Not long ago I traveled to Austin, Texas with my friend Mosquito.
We called it the “Beers, Barbecue, and Biking” tour.
“You guys don’t look ready for biking,” said the friendly bicycle rental man.
“But my man, we are ready for beers and barbecue,” I said.
The man runs Streamline Cycles where Mosquito and I were renting our bikes. Maybe he thought we didn’t look ready for biking because it was 100 degrees and Mosquito had his bike shirt tucked into his blue jeans.
I had a cotton T-shirt and shorts that only became shorts because they unzipped from the lightweight hiking pants I wore.
We biked along the pea gravel trail around the Colorado River and Lady Bird Lake.
Just off the bike trail overlooking the river was Alta’s Café where I had a fine pint of a local pale ale.
Our first night on the 6th Street Strip kicked off at an Irish pub, of course. Some damn fine fish tacos at B.D. Riley’s Irish Pub.
We had some more beers down the street at Easy Tiger. A great selection of fine craft beer and fine men and women of Austin. We shared a few with a friendly black girl who read some of her poetry. Mosquito just wanted to talk to her about working on cars and I mostly talked about writing and shoes.
The three of us made a toast and cheered our good fortune of meeting at this Texas watering hole.
“Welcome to Austin, assholes,” she said.
Streamline Cycles and a damn fine burger joint next door.
A local pale ale at Alta’s Cafe.
Colorado River from a bridge along the bike trail in Austin.
Barbecue in Austin
Sharing breakfast with a friend in Austin.
I’d buy her a beer, not a shot.
The Dodgy 