Day 5

Early to bed does not mean early to rise.

Half of the hosting Melde clan leaves for vacation but Kathy is around to set us up with a late breakfast that would make you jealous.

Fully fed and already tired from playing with Aspen (perfect puppy) we organize the car and head downtown to explore.

We find Austin very active, hip, & clean.

First exposure to broad-leaf trees, green grass, and smiling people.

More than once, we break into conversation with random strangers…we all make vague plans to move here.

Downtown is all it’s cracked up to be: A formal city center surrounded by non-commercial bars/restaurants & invitingly shady neighborhoods.

Before the heat/humidity conquers we are head to local swimhole: Barton springs. Hundreds of people line the river picnicking, swimming, & just enjoying Texan life. We people watch until some 13 year old taunts us into bridge jumping with him..lol.

From here we catch wind of a local park with a river and climbing wall within the city limits called seismic wall. Picturesque to say the absolute least:

Jon plays photographer while we climb with some locals. Amazing climb. A quick bath in the river and we are ready for downtown Austin.

Bars and hangouts for people of all different sizes, tastes, creeds, and budgets. 6th St did not disappoint.

They closed the streets and had a block party because we were in town, Texan hospitality.

The nightly dilemma continues however, we have to sleep somewhere.

Seismic wall wilderness… but its pitch black. Headlamps enable us to stumble across the river with our packs and arms full.

Anyway, after playing homewrecker on about seven too many occupied spider webs, we finagle our way up a ridge to a safe looking spread and set up the tents on the side of a hill.

Sleep isn’t easy (again) as it has grown increasingly hotter and humid as a storm moves in.