I have not lived in Austin, Texas for almost 20 years.
I laugh a little as I type that because well, it seems like such a long time.
When I visit here I come to my parents’ house, the same one where I grew up, for all of my childhood. I’ve watched it change over the years, with different floors or paint or furniture but it’s still the same house.
The room I lived in no longer has a twin-sized bed with a girly bedspread with yellow ruffles like it once did but the sun still streams in the window so brightly every morning that it shines. Just like it always has. And the kitchen has not expanded. It is still hard to have more than four people standing in it at any one time. And my Mom still sits in her same spot (although minus her loyal little dog who died a few years ago), reading her prayer books while my father still sits in the glider on the deck out front that he built years ago, drinking his glass full of iced tea and watching the cars go by.
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Since I have not lived here in so long I like to try to see parts of the city that I have heard about or remember and take the kids on little adventures. You know, be a tourist in my own home town. And the children (and mom and/or dad too) are so lucky (wink, wink) that they get to go along for the ride!
Yesterday we hit up S. Congress which is known for it’s kitschy shops and food trucks. Unfortunately the food trucks are closed on Monday (FYI) but that’s okay because we ended up eating at Fran’s and having an old-fashioned, greasy hamburger. YepUhHuhSoGood.
Then we wandered down the street to this amazing candy store (cinnamon roll salt water taffy anyone?) called The Big Top and my children were in hog heaven. I only got them out of there with the promise of actually eating the treats we purchased. Thankfully K chose her trusty Dum Dum and that was all (crazy kid!)
Lastly we stopped in Uncommon Objects, which is amazing but basically an over-priced antique store in which my children could touch NOTHING(!!!). And they even took our candy shopping bag (they better not have eaten any of the taffy I got for Tim me) behind the counter. Which I get, I mean they did have a bunch of pricey old metal keys (you’ve got $23 for an antique key, right??), one of which I could have totally slipped into my candy bag, you know if I was that kinda gal. For the record, I do like old keys and thought they were very interesting but I neither stole nor paid for one. Oh and my children didn’t break anything, so Hey! successful browsing trip!
After that my Mom and I took the kids to the Austin Children’s Museum and they had a blast. It is just about the right size and kept all of my three children entertained for about 2 hours. I was REALLY impressed with an area upstairs where you could build and craft things out of recyclables. Like anything from toilet paper rolls to plastic fruit holders to yogurt cups!
And these two windows of the building were covered in these beautiful designs, made from non other than…
…lids to all kinds of plastic containers like detergent bottles and water bottles!! Aren’t they cool?!?!? I just had to share. (this is for you Erin, since I know you will appreciate it!)
My children, however were not as impressed with that area and all three spent much of their time playing with some type of trains.
All in all it was a great place to visit on a hot Texas day!
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Sometimes I think I could live here again. All of my family still lives in the area (meaning my parents and my brother’s and their families). And it really is a great city, full of great things for families and kids and well, the scenery ain’t half bad either. Who knows, maybe we’ll end up here again. Only time will tell…
But for now, it is a pretty wonderful place to visit.
Austin is such a pretty city. I don’t love it like I love Dallas, but I think the trees and the hills are wonderful! What a great museum. I’m determined to take Andrew to our children’s museum this summer. We haven’t been in a long time and I know he’d love it. Glad y’all are having a great trip so far!
LOVE the bottle cap windows!!! and i canNOT believe how big Katie has gotten—OMG!
xoxoxo
counting down til I see you!
So fun you are in Austin! We’re going to Georgetown Thursday to bowl then into Round Rock to IKEA! Which is a trip for Kendall cause she LOVES the play area there & I get to look around!!! It’s FREE fun!!!
Glad you are having a great time!!!
Going home is always awesome! I feel the same way abou the city that our families still live in but yet, we have no urge to ever move back. Sometimes some distance is a good thing – makes the visits fo much more enjoyable 🙂
Sounds like a nice visit. (It’s always nice to be home, even if it is the home of your childhood and not your current home.) I like taking the girls to places from before they were here and re-discovering it all with them.
Austin is finally starting to grow on me! It’s only been a year 🙂 Let’s meet up and do something next time ya’ll come to Austin! 🙂
Austin pretty much rocks. I’ve lost track of how many of my classmates have moved to that area.
So much fun. I wish my city had more interesting places. Or maybe it does, I’m just not seeing it through the eyes of a tourist?
I love being a tourist in my home town. Looks like a good time.
I was just talking with my girls tonight about how the home I grew up in seemed liked it had the biggest yard to me and it is a postage stamp compared to our 1.5 acres. I can’t wait for the next time we can drive by so I can go down memory lane again. Looks like you all are having an amazing time!
While Austin wasn’t my “home” I sure do want to go back (not in the summer…ick) and miss it.
So glad you got some good “home” time!
Your description about home really pulled at my heart strings. I’m currently home in Hawaii and experiencing the same thing. It’s surreal, being back in my childhood home.
I love doing the touristy things in our own town. It makes it so much more fun!
Love those bottlecap windows!
I visited Austin, probably when you still lived there. I thought it seemed like a GREAT place to live.
What fun times.
I would kill for a candy store like that. Kill.
Looks like you had fun exploring your own town.
The bottle cap window is so neat.
Looks like you had a fun day. I would have been so bummed about the food trucks not being there. Someday I WILL eat from a food truck!
those windows are pretty cool 🙂
http://jumpin-beans.blogspot.com/2012/07/grilled-corn-ww.html
Austin keeps climbing the charts of great places for families to live. It looks fabulous! 🙂
I love Austin. May I come with next year??? xo
Looks like the perfect visit! It’s fun to go ‘home’ for a visit and play tourist, isn’t it? We did the same visiting my family in Washington State. I’m looking forward to moving back there next year, though – after 16 years of being away. It still feels like ‘home’ there. 🙂
LOVE all the shots! The recyclable art is too cool!
Mount Rushmore vs. Mother Nature
Okay- I think that it’s amazing that you are still able to go home to the house where you grew up. What a comforting feeling.
My brother just moved to Austin a few months ago and this makes me want to pack up and fly out to visit him asap.
I love going back to my hometown with the kids to explore and revisit the past.
I’m in love with that picture of your mom.
I have never been to Texas, but if given the chance I think it would be a cool place to explore. It is always nice to go home. 🙂 I miss my family!
I haven’t been to Austin in years…I loved this post–took me back to a city that I love!
And I LOVE that picture of your mom. So sweet, friend!