Goodbye Fort Stockton

We got up early to get a head start on our drive to Austin. We wanted spend a little time with Michelann, Lillian, and David in the afternoon and early evening.

Dave opened the curtains to the morning sun and called me over to see the view.


Yeah, time to leave.

Our hotel room has plenty of signs about things not to steal and how to conserve energy. At check-in we had to sign a declaration that we would not smoke anywhere in the hotel, but they missed the opportunity to put a sign on our window warning us not to smoke in bed. Apparently the neighboring hotel didn't provide enough warnings.

We took I-10 to the 290, heading towards Fredericksburg and eventually Austin. This is the hill country. Lots of farms. Fredericksburg is a German community with a charming Main Street and we arrived about lunch time. However our first stop was Der Kuchen Laden, the cookware store I discovered while looking through Edible Austin for a good place to eat in Fredericksburg.

I found a few potential miracle devices. The Garlic Machine was recommended by my sister Karen. I finally found one. Dave chose the tenderizer and I thought Shaun would like the corn de-silker when he makes tortilla soup.

Edible Austin pointed me to the Navajo Grill, but it turns out they are only open for dinner. Across the lot was Ranch Road Roasters which features on-site roasted coffee, normally open but the sign on the Rosie the Roaster truck said "Closed, wife having a baby." So we figured we'd snack our way to Austin on crackers and cheese. But then we passed "Some Kinda BBQ."

We circled around and went back. This is TX.


Shredded barbequed pork with onions and pickles plus chips and soda for $5. Yes, it was really good. We tried to remember to eat light because Michelann was taking us out for a hamburger and fries dinner in Austin.

We arrived in Austin just as our granddaughter Lillian was getting up from her nap and getting ready for a walk to the park. After the park adventure, we drove to Phil's Ice House where Lillian articulately pointed out we'd get fries (by energetically interjecting the word "fries" into our conversation at regular intervals). Turns out she's right, we got a mix of potato and sweet potato fries with each burger. I had a 78704 Burger (grilled onions, jack cheese, avocado, chipotle mayonnaise and jalapenos on a jalapeno cheese bun). Delicious!

Next stop was Lick for homemade local seasonal ice cream. Not only is Lick mentioned frequently in Edible Austin, it's this issue's cover story.


When we arrived they'd just received the new issue. I quickly took one from the top of the stack and started collecting tasting spoons. The flavor on the cover is cilantro lime. I ended up choosing a scoop of Pure Luck goat cheese with thyme and honey and a scoop of caramelized carrot with tarragon. Uhh, I was too busy eating to take photos. That means we will go back. So we can take photos! I also loved Roast Beet with Mint and Caramel Salt Lick. So many flavors, so few days.