Albuquerque: Vacation from our vacation

Albuquerque was such a good rest stop for us, offering a soft bed, cool house, warm shower, full kitchen, wireless, and a chance to see more of the Olympics. After sleeping ourselves out of the sleep debt we’d accrued while tent camping/acclimating to the high elevation, we made breakfast and set off for the climbing gym to start “training” for our upcoming outdoorsy lifestyle in Colorado.

From the gym, we met Loren’s mom for sparkling wine tasting at Gruet Winery, where we loosened up, and then to REI for some camping supplies. To top off the spoiling, Kristen was treated to a mani-pedi.

Gruet

For dinner, the group went to the quirky and fun Range Cafe for delicious food and clever drinks. Below are some highlights.

Appetizer: Green Chili Strips w/creamy cilantro sauce (a must-try!)

Margs. Can you guess which one was Loren's? (hint: it's pink)

Coconut-cranberry mojito, a perfect combination of the best flavors ever.

Loren's adorable grandparents, aka Mom and Papi

Day two started with renewed energy. The Subaru (aka Subie) got its oil change, Kristen practiced yoga for the first time since setting off on the trip, and we made it to Petroglyph National Monument just before the visitor center closed. Because of the sun glare, the glyphs were a little trickier to find! Afterwards, the whole group made it out to dinner at Pasion Latin Fusion, where we shared 2 bottles of wine and some delicious plates for dinner.

Petroglyphs

Us and glyphs

Good company, good weather, good food, good drink. Thanks so much to Vilma and Jim for being our generous hosts!

BBQ at its Best

Taking the expert advice of our hosts, we decided to head to one of central Texas’s most famous barbecue restaurants before leaving Austin. Salt Lick is located about 30 minutes south of Austin in a ranch paradise, a sprawling complex housing both a vineyard and restaurant. At the heart of the operation is a giant BBQ pit, which patrons see on the way to their seats, a peek at what’s to come. We arrived around noon on Sunday, which happens to be about an hour after Salt Lick opens, and the parking lot was already about half full. In order to sample as much as possible, we shared a heaping plate called The Rancher, which features the four meats (ribs, brisket, sausage, and turkey) served with cole slaw, potato salad, beans, pickles, onion and a huge chunk of bread. Barbecue at its best. In order to enjoy it fully and not enter into BBQ-coma, we ignored the bread and beans. Breakfast of champions!

The Rancher

In the aftermath of our feast we drove out to Hamilton Pool, a supposedly beautiful swimming hole oasis, but the 2+ hour wait to get in scared us away. It was a tough decision, but we will definitely come back to Austin, during which time we will definitely put Hamilton Pool at the top of the list.

By the way if you’re looking for a gift from Austin, check out the Salt Lick Cookbook full of drool-worthy recipes – they may or may not be the best barbecue recipes in all of Texas.

Austin: New Favorite City?

The results are in: Austin is amazing. We definitely need to live here at some point. In the few hours that we spent around town, we walked the super-cool S. Congress strip, ate the best tacos ever [Torchy’s at the South Austin Trailer Park, a food truck/trailer haven], splurged on a "cake shake" [exactly what you think: cake blended into a milkshake], recharged after our sugar coma with delicious iced coffee at a place known for hot dogs [Frank’s, the coolest restaurant/bar/cafe/music venue we’ve ever been to] and found the house of our dreams [a deal at $700K, slightly out of reach, considering our zero-income status right now]. Austin has won the city challenge so far. Special shout-out to Matt Fedor for the air mattress and awesome hospitality!

Selection at Allens Boots on S. Congress

We didn't even need candy...the rich sugary aromas were enough!

Food trucks abound

Torchy's Tacos trailer

Kristen's pick at Torchy's: the "Trailer Park", served "trashy"

Loren's Torchy's taco: The Crossroads

Frank

Iced coffees at Frank's

With the host! Thanks for everything!!

3 hours in NOLA

After a super long 11 hours of driving, we made it into New Orleans! Driving into the French Quarter around 9pm, it seemed like everyone was heading out on the town. We made a last-minute reservation for a room in the historic Hotel Monteleone, which is equipped with possibly the coolest bar I’ve ever glanced into (the Carousel bar), and located conveniently a couple of blocks away from Bourbon Street. Turns out, Bourbon street wasn’t quite our cup of tea, probably because a). we were starving b). we were exhausted and c). we weren’t drunk. So, despite the half-naked, thong-sporting women shaking their butts in the club doorwary trying to entice us in for a show, we made our way to a nice-looking restaurant called Sylvain (thanks, Yelp) on a quieter street. Such a good decision. Delicious cocktails led into a perfect salad topped with spiced peanuts, bleu cheese, and the kicker, roasted pork belly. Loren's dish: Braised beef cheeks; Kristen's dish: Gulf shrimp with littleneck clams in ham hock broth. We capped off the night with dessert at Cafe du Monde – Loren’s first taste of beignets and chickory coffee. Love.

Bourbon Street craziness

Slyvain's: Gulf shrimp and littleneck clams with ham hock broth. AMAZING.

Cafe du Monde for late-night beignets and coffee!

Hilton Head SC and Savannah GA

Turns out, low-country life is leisurely and delicious! In one day, we finished a crossword over coffee and eggs, made it the beach at Hilton Head, hit some golf balls in Sun City, and ate heart-stoppingly good food at Paula Deen's fixture in Savannah, The Lady and Sons restaurant.

Our morning achievement

Breezy beach at Hilton Head

Loren and his dad

Feet in the Atlantic. Water was balmy.

Crab [poop] pellets stuck to our feet...eww!

Bumper sticker lighthouse, which you had to pay to see

Back in Bluffton, first time driving a golf cart

Hey y'all, welcome to The Lady and Sons. Cheese biscuit and corncake? Yes, ma'am!

This is what Fried Green Tomatoes are supposed to look like. Yum.

My huge dish: red snapper, wild rice, sauteed spinach.

There's always room for peach cobbler