Thursday, February 28, 2013
Austin in January
These pictures are from a gun rally I observed at the Texas Capitol in mid-January. After watching (not supporting) the event, I walked down Congress all the way to Auditorium Shores along Town Lake. Austin is such a beautiful city. The best part was that it was in the 60s in January.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Destin to Austin
My last day of driving took me through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. I stopped in Mobile, Alabama to stretch my legs at about 8:00 a.m., then for lunch with an old friend just after noon in New Orleans. The route, mainly along Highway 10, included the Gulf Coast of Florida and Alabama, the soggy bayous of Eastern Louisiana, a ferocious rainstorm in Western Louisiana, and the vast, cloud-shrouded urban expanse of Houston, Texas' largest cities and America's fourth largest.
The pictures are as follows: Leaving Destin, Florida (1). Mobile (2-5). Bridge over the bayou (6). Rainstorm (7). Giant ninja star embedded in the ground welcoming me back to Texas (8). Houston (9).
The pictures are as follows: Leaving Destin, Florida (1). Mobile (2-5). Bridge over the bayou (6). Rainstorm (7). Giant ninja star embedded in the ground welcoming me back to Texas (8). Houston (9).
Friday, February 1, 2013
St. Augustine
This post is long delayed. I've been back in Texas for three weeks now. Perhaps it's late because of an unwillingness to finalize the end of my East Coast road trip by recording the remaining pieces here:
St. Augustine, Florida holds the distinction of being the oldest, continuously-inhabited European-established city in America. People have been living in this coastal inlet since 1565. I stayed the night in Orange Park just outside Jacksonville, Florida's largest city, and drove the short 40 miles to St. Augustine as the rush hour traffic into the industrial metropolis tapered off.
My first stop was the Castillo de San Marcos, an ancient fort built out of coquina blocks. Coquina is a wonderfully textured stone formed from shells smashed together over millennia on the ocean floor. I climbed to the top of the fort's impenetrable walls to take in the pelting morning sun rising over the ocean.
Downtown St. Augustine is a historic collection of arches, balconies, spires, and courtyards decorated with palm trees, roses, and Spanish moss. It's a beautiful city, easily one of the prettiest of my East Coast road trip. The sharp, burnt red and beige architecture stands in contrast to the soft, cotton clouds and ever-moving tide.
Before continuing on my journey, I needed to make good on my primary reason for coming to St. Augustine: walking along the Atlantic Ocean. First, I visited St. Augustine Beach, then paid a $4 entry fee to walk the whiter, cleaner sands of the beach at Anastasia State Park.
A bit like being in the presence of mountains, standing at the edge of an ocean evokes an undeniable sense of smallness and wonderment. The gray sky pressed close to the waves as the water roiled and crashed, spilling endlessly over the sand and broken shells and stranded jellyfish.
By noon, I was on my way to Destin, Florida, where I spent the night, then continued on my way home to Texas the next day.
St. Augustine, Florida holds the distinction of being the oldest, continuously-inhabited European-established city in America. People have been living in this coastal inlet since 1565. I stayed the night in Orange Park just outside Jacksonville, Florida's largest city, and drove the short 40 miles to St. Augustine as the rush hour traffic into the industrial metropolis tapered off.
My first stop was the Castillo de San Marcos, an ancient fort built out of coquina blocks. Coquina is a wonderfully textured stone formed from shells smashed together over millennia on the ocean floor. I climbed to the top of the fort's impenetrable walls to take in the pelting morning sun rising over the ocean.
Downtown St. Augustine is a historic collection of arches, balconies, spires, and courtyards decorated with palm trees, roses, and Spanish moss. It's a beautiful city, easily one of the prettiest of my East Coast road trip. The sharp, burnt red and beige architecture stands in contrast to the soft, cotton clouds and ever-moving tide.
Before continuing on my journey, I needed to make good on my primary reason for coming to St. Augustine: walking along the Atlantic Ocean. First, I visited St. Augustine Beach, then paid a $4 entry fee to walk the whiter, cleaner sands of the beach at Anastasia State Park.
A bit like being in the presence of mountains, standing at the edge of an ocean evokes an undeniable sense of smallness and wonderment. The gray sky pressed close to the waves as the water roiled and crashed, spilling endlessly over the sand and broken shells and stranded jellyfish.
By noon, I was on my way to Destin, Florida, where I spent the night, then continued on my way home to Texas the next day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)