Despite my recent poll on where I should visit next (Barton Springs is in the lead), my schedule allowed me to see Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake)first. The lake is one of the many reservoirs along the Colorado River.
We met with some friends to take what was supposed to be a leisurely walk around the lake. Our route was to be approximately 3 miles long, despite the possible 10.1 miles available for pedestrians. As we walked, we realized that at the pace we began at, we were not going to make it around before it got really late (and dark), so we ended up walking very quickly, and sometimes running down the wide, dirt path. The path is hospitable to walkers, joggers, bicyclists, dog-walkers and strollers. The non-motorized traffic is non-stop but not overbearing. The path is shaded in almost every place, so an outing at any time of day is amenable.
The first interesting site we stumbled upon was the dock and boat house run by the Texas Rowing Center and owned by the Parks & Recreation Department. This got me excited because I participated on a rowing team back home and have been wanting to see what the rowing was like here in Austin. The center offers rowing packages and programs and kayaking classes and rentals. As a side note, rowing is a wonderful, low-impact sport which is suited for a wide age-range of people. Try it! You'll probably love it.
Next, we crossed the James D.
Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. This bridge is beautiful. Crossing over it, I couldn't help but snap pictures left and right, like a paparazzo. Seeing the lake in all it's glory at dusk was something I don't think I'll ever forget. It was well-deserving of oohs and
ahs. I think you get the picture.
If not, here are some pictures just to show you how beautiful it was. This picture was taken to the left.
And here is the view to the right! This shot somewhat reminded me of the
Waimea River on the island of Kauai.
Along the path are many photo opportunities, such as this one. I thought this one was particularly lovely, with the palms and prickly pear cacti.
I wasn't able to get a shot of the most exciting part of this outing: the turtles. By the time we got to that part of the lake, it was too dark. Still, my 3-year old was able to toss some crackers into the lake and have several small turtles feed around him like ducks would. It really was a cool experience.
We finished up our walk in about 1 1/2 hours. Next time, I'll definitely wear walking shoes versus flip-flops and will definitely bring my camera and maybe an MP3 player.
Whether you live here or are just visiting, Lady Bird Lake is a definite must-see.
Zilker Park is next door, so there's a whole days worth of activities to participate in here.
Again, great selection of produce, meat, cheese, bread, clothing and plants! On top of this, we were able to enjoy some fresh-baked goodies as there were a multitude (OK, maybe not a multitude) of prepared food vendors serving up some ethnic goodness.
Free parking was available at the garage just north of the market. A short walk across the street and you're standing in the market, packed with a variety of people and organic goodies galore! From what I observed, nearly everyone sported a reusable tote (yay!)
One thing that made this market different from the last one we visited at The Triangle, was the live music! It sure added a neat dimension to the experience. It made shopping feel like a party. I like that they had a lot of seating in the shade so people could escape from the blazing sun and enjoy some great tunes.
I highly recommend this farmers' market as it seemed that the majority of the vendors at The Triangle were also here, plus many more. Be sure to stop by the information booth for market merchandise plus a lot of free literature. I received some great information from what I picked up!
