Category: <span>wandering</span>

My Week in the Blue Paradise

When I tell people I was going to Curacao, most of the responses I got were “cool, where is it?”I was looking for a beach vacation. I wanted to soak in the sun, get a nice tan, and let my toes breath freely one more time before winter really kicks in. I have longed to visit Aruba, but the price tag kept me hesitating. As I look further into the Caribbean, the colorful buildings in Curacao called out to me. So in early December, I packed my bags and snorkeling gear, dived into the blue blue ocean.

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Salt Lick (Austin)


I felt a little unsettling without having good BBQ in Austin. We did go to more price friendly BBQ joint, but still found unsatisfied. I heard that Kreuz Market is great but it is an hour out of my way; Black’s does not open on Monday and I am out of time, my friend shared my disappointment with Franklin’s and decided to take me to Salt Lick, I finally found a bit comfort in ribs and briskets.

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more Austin

(continue—a travel journal pt3)

 

When I planned my trip to Austin, I had planned to swim in the Hamilton pool; jump into Jacob’s well, and may be do a few laps at the Barton Spring pool. I was excited when I packed my swim gear. Unfortunately, weather did not grant me my wishes. Starting the second day in Austin, the thermometer has been stuck at around 43 degrees Fahrenheit. It dropped even further in the morning and at night. I understand even Texas has winter, but I was not expecting the temperature to drop so drastically. Because at the same time, New York was at 53 when Austin, which is supposed to be warmer, was 43. Even my friend, who lives in Austin, said that is not normal temperature to have around November, and blame me for the “cold” weather.
Nevertheless, a trip to Austin cannot be completed without visiting the Barton Spring pool and Zilka Park. We went anyway, even for just a short walk around.

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Caverns – the underworld of Austin

(a travel journal-part2)

 

When I think of Texas, I think of BBQ, Tex-Mex, cowboys, rangers, farms, the Brush family, oil, and western movies. So when a friend recommended me to visit caves, I was surprise. Forgive my ignorance, I have little to none knowledge in geology and speleology. Ran a quick search on the great WWW, I learned that there are at least 9000 caves, caverns, sinkholes, and springs in Texas. Hamilton pool reserve which I visited on my first day is one of them. Barton spring pool in Zilka Park is another more well-known natural “playground”. During my visit to Austin in November, I decided to pay a visit to underground. There are many caverns in and around Austin to choose from. The two caverns I went to are both within 1 hour drive from downtown Austin.

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