We had 12 hours to take a road trip on Saturday, and we couldn’t drive too far, because my husband was on call with work. So we took out a paper map (nothing like those big ones that unfold!) and looked at small towns within a 30-45 minute radius west of Austin.
Here’s what we came up with and how it went down:
Jonestown was our first stop, because we had seen a coffee shop, Cup of Jonestown, that we wanted to try. It was a bit hard to find, and looked a little unkempt from the outside, but we ventured on in, anyway. Much to our surprise, the counter was full of freshly baked (huge) muffins, and the aroma once we entered was so inviting and tasty! He ordered two (again, huge) sausage and cheese kolaches and I opted for a blueberry muffin with all of that crusty topping that could serve as a meal itself! He said the coffee was superb, as well. In a side room was an art studio for kids! We sat outside on a cute settee and had a view of the lake, and a small hill across the street. Perfect beginning of the trip!
In Jonestown, there’s a store called Oddinary Objects. The name intrigued us, so we stopped in. It was a big building full of vintage items, many of which were odd. I like odd. We found tiny coin purses with the Eiffel tower and a fancy girl printed on the side (little girls love these!), I purchased a vintage silk scarf in a pretty teal hue for myself, and Jon found a leather hammer (he collects unusual tools.) We were happy and went on our way…but first stopped in Kendall Designs, right next door. It was a tiny, tiny home décor shop. We bought two candles (peach and pecan) and two candy bars!
We were going to Andice for lunch, but it wasn’t quite time for that, so we opted to drive for a bit.
In Lago Vista, we searched for and stopped in at Dink Pearson Park, just really a beach along the lake with a small area to walk. We pulled up under a shade tree and rested, before walking around to explore. There was an old metal staircase up to an area that used to support a house. We could see the foundation and even tilework from the floor. That was a fun find. We walked along the water for a bit and headed on to…
Andice!
The Austin paper had published a story about the wonderful burgers at the Andice General Store, so we had to try them out. They did not disappoint! Served on toasted fresh buns, the hamburger tasted like a hamburger should – I even ate an entire one myself! We shared the basket of fries, and enjoyed sitting outside on the patio. We will definitely go back, and take friends!
Now, we decided to drive to Lakeway City Park, about an hour away. (Remember, we’re staying west but heading south). We didn’t even know this park existed. We parked and found a great trail for walking, lots of benches and places to sit and relax along the way, and thoroughly loved the views! It was a beautiful place, well worth the drive!
Not too far from there, we searched for and pulled up to Bee Caves Sculpture Park. It was tucked away behind a shopping center across from Hill Country Galleria. A granite path winds along and beside all sorts of sculptures placed by individual artists, some odd and some not, but all worth looking at! We took pictures of so many! There was also a giant chess set (with tiny benches for pausing when it’s not your turn) where my husband defeated me quickly. I hadn’t played in years! There were little chairs along the path, and it was super fun to stroll with him!
By now, we had walked a lot, our 12 hours was almost up, and the cinema in the mall across the street was calling our name. That’s where we parked for the evening, watching the teen film After. It wasn’t the best film ever, but I enjoyed looking into the life of a young freshman girl at college as she navigated life and love, searching and finding, and then a hopefully happy ending.
And that’s what we had – a happy ending to a glorious short-lived but fun – road trip!