We all know Texas means Big, Huge, Gigantic and other such superlatives, so it is going to take me a while to get through all this. So settle back. My decision to stay an extra day in Lockhart, just so I could eat more, was bitter sweet. Sweet because it bucketed rain all day long, and I was able to hang in my motel room all day, warm and dry, tubing beers and watching The Players Golf Championship from Puente Vedra, Florida. (Just me and the cockroaches). Bitter because I had no way of getting to Smitty's BBQ for dinner without getting seriously wet. Ride? No, too pissed. Walk? No, too far. Taxi? In Lockhart? Don't make me laugh! So I opted for Mexican next door to the motel, and even that was tricky. However, next morning it had finally stopped raining and I was no longer pissed and therefore able to ride around and grab some quick photos.
This is Smitty's. You'd never know how good it is from looking at the building, (that's the back, by the way, and its the good side!) and sadly now I'll never know either.
And this is Black's. Another crappy building, but man can they cook. Why would you even go in there if you didn't know about the joint? How could you not go in there if you did know?
Now this is the kind of building that screams "Come on in". But its Lockhart City Hall. No BBQ there. Good building though, don't you think?
Just before I left Lockhart, I visited the last of the big three, Kreutz Market, again on the advice of both Mike and Steve, thanks once again guys.You have spoken nothing but truth! This place is a giant BBQ eat-orium. First up, I really liked the signs in the entry. The first one said "We shoot every third salesman. The second one just left". The when you get in a bit further, another sign says "Vegetarians this way. Normal folk that way," and points towards the grill. The vegetarians door leads back to the car park. Love it! This is my kind of place. Anyhow, was 10.30 am too early for a Texas sized BBQ feed? Nope, not around here. Might have been a bit early for half a bottle of the red hot chilli pepper sauce though, I ruefully concluded a bit later. And it was such a little bottle too. Suitably sustained, and as soon as I could see and breathe again, I headed for San Antonio with all speed.
On my map, San Antonio was a BIG yellow blotch, indicating an intimidating megalopolis. A lot bigger than Austin, by the look of it, and Austin had given me some problems. Oh well, I've got the GPS, what could go wrong? Nothing at all, as it turned out. (Hah, bazinga!). It was remarkably simple to get to my hotel, just one turn off the Interstate, and a couple of miles later there it was. The downtown area is actually quite compact, and with some very interesting looking architecture. I decided to go roach free, and had booked into an upmarket joint right on the Riverwalk. From the website description of the hotel, and the prices, I had visions of a private balcony from which I could look down on the plebs walking past, and if I so chose, I could do a bomb dive straight into the river. Well, the hotel is right on the river, no argument there, and my room, as promised, is close to all facilities. It is close to the lift, in fact its right next to it, and it is also just across the hall from the ice machine which sounds like a brake press on steroids and runs 24/7. And it does have a commanding view of the alley at the back, and an uninterrupted vista of the side wall of the building next door. And the river? Well, I've seen bigger stormwater drains. In fact, that's exactly what this alleged river thing is, I even found a plaque awarded by the American Society of Civil Engineers citing that very fact. So as stormwater drains go, this one is quite literally a winner, and I'm a guy who can appreciate a bit of first class flood mitigation work when I see it. But my lawsuit against the hotel for several counts of deceptive and misleading advertising is unlikely to ever get off the ground, so I will just have to make the most of it. This is the essence of the discount hotel deal on the net, people. Someone has to get the less than ideal rooms out the back, and the scenery belongs to those who pay full whack. But the room itself is pretty good all the same. But I better not see any goddam roaches in here, I can get those a lot cheaper.
See, told you. It even has boats on it. This is the good side of my hotel.
First thing I did was head down the street to the Alamo, only about 300 yards away, as it happens. Interesting place with an interesting history. What kid who grew up in the fifties didn't know about Davey Crockett in his coonskin hat ( that's racoon skin, by the way) and Jim Bowie and Co. defending the Alamo against General Santa Ana and all those pesky Mexicans (and losing). But hang on, didn't those pesky Mexicans actually already own the joint because they got here first anyway (in 1691to be precise) and hadn't they already grabbed about a quarter of what is now the US? Minor point, I know. And I think the Mexicans want it back. Some would argue that they have had quite some success at getting it back and all. And Santa Ana even got a major freeway named after him. Anyway, now there is a Crockett Street, a Bowie St, a Crockett Hotel and a heap of tasteless tourist shops selling tasteless tatt to the tourists. And some of the crap on offer has nothing to do with it. Like Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum and the Tomb Rider 3D ride. But I've seen worse examples of crass commercialism. Niagara Falls, for instance. And don't start me on Las Vegas.
Part of the surprisingly compact front wall of the Alamo, which was one of several Spanish missions built along the course of the San Antonio River.
And this is the church where the big names finished up.
See, they're all in there. Now here is some of the more interesting architecture in the downtown area. In my opinion, its quite distinctive and different.
Even the newer stuff is a little "out there". This is the Alamodome, with its cable stayed roof structure.
The other thing even a blind man couldn't help noticing around here is that there are fresh faced Air Force rookies everywhere, a lot of them walking around with their families, all over the Alamo and the Riverwalk precinct. A bit more digging turned up the fact that this is an Air Force city. There are not one, not two, but three big Air Force bases here. Randolph, Lackland and Brooks. One is the main USAF recruit training base, and another is the primary flying training base, I believe, but I'm not sure which is which. No matter. The thing that I find intriguing, amusing even, is that some of these guys (and gals) don't look old enough to cross the road by themselves, and yet their crisp Service uniforms are already decorated with a substantial strip of ribbons above the left breast pocket. I guess you must get a medal if you cut yourself shaving, or if you have to eat the same meal more than twice in the same week, or if you can spell Afghanistan. I can't imagine any of these guys (or gals) have actually shot down a MiG or bombed the crap out of the Taliban just yet, but I fervently hope that they will. Meanwhile, decorations in the Australian Defence Forces are about as common as rocking horse shit, even to those that really deserve them. To be honest, I really can't figure out the mindset of either approach.
After all this, I don't know what possessed me to visit Market Square, the largest Mexican market in the US, so they say. Colourful? Holy moley, it was like an explosion in a paint factory that the Fire Service had extinguished with rhinestones, and then planted crucifies at the top of the smouldering pile. I came out on the verge of epilepsy, my senses reeling, eyeballs like spirals, but I must admit I did get quite a few laughs in there, as well as some tasty snacks. And even my limited Spanish got a bit of a workout. All good fun, and who needs to go to Mexico anyway?
This is Smitty's. You'd never know how good it is from looking at the building, (that's the back, by the way, and its the good side!) and sadly now I'll never know either.
And this is Black's. Another crappy building, but man can they cook. Why would you even go in there if you didn't know about the joint? How could you not go in there if you did know?
Now this is the kind of building that screams "Come on in". But its Lockhart City Hall. No BBQ there. Good building though, don't you think?
Just before I left Lockhart, I visited the last of the big three, Kreutz Market, again on the advice of both Mike and Steve, thanks once again guys.You have spoken nothing but truth! This place is a giant BBQ eat-orium. First up, I really liked the signs in the entry. The first one said "We shoot every third salesman. The second one just left". The when you get in a bit further, another sign says "Vegetarians this way. Normal folk that way," and points towards the grill. The vegetarians door leads back to the car park. Love it! This is my kind of place. Anyhow, was 10.30 am too early for a Texas sized BBQ feed? Nope, not around here. Might have been a bit early for half a bottle of the red hot chilli pepper sauce though, I ruefully concluded a bit later. And it was such a little bottle too. Suitably sustained, and as soon as I could see and breathe again, I headed for San Antonio with all speed.
On my map, San Antonio was a BIG yellow blotch, indicating an intimidating megalopolis. A lot bigger than Austin, by the look of it, and Austin had given me some problems. Oh well, I've got the GPS, what could go wrong? Nothing at all, as it turned out. (Hah, bazinga!). It was remarkably simple to get to my hotel, just one turn off the Interstate, and a couple of miles later there it was. The downtown area is actually quite compact, and with some very interesting looking architecture. I decided to go roach free, and had booked into an upmarket joint right on the Riverwalk. From the website description of the hotel, and the prices, I had visions of a private balcony from which I could look down on the plebs walking past, and if I so chose, I could do a bomb dive straight into the river. Well, the hotel is right on the river, no argument there, and my room, as promised, is close to all facilities. It is close to the lift, in fact its right next to it, and it is also just across the hall from the ice machine which sounds like a brake press on steroids and runs 24/7. And it does have a commanding view of the alley at the back, and an uninterrupted vista of the side wall of the building next door. And the river? Well, I've seen bigger stormwater drains. In fact, that's exactly what this alleged river thing is, I even found a plaque awarded by the American Society of Civil Engineers citing that very fact. So as stormwater drains go, this one is quite literally a winner, and I'm a guy who can appreciate a bit of first class flood mitigation work when I see it. But my lawsuit against the hotel for several counts of deceptive and misleading advertising is unlikely to ever get off the ground, so I will just have to make the most of it. This is the essence of the discount hotel deal on the net, people. Someone has to get the less than ideal rooms out the back, and the scenery belongs to those who pay full whack. But the room itself is pretty good all the same. But I better not see any goddam roaches in here, I can get those a lot cheaper.
The award winning stormwater drain, aka The Riverwalk. It gets better.
See, told you. It even has boats on it. This is the good side of my hotel.
First thing I did was head down the street to the Alamo, only about 300 yards away, as it happens. Interesting place with an interesting history. What kid who grew up in the fifties didn't know about Davey Crockett in his coonskin hat ( that's racoon skin, by the way) and Jim Bowie and Co. defending the Alamo against General Santa Ana and all those pesky Mexicans (and losing). But hang on, didn't those pesky Mexicans actually already own the joint because they got here first anyway (in 1691to be precise) and hadn't they already grabbed about a quarter of what is now the US? Minor point, I know. And I think the Mexicans want it back. Some would argue that they have had quite some success at getting it back and all. And Santa Ana even got a major freeway named after him. Anyway, now there is a Crockett Street, a Bowie St, a Crockett Hotel and a heap of tasteless tourist shops selling tasteless tatt to the tourists. And some of the crap on offer has nothing to do with it. Like Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum and the Tomb Rider 3D ride. But I've seen worse examples of crass commercialism. Niagara Falls, for instance. And don't start me on Las Vegas.
And this is the church where the big names finished up.
See, they're all in there. Now here is some of the more interesting architecture in the downtown area. In my opinion, its quite distinctive and different.
Even the newer stuff is a little "out there". This is the Alamodome, with its cable stayed roof structure.
The other thing even a blind man couldn't help noticing around here is that there are fresh faced Air Force rookies everywhere, a lot of them walking around with their families, all over the Alamo and the Riverwalk precinct. A bit more digging turned up the fact that this is an Air Force city. There are not one, not two, but three big Air Force bases here. Randolph, Lackland and Brooks. One is the main USAF recruit training base, and another is the primary flying training base, I believe, but I'm not sure which is which. No matter. The thing that I find intriguing, amusing even, is that some of these guys (and gals) don't look old enough to cross the road by themselves, and yet their crisp Service uniforms are already decorated with a substantial strip of ribbons above the left breast pocket. I guess you must get a medal if you cut yourself shaving, or if you have to eat the same meal more than twice in the same week, or if you can spell Afghanistan. I can't imagine any of these guys (or gals) have actually shot down a MiG or bombed the crap out of the Taliban just yet, but I fervently hope that they will. Meanwhile, decorations in the Australian Defence Forces are about as common as rocking horse shit, even to those that really deserve them. To be honest, I really can't figure out the mindset of either approach.
After all this, I don't know what possessed me to visit Market Square, the largest Mexican market in the US, so they say. Colourful? Holy moley, it was like an explosion in a paint factory that the Fire Service had extinguished with rhinestones, and then planted crucifies at the top of the smouldering pile. I came out on the verge of epilepsy, my senses reeling, eyeballs like spirals, but I must admit I did get quite a few laughs in there, as well as some tasty snacks. And even my limited Spanish got a bit of a workout. All good fun, and who needs to go to Mexico anyway?
1 comment:
I don't want you to think that no one is listening Mike, even if I am the only one! Which I am sure I am not. You are currently covering the territory that I rode over in 2010.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers Roger
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