As I wait for my plane to fly back Seattle – I think back on my last full day in Austin, the conference, and the joy pure happenstance brings to the traveler.
This is the top of the 14 ft flower sculpture I found in The Driskill Hotel lobby. It was accompanied by a 9 ft cake I could not photograph. I walked right into one of the most Austin-tatious weddings I've ever seen. The hotel staff was buzzing.
But not too busy to let me order an Austin favorite from this oldest most historic bar of the city. Everything, I mean everything was covered in Texas – down to the carpet.
I chatted with the well adorned lady to my left participating in the wedding, watched the promenade of other guests for a champagne cocktail length more then headed out back into the Austin evening.
I was just brave enough now to stop in the middle of the street for my Capital of Texas money shot.
I started walking to Stubbs BBQ – site of my conference closing party.
Taking in some window shopping along the way and thinking about my comparisons of Austin to Portland it came to me that no one really needs a Keep Portland Weird campaign – but that is not Austin's fault – Portland is just filled with Northwesterners, not Texans, who already come weird. Austin, as I had seen thus far, really didn't need that much help either – I just was judging it against a Northwesterner's backdrop.
Austin though does come with movable (as in actually on wheels) food trucks. This is a shot from my conference lunch outing to an unnamed food truck parking lot, sponsored by one of our sponsors featuring yummy food by a recent chef show winner.
It was pretty tasty. Thank you unnamed sponsors for a very yummy pork filled lunch.
Then made it to my conference size BBQ for Saturday night.
Tomorrow would be my last day in Austin – what could I possibly do?