch traffic come and go before packing up. Across the motel courtyard is a loquat tree. I snap a picture for my friend JJ. Years ago, JJ who is from Scotland, told me that he had never seen a loquat. I grew up in Vista next to a loquat orchard. This fruit is rarely seen in stores. Overall, the fruit is quite small with a smooth skin. The meat of the fruit is the texture and color of a peach or a nectarine but not nearly as sweet. The stone is large for the fruit's size. I remember them tasting good but being a lot of work for the amount of fruit that you could actually eat. I cruise down Congress Avenue to the state capitol building. As I recall, the Texas State House is the largest state capitol building in the United States. It is a very handsome building set in a handsome park. It is positioned on a hill at the foot of Congress allowing the building to dominate the view down Congress. Leaving Austin, I initially drive north on Interstate 35. I miss the turnoff to Texas Route 290. I have to circle back and catch it coming from the north. On the map, 290 looked to be a minor highway but instead turns out to be a significant four lane highway. I seem to be officially out of The Hill Country as the landscape becomes flatter and flatter. The vegetation remains a mix of pine and deciduous trees. The Texas bluebonnets haven't given up their hold and still appear in smaller but still bright patches of blue. At Giddings, I pull into a small gas station / deli / store / video store / craft market. The proprietor is a good old boy that is engaged in a conversation with an elderly woman. She is in the store to pay for the gas that her companion, an even more elderly gentleman, is pumping into the car. She carries her money in an envelope labeled 'gas money' and seems quite shocked by the cost of this fill-up. After she is seen off with a heartfelt "Drive Safely" I get the scoop on these two. It seems that both were married, but not to each other. Each has survived their respective spouse. In high school, the two had been sweethearts. Now across the years, they are back together although the storekeeper wanted me to know that the two of them were 'shacking up.' A woman who is engaged in paperwork further back in the store apparently calls out 'Well good for them.' Of course, I have to concur. The elderly woman is going on a cruise to Alaska courtesy of her daughter. The elderly man can't accompany in part because the daughter bought only a single ticket and because of his multiple cardiac bypass operations. I continue east on 290 to Brenham where I stop for gas. At Brenham I turn south onto Texas Route 36 at Brenham so that I can use Interstate 10 for the ride into Houston. Route 36 is a smaller road than 290. At Bellville, Route 36 winds through the center of town. A number of houses are extensively decorated for Easter. One includes large colorful cutouts (human life size) of a family of rabbits. Giant two-dimensional Easter eggs are scattered all over the yard. It gives me a chuckle. Onto Interstate 10 heading east, I'm immediately thrust into the hustle and bustle of one of America's biggest cities. Its early afternoon and I'm plan on visiting my friends at the Kelco Oil Field office in Houston. I decide lunch is overdue and stop at a Wendy's for a quick burger. When I get up to leave, a guy comes over to talk about my bike. He has a Valkyrie as well and tells me about the local Valkyrie club called the Six Shooters. I remember the way into the office and am greeted by many old friends. Unfortunately the supreme potentate is playing golf, I mean visiting customers. Bert tells me that he is off to Laughlin, Nevada for the big motorcycle run there. It was good visiting with you all: Anne, Joe, other Joe, Reina, Bert, Johnny, and James. I'm done with my visit around 3 PM. I have a choice to go to Galveston and stay with a friend or just find a hotel. If I stay with Robert, I have to wait until he gets off work at 9 and I don't feel like doing that. From previous visits, I have a memory of a place to stay and I set out to find it. Unfortunately, my memory is flawed and there is no motel where my memory has placed it. And for over an hour, I wander around Houston looking for somewhere to stay. It is hot and humid; my frustration grows and grows. I finally find a Courtyard by Marriott and make a dash for it. I take the opportunity to do laundry but accomplish little else. This is one of the times when a companion or fellow traveler would help. A swift kick in the ass to get out and do something would have made for a more pleasant evening. Tomorrow I'm off to New Orleans.
Route Summary Depart Austin heading north on Interstate 35. Just north of Austin turn onto US 290 heading east. Near Brenham, turn onto Texas 36 heading south. At intersection with Interstate 10, turn onto I-10 heading east. Arrive Houston |
