Tour de Gruene and Halloween!

Gruene. Sounds like "green." (Not "groo-een.") A little town nestled next to New Braunfels, it's got a lot of the same historic character and charm as Fredericksburg.

My friend "B" (like me, a cyclist and a recent California transplant) and I, along with 1800+ other cyclists, took over Gruene for the day to participate in the Tour de Gruene.

The tour gained fame last year, when Lance Armstrong (a Texas native and Austin resident, for those of you not in the know) entered and won the individual time trial. Neighboring New Braunfels also plays host to Wurst Fest, a sausage festival, a big draw to foodies and athletes alike.

With the choice of an individual time trial, two-person time trial, or a leisurely 15, 30, or 50-mile ride, they was plenty to choose from. As we drove into town, bicycle-toting cars were backed up all the way out to the Farm-to-Market road (that's a county road, in California-speak).

We missed the roll out because we were among the many who had chosen to register on the day-of. No worries... just out for a fun ride. (More so for "B" than for me -- I hadn't ridden my bike in two months!)


The route was mostly flat (with some good rollers), low-traffic (the cars we did see were very friendly!), and well-supported. "Relaxation stations" were located every 10 miles or so, stocked with snacks, drinks, and the requisite port-o-potty or two. "B" graciously rode at my pace and I can feel those 50 miles today, I tell ya.

Lunch at the Gruene River Grill with some of "B's" cycling buddies from the Texas gulf coast rounded out the day nicely!

Back in Austin...

I don't think a year has gone by when I didn't carve a pumpkin -- really! Doesn't matter where I am, it really makes the Halloween holiday special for me.

Here's my spooky bowl of candy for trick-or-treaters...


Unfortunately, none came. Still, gotta be prepared!

Here's my pumpkin:


Here's my costume:

I got dressed up but the costume business, like the candy, was kind of a bust. I'd tried to arrange a people-watching trip to downtown with my Central Market "friends," but they never got back to me.

I decided to drive down to 6th Street on my own. 6th Street is the epicenter of Austin's Halloween celebration. The city closes down an area of downtown that's six blocks long and two blocks wide to traffic, and 30,000 to 40,000 roam the streets and pack into bars and clubs. Pretty crazy really. It was not something I'd recommend doing solo.

Lots of interesting and creative costumes, but not very much fun when you're by yourself. Next year, I'll go with a group!

Here are some shots of the 6th Street action (some my own, some courtesy of the Austin Chronicle). I loved the balloon boy, super tall grim reaper, and Where the Wild Things Are costumes.


Happy Halloween.

Carbo-loading...

Before a big workout, carbs are an athlete's best friend. With a little inspiration from my family back in California (and Alice Waters' Simple Food cookbook), I whipped up some homemade pizza dough and went to town.

Before:



After:

That's right: lou pistou olives, marinated roasted tomatoes, argula, onions, and fresh mozarella. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

I'm not in California anymore...

And a slight chance of tornadoes.

In California, this weather would be "Storm Watch 2009!"

In the rest of the country, I think this is called "normal." Welcome to Texas, eh?

Grocery shopping? Or friend shopping?

Central Market. This popular Austin grocery store chain is home to a huge variety of organic and conventional produce and amazing food: pecan-crusted salmon, kuri squash, guacamole made to order, a huge salad bar and deli, Texas pralines, and gelato. The store also has an enormous wine selection, several coolers of cheese, a 34-variety olive bar, and...

...cart stealers?

I was wandering aimlessly around the produce section, trying to figure out whether I should buy the .79 per bunch cilantro from Colorado or the .99 organic cilantro from California, and slowly crossing items off my list. I'd just bagged (and price tagged) some jalapenos, when I turned around and... MY CART WAS GONE.

Dang! 20 minutes of hard work, navigating that huge produce section, and my spinach, arugula, bell peppers, carrots, and garlic had disappeared.

Quickly, I scanned the carts around me for my cherry tomatoes which, in their bright red netting, could serve as a beacon. I spotted a woman near the lettuce section pushing a cart that looked a lot like mine.

"Excuse me, I think you might have..." Then I spotted mushrooms. No. This couldn't be my cart. "Actually, sorry! Never mind..."

I told her I'd lost my cart, and she helped me scan the room again. Her friend quickly joined us to help in the search, and I joked about all the hard work that had gone into loading my cart as a Central Market first-timer.

It turns out, they were new, too! "J" has been here for a month and "A" has only been here a week! We all swapped our info and hope to connect soon. Of all the places to meet people -- a grocery store!

Then they turned back to their cart, ready to walk away, when what did I see but my cherry tomatoes! And my spinach, arugula, carrots... "That IS my cart!"

Cart stealers! Who knew they could be such nice people?

Moving to Austin: 101

I'll post a little bit about my first week here, not beause finding a place to live and spending over six hours at IKEA is something I want to re-live, but because I think I might be able to connect with someone via Google or the blogsphere who has the do the same thing I did -- pick up and move to Austin, Texas!

Welcome to "Moving to Austin 101." As people like to say, "I wasn't born here, but I got here as soon as I could."


I think this process generally applies to ALL cities, but there are a few things Austin-specific that might assist the newcomer:


How do I find an apartment?
Use an apartment locating service, especially if you're short on time. I used Greenlight Locating and was pleased with the experience.

Basically, you feed them your preferences: neighborhood, price, amenities, and anything else you can imagine. For free, an agent will drive you all around town to show you apartments.

Use Craigslist. Sparingly. It's full of stuff the apartment locators have on file already -- but, you can send the links to your agent to give them an idea of what you'd like, AND they'll contact the property and give you a tour.

Coming from California, and having always done my own footwork in findng a place, all of this was a totally foreign concept to me. Why would someone want to drive me (picky 'ol me) around in a car all day, showing me properties? The answer, of course: $$$. The locators get paid a commission by the apartment complex you end up choosing. The big benefit, then, of spending some time on Craiglist, is to hunt down places not managed by private companies, but by landlords.

The other strategy? Cruise around neighborhoods, looking for FOR RENT signs. There are lots -- but it takes more time to set it all up yourself. Given all of this, make sure you find a place you like -- don't feel pressured by the locator or apartment staff (beware the "look and lease" same day discounts) to sign a contract right away. There are some gnarly apartments out there, and there are some great finds, too!

Update (10/30/13): Apartment locators are great when you are unfamiliar with a city, but Craigslist is an excellent resource -- just be smart about it. Avoid listings that are too good to be true, and follow-up on promising listings right away!


What neighborhood should I live in?
There are two schools of thought, as I quickly learned from the locals. The epic battle of 

North Austin vs. South Austin.

Things I heard about the North:
"Ooh, they're really stuffy up there." / "I don't really go to bars or shows that often, but the drive isn't very long to South Austin when I want to. They have a TGI Friday's. Oh, and my apartment complex has a gate, so it's safe." / "You can walk around by yourself at night and not worry." / "It's not really that far from South Austin. There are a lot of nice places." / "Traffic is horrible."

Things I heard about the South:
"You have to be careful about which neighborhood you live in." / "It's near EVERYTHING." / "I wouldn't live anywhere but South Austin." / "I'd do anything to move there, but I can't afford it right now." / "South Congress, Lamar, Town Lake, downtown... it's all great." / "Traffic is horrible."

Okay, so traffic is horrible no matter where you live.

The map above shows the general areas recommended to me: stay north of I-290/I-71/Ben White Blvd. and west of I-35. If you go north of Parmer Lane, you're starting to edge out of the main city area.

Oh, and there's one place you probably shouldn't live (unless you're going to school there): near the UT campus. Unless you really, really miss your college days.

I decided on South Austin, for a few reasons:
Yes, it is near everything! Popular clubs and local restaurants, South Congress restaurants and shops (aka Hipsterville), the airstream trailer cafes, Town Lake, lululemon athletica yoga store, the flagship Whole Foods, two farmers markets, Zilker Park and Barton Springs Pool. It's somewhat walkable and bikeable. I'm a $5 cab ride from downtown. I'm just five minutes from the freeway that takes me to work.

Does the north have anything to offer? Absolutely! But my overall impression was that if I chose a place in the north, I'd be more car-dependent and more likely to visit a chain restaurant/big box store. And I'd need to drive to downtown more or less everytime I wanted to see a live show or visit Barton Springs or lululemon or Central Market. I could be wrong, but so far I'm extremely happy with my place and my neighborhood.

There are many lovely neighborhoods in Austin (well over 50) and zillions of apartment complexes (over 700 to be exact), and tons of apartment locating agencies. If you have the time, look at lots of places 'til you find one that feels right. Oh, and one rule of thumb: the farther away the aparment is from downtown, the cheaper it will be.

Update (10/30/13): I loved my South Austin apartment, but by the the time I left Austin, I'd learned that there is more to the city than north vs. south. I also lived on the east side (near Airport Blvd. and MLK) and five minutes from campus. The east side is up-and-coming and rapidly gentrifying. I think my apartment locator was skeptical of the east side because some consider the area to be "less safe" (a veiled admonition that the area is home to a large percent of the city's people of color -- more on the history of the city's racial divide here).  Anyone who has ever lived in an urban city will not be uncomfortable on the east side; in fact, I found the diversity and sense of community to be much stronger than any other neighborhoods in Austin. Give the east side a good look, for sure. 

When should I move to Austin?
When it's not hot and humid! October through March is a good bet. The peak moving time is August, when I'm told students (and seemingly everyone else) do the annual Austin shuffe.


How far should I live from my job? How bad IS the commute?
Ah, yes, the only downside to living in the South and working in the North! Yes, I have a "long" commute. Twenty minutes in the morning, and 30-60 minutes in the evening. (But even now, after a couple weeks of commuting, I kind of want to say, "really, Texans? Suck it up. Haven't you ever been to California?" People traveling 101 on a weekend or I-80 to or from SF on a weekday will catch my drift.) If you can't handle driving, yes, live close to your job! It you don't mind, it's worth the trade off.

What should I do while I'm looking for an apartment?

• Stay with a friend!
• Priceline a hotel (my mom and I stayed at the Residence Inn for five nights for only $45 a night!)

Either way, give yourself as much time as possible and find somewhere affordable.


Should I bring a car? Any funny Texas business with the title and the DMV?

Yes, yes, yes! It's a car-centric town, and I'm still not sure how I'd survive without one. Per Texas law, you have to register your car in the state within 30 days, and get a driver's license within 90. When I arrived with Bettina the Wonder Corolla, my mom and I had to (in this order)...

• Get 'er insured. We went with State Farm.
• Get 'er inspected. Jiffy Lube (and many other mechanics) can do this in about 10-20 minutes, for a fee of $30 (pass or fail). You must show proof of insurance to get the car inspected!
• Get the title transferred. In Texas, the business of titles and registration has been privatized. It's much speedier to go through one of these private businesses than through the state (which also offers the service). At Fry's Auto Titles, for $130 in Texas State fees and $35 in private fees, we transferred the title from my dad to me, got our registration sticker, and (on the spot!) two new license plates. Wowzer.
• Get 'er registered and slap on some plates. See above (yes, my plates had numbers, but I edited them out because this blog is public).
• Get your license. Go to DPS (Dept. of Public Safety, aka the DMV), bring all the necessary documents, and get a license.

Where should I get...?
Furniture and housewares:

• On a budget? Check out IKEA, Target, Costco or Hobby Lobby. Craigslist, too!
  IKEA delivers to any Austin address for just $50!!
• Splurge: Visit one of these spiffy stores.

Internet:

• On a budget? Too bad. Time Warner Cable or AT&T are your only options. Grande is local, but serves limited areas.

Groceries:

• On a budget? HEB! Food prices are soooo much lower here than in California.
• Splurge: Oh, wait, did I said food prices were lower? Definitely not at Whole Foods. Or Central Market.

What the heck am I thinking, moving to Austin, Texas?
Don't worry -- you've chosen a fantastic city.

More soon!

More Day 4: en route to Austin

Fort Stockton highlights... getting lost on the way to the motel (our GPS was off by about 5 miles), eating great tex-mex at Bienvenidos, and utilizing the free wireless at the Days Inn. The town, aside from the restaurant, is small, a bit drab, and clearly suffering in this recession; I'd estimate that 30-40% of store fronts were empty and for lease. Still, it's a convenient road stop -- it's the only town for miles -- and we needed the sleep.

In the morning, we got gas (for the millionth time, despite our 25-28 mpg little car) and headed out, ready to wrap up our 1700-mile journey on Interstate 10 East!

Ahh, big sky country! As we left western Texas and headed into hill country, the landscape changed dramatically (yet again). No more shrubby flatland; instead giant rolling green hills, creeks and rivers, and incredible natural limestone plateaus. The road cut straight through giant chutes of the white rock, and my mom and I couldn't help but stare in wonder and thumb through our guidebook to seeking an explanation of the amazing geology (still haven't figured it out. Does anyone know?).

Near Junction, TX, after 1615 miles, we got off I-10 E and turned on to Highway 290, a two-lane highway that cuts through ag land and farms. Fredericksburg was our next stop, a small town with German roots, lots of charming historical buildings, beer, sausage, and crafty shopping. My mom and I ate lunch at Fredericksburg Brewing and then toodled through town enjoying the atmosphere (I also snagged a new apron).

Austin -- just two hours away!

Day 4: Fort Stockton, TX to Austin!

Breakfast time:

350 miles to Austin!

Day 3: Willcox, AZ to Fort Stockton, TX

Welcome to New Mexico!

(It kind of looked the same the whole way through...)

Welcome to Texas!

(yeehah!)

As soon as I got behind the wheel, the rain started. What is this weather stuff, anyway?

Day 2: California to Willcox, AZ

Welcome to Arizona. Lots of cacti and desert plants, warm and dry weather, and a beautiful sunset.

In Willcox, we dodged the ubiquitous fast food chains by escaping to a Safeway deli. Back at the motel, we were treated to jam session by a group of musicians, in town for Willcox's 57th Annual Rex Allen days. They invited us to stay to enjoy their performance the next day, but we told them we had to get on the road.

More sights of the day...

Desert scenery:

Fresh jerky, anyone?

Crossing the Colorado:

On the road...

En route to Austin, Texas! Taking it easy with a four-day itinerary to cover the 1730-mile trip:

Day 1: Bay Area to Redlands, CA

Day 2: Redlands, CA to Willcox, AZ

Day 3: Willcox, AZ to Fort Stockton, TX

Day 4: Fort Stockton, TX to Austin, TX!

Upcoming: some photos and stories from the trip so far.

Thanks for reading!