Adventure 91: Pecan Grove RV Park/Austin, TX/Post K

Pre-Coma Grins

I dropped Judy off at Franklin BBQ at 7:20 A.M. (3 hours and 40 minutes before they open). She was seventh in line. Had my knitting, a mug of coffee and a lawn chair so the wait wasn't bad. I went to my Tai Chi lesson (It was fabulous); the Ulmen's enjoyed a leisurely morning getting ready to leave Austin. I picked them up at 10:20 A.M. The three of us zoomed back to Franklin just before opening, where we squeezed into line next to Saint Judy (The Bishop of Austin anointed her while standing in line in the dead of a cold Texas winter), and the rest was smash mouthing coma inducing Texas BBQ (At arguably its best). We had a brisket plate, one beef rib, and a BBQ sandwich to go (Never under order after standing in line for 31/2 hours). The first consensus is that Franklin was worth the wait. The second is that we won't have to eat for awhile. Texas BBQ is unbelievably rich. It's not that you eat such a great volume, it's more the succulent nature of the slow smoked beef and the weight of the flavorful fats coagulating somewhere in the recesses of your body. At Franklin, they cook their briskets for eleven hours, which results in a cut so tender and juicy, it's almost decadent. To ward off a permanent food coma, we toured Austin's Umlauf sculpture garden, which is full of classic pieces set in a serene corner garden just off of Zilker Park. And then, sadly, we had to bid the Ulmen's adieu; it's amazing how quickly five days can pass. We enjoyed several aspects of Austin, we didn't get to enjoy everything, but we did as much as we could stand. The Hunny Bunny and I are here for a couple more days. We leave Wednesday for the next leg of our adventure. Like the pioneers of old, we'll be heading West pulling our little silver wagon, most likely following the curve of the gulf from Corpus  down to Brownsville and then up the Rio Grande through El Paso. Right now, we're reenergizing our batteries, replaying our memories, patting our plump tummies, and realizing our extremely good fortune. For us, life is good, especially today.

 The Hunny Bunny with her new best friend, Joe (Brown coat) at 7:20 A.M.

 The sign outside the dojo of Sifu, Jeff Hughes, who graciously provided a learning opportunity for me.

 There is some serious training that goes on in this place.

 Imagine our glee when we drove up (Without having to wait), and getting to waltz right in to the toughest ticket in Austin.

 The line (We were way back out there in the sun yesterday, before the nice girl told us we wouldn't be getting any BBQ, so we might as well go home. That's when we came up with the sacrificial Judy plan.

 Joe, a local boy, gave us the rundown on all the places to eat. We might have to stay another couple of days to enjoy the enchiladas, the breakfasts, and the out of the way food trucks in Austin.

 Joe said the only way to enjoy BBQ was with a version of red creme soda called the Big Red.

 Franklin and his crew at work. He saw our Gonzaga shirts and immediately started talking about Adam Morrison. The he cut us off a sample before he cut our HUGE slabs of brisket. (Lunch for Judy and me cost $60.00)

 From left to right: Wad of paper towels, Big Red Soda, Stack of White Bread, One Beef Rib, Brisket Plate with Beans and Slaw.

 The Ulmen platter looked much the same.

 In the "Ain't America Great" category: The chair guy rents chairs to people standing in line. He sold out.

 Memories of my drinking days. Lots of folks bring coolers full of beer to drink while they wait in line.

 Of course, there are the assorted nude sculptures.

 And a man carrying a woman through the reeds called First Kiss.

 And a nude swimmer squeezing the water from her hair.

 And the grief of a war torn mother (circa. 1939).

 And no sculpture garden would be complete without a Greek muse. 

 And the Spirit of Flight.

 And a live sculpture of Saint Judy.

 And coma Judy.

 And coma Ulmen's. (Side note: Lest people think all we do is eat, this was our only meal of the day, and we had quite  bit left over).