Austin Museum of Art

I really wanted to like the museum.  I wanted to be impressed and interested.

Sadly, I was not.

There is only one floor of the big building on Congress that is the museum, so there isn't much to see.  I kept looking for stairs or something to go to another floor, something else, something more.  The major exhibit right now is the Art of Hatch show prints.  The history is interesting, but not really what I was hoping to see.  The rest of the exhibits, I didn't really understand.  I know, modern art is supposed to be kind of edgy and unusual.  I get that.  But it's also supposed to SAY something.  And I wasn't hearing it.

I saw one exhibit that could have been done by any 10-year-old.  Acrylic on little wooden squares, one of which looked like it had coffee spilled on it, and not on purpose.  Another was two Beatles records with a perfect square of scratches across them.  Right next to it was an old Perry Como record sleeve with an inked circle on the cover.  OK.  What's the point?

I was really hoping to see some actual art by at least one name I would actually recognize.  I was disappointed.

I should have expected it, though.  I went to the Laguna Gloria a few years ago, and I was more impressed by the grounds than the few paintings that I saw on the walls.  I guess it's just me.  Maybe I don't know enough about modern art to appreciate it.  But really, if it doesn't speak to regular people, is it really art that belongs in a museum?  Or is it just somebody's little ego trip?

Austin Museum of Art

Austin Zoo

The Austin Zoo is not so much a zoo as it is a sanctuary.

It's a pretty small zoo; I saw the whole thing in about an hour.

I didn't go on the train though, because there were a lot of people waiting for it.  Next time I go out there, I'll have to see that.

It wasn't so crowded that you couldn't see the animals, but business isn't bad either.  The parking lot was absolutely full!

Chickens everywhere!

And peacocks and peahens.

Lots of big cats.

As a knitter, I am particularly fond of sheep.

This little monkey was rescued from a drug testing facility.

I LOVE their tails!

This wolf was rescued with a long-term pre-existing injury to his left front paw.  Since he hadn't been able to use it, the muscles were underdeveloped.  It had to be amputated, but he gets around just fine!

It was a lovely spring Saturday when I went.  Not a great big zoo like in San Antonio, but big enough to have several large cats, a black bear, birds, monkeys, and porcupines, among other things.  Not too crowded, but not a ghost town, either.  Plenty of kids having a great time.  They have a picnic area big enough for a good sized birthday party with room left over for other families without being too close or crowded.  The train looked like a popular draw, but I stayed away because it looked like there were enough kids to fill it up, and really, it's all about the kids.

http://www.austinzoo.org/

South Congress

There are so many cool things in Austin, and so many cool places I want to see, that I just don't have time to do all the things I want to do!  One of my favorite places here in town in on South Congress:

(click on pictures to see bigger)

As a knitter, of course I love a good yarn store, and Hill Country Weavers is a GREAT yarn store!  Lots of fabulous yarn, but also:

Knit Buzz is the knit cafe right behind the store.  A nice place to sit and knit, and a kitchen stocked with snacks and drinks.

Then there's the rest of South Congress:

Hey Cupcake has wonderful cupcakes.  I like the Michael Jackson, which is a chocolate/chocolate chip cupcake with cream cheese frosting.  AWESOME!

There's live music.  Last July I saw this guy (or maybe another guy in the same spot) sitting on a bucket singing "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer."  It just doesn't get any better than that.

Vegan Sweet Potato Tamales.  Sounds weird, I know, but they're actually pretty good.

The other food carts on South Congress.








And the shops
Looking North

Looking South

And something happening, I don't really know what.

But not everything is wonderful on S. Congress:

This parking lot used to be free.