Austin City limits

We really didn't want to go anywhere today cos of the heat, but we figured we may not be coming to Dallas often so let's go check out the capital of Texas - Austin. Its a good 3 hours away. We left at 10am and got there by 1pm. There's really not much to see as you drive in Dallas excpet for the occasional highway or freeway named after "one of the idiotic members of the current administration". Its just wide open spaces and land - and not too much to see scenery wise. After Seattle, we really miss the mountains and lakes.

Austin was super hot - almost 100 degrees. We started out by visiting the LBJ library on the University of Austin campus. The library was founded in 1971 and showcases the life of LBJ from his birth to becoming the 36th President. LBJ is a native Texan. Its just beautiful. We were just in time to catch the 2pm movie of his life story.

Then we went to the Capitol building. I have never been to a state Capital building so i really cannot compare it with any other. It looks like the others I've seen from the outside, that is its round. On the inside, i am guessing they are all the same with the Senate Chamber and the House of Reps Chamber and the galleries above each for viewing. The huge hallways are lined with portraits of bearded reps. Its all very grand and impressive. There was a guest book for visitors to sign and i really wanted to add a comment on it to say "Get that monkey out of the White House"....but again that irritating thing called "better sense" prevailed.

We walked back to the parking lot - I was really starting to wilt in the heat (once again getting concerned at how i was going to withstand India temps - (but then again i don't really plan on walking the streets in the mid afternoon heat, so maybe i'll be OK). We then went to the Univ of Austin campus and got a picture of ourselves by the Texas Longhorns...i mean a statue of the horns. The campus is nice but being summer it was completely deserted. Then since i needed caffeine like a shot in the arm, we went on our usual Starbucks jaunt. Fortunately found one not too far away and I revived after the usual Triple Grande Caramel Macchiatto.

All of this had taken about 3 hours and it was about 4.30pm, so we started the long drive back. Ummmm...bad idea. We got snarled in peak traffic. By the time we got to Dallas it was 8.30pm and we were ravenous (oh, small note - we had skipped lunch). We stopped for dinner and then got home by 10pm. Another long day - this vacation thing is really tiring...!!!!! Work was way more relaxing.....