Scott tries this Bloggie thing

O.K. then! There's a first for everything, and this is my first entry into our blog. This first entry of mine is about ANOTHER first: a little Daddy/TJ trip to Austin that ended last Thursday. TJ requested a little airplane travel time of his own to coincide with Mommy's field trip to the North, and being a travel professional with that never-ending itch to move, I could hardly turn him down.

The journey started on Wednesday afternoon when I picked TJ up from school. We pretty much headed straight for the airport and jumped on the next flight bound for Austin. A short airline flight can really impress a five-year-old, especially when he gets to go up to the 737 flight deck afterward for a photo op.


Wasting no time, we jumped into our rental car, rolled down the windows and breezed into the orange and crimson sunset towards South Congress Ave. This was accompanied by the soulful blues guitar of the late Austin icon Stevie Ray Vaughn and other local legends flowing through the car stereo (the music would permeate the entire journey).

After a fine dinner consisting of cheeseburgers at Doc's Motorworks, it was off to Sixth Street where I gave TJ the abridged view of the local vibe by way of car window on the way to the hotel. We both slept hard.


The next morning we were up early, grabbing breakfast in the lobby on our way out to explore. First up was Mount Bonnell, the highest point in Austin, where we did a bit of hiking and where TJ was most proud of the fact that we could move way faster than a flock of middle-school kids on a field trip.


Then it was off to Zilker park for a train ride, but not without first stopping to play this eclectic piano on the hill. We found it while searching for the bronze sculpture of Stevie Ray, and TJ loved the fact that someone would actually put a piano outside. Hey, like the locals say, "Keep Austin Weird." We did our part to contribute.


After riding the train, we zipped out to The Oasis for lunch, then TJ napped while daddy seized the opportunity to crank and bank the Ford Escape along Lime Creek Road, a popular stretch along lake Travis for motorcyclists. (You can really nap, buddy!)
When TJ awoke, we had arrived at TOY JOY, an independent and very eclectic toy store, where we loaded up on strawberry vegan ice-cream and various gadgets paid for by TJ from his piggy bank. TJ insisted on buying something for his little brother as well, and melted the clerk's heart when he pulled out his little baggie of quarters to pay for it. Good goin' little man.

It was then onward to two independent record shops where daddy got his album fix and mentored TJ in the ways of all things music. We finally ambled back down the hill to 6th Street, where we parked the car and strolled on foot, watching people while eating slices of legendary Roppolo's pizza.


Aaaah, but too soon the sky was turning colors again, and that was our cue to head back out to the airport where we caught the last flight back to H-town. Thirty-two minutes of flying time and we were touching down; TJ was already asleep on the drive back to our house.

All in all, I had an incredible trip with my little pal. I never take for granted the sense of awe and the wide eyes of my children as they discover new things. This usually spurs me to rediscover my own memories from once upon a time. The feeling is priceless. Little getaways like this one help us to bond even tighter, and I can't wait to do it again! Here's hoping you remember this trip as long as I will, TJ, and thanks for coming along.

Love,

Daddy