Friday 12 February 2016

Austin

Second stop: Austin, Texas

Found: Warmth!

Activity: Walking, walking and more walking.

After the unseasonably cold Chicago, it was wonderful to arrive in the unseasonably warm Austin. We spent the day walking along the many miles of beautiful trails along Lady Bird Lake (essentially a large reservoir of the Colorado River that runs through downtown Austin).

There were an amazing number of walkers, joggers, bicyclists on the trails and people canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding on the river. It was great to see so much activity!

Taking photos of some turtles. 

There was also an amazing amount of wildlife. Lots of squirrels, many different birds including cormorants, egrets, doves, various ducks and more. And the turtle population is thriving! While we didn't see any bats (summer is the best time), Austin has the world's largest urban bat colony (1.5 million of them!) that make their home under the Congress Avenue Bridge. 

Stevie Ray Vaughan statue.  Austin is also know for its music scene. 

The Botanical Gardens are also along the lake and, while not in season, was still a lovely place to visit. 
A small stream in the Japanese themed part of the gardens. (Fisheye lens attachment on iPhone)
Colourful koi. 
In the rose garden. (Fisheye lens on iPhone.)

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