#90 Visit a Historic Museum

First of all, I am not a history buff or anything, but I just think this is something that should be done at least once in your lifetime. There are so many important things that have taken place in this country, let alone in the state of Texas, that have helped us come to where we are today.

Nimitz Museum of the Pacific War, Courtesy of Google

I visited the Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX this past weekend and I have to admit, I actually enjoyed myself, (and felt a little patriotic, too!) The museum took us through the life of Admiral Nimitz, Pearl Harbor and then ended off with a section for President Bush, SR.

I have also been to the JFK Museum in Dallas, TX and it was very interesting. I had to go with a class and do not think I got the experience I could have truly had. I plan on going through the museum over the Christmas holiday so I can hopefully appreciate and understand it better.

JFK Museum Dallas, TX, Courtesy of jfk.org

Mollie noted some great places to visit in D.C. in her blog which are very helpful. I know her historical points hit outside of Texas, but I am going to suggest a few places within the state with this site., (since going outside to the rest of them would take a long time!) Let’s try to be reasonable and find out more about those Texas roots!

Take a step back in time,

#89 Go to summer camp

Attawaytogo: the motto of the summer camp I attended for 11 years (but we’ll get to that in a bit).

Camp Longhorn camper enjoying one of the many waterslides

I know that Holley already posted about working at a summer camp, but I had to add my two cents about attending summer camp. Unless we have a large young blog viewership, I guess this really goes out to adults who might eventually have kids and eventually consider sending them to a summer camp…

 

Camp Longhorn boy campers sailing on Inks Lake in Burnet, Texas

 

My piece of advice: SEND YOUR CHILD TO SUMMER CAMP! I say this because I believe I would not be the person who I am today if it weren’t for Camp Longhorn. (which by the way isn’t connected to UT – the camp founder “Tex” was a big UT swimmer & coach)

You know the posters you see that say, “Everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten”? Well, that’s how I feel about the lessons I learned through going to camp every summer for my entire childhood (and then young adult life as a counselor). There is no doubt in my mind, and it has been shown in national studies, that children will turn out more well-rounded, adjusted, mature, outgoing, able to live with others well, etc. when exposed to summer camp situations. Not to mention, the network of friends you will create after attending summer camp for awhile is beyond comprehension! It is kind of a joke among my friends who didn’t attend Camp Longhorn that it’s a cult because once two people start playing the Camp Longhorn name game and reminiscing, the rest is history. I have run into people who went to my same camp all over the world – literally when I’ve been abroad I’ve met fellow CLHers.

 

Camper riding horses at the Indian Springs location of CLH

The point is not what camp you go to, but that you go. Children and youth need to learn what it’s like to be away from home, get along with children they’ve never met before, be forced to be physically active and learn various sports and games, face challenges and have some good old-fashioned fun. My first year at camp, away from my parents for three weeks at age 9, I got really homesick and hated it for half of the term. It was the best experience though because I had to get through it, ended up having a great rest of the term and went back for 10 more years (I would still be going to camp if I could)!

p.s. In a completely unrelated topic, if you’re a horns football fan – then you should be excited about this latest development!

#87 Eat S’mores at Halcyon

There’s nothing like a good s’more.  When I first moved to Austin, one of my guy friends took me out to this place downtown. I remember him telling me, “You just have to try these awesome s’mores.”  Naturally, I thought he was half crazy.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of the s’more, but is it really a necessity that I get one in my mouth right now?  If you go to Halcyon, the answer is YES.  Just wait until you are brought the table-side fixings.  You start by roasting the marshmallow over a make-shift fire and then put the roasted, gooey marshmallow on top of all the melted chocolate. Finally, you bite into the graham cracker with all the delicious goodness inside − mmm… perfection and contentment all in the form of, yes that’s right, a s’more.

Halcyon is a little coffee shop in downtown Austin, Texas. (Photo via Flickr by Keegan Jones Creative Commons License)

(Hal-see-yon): adj –  Peaceful, Carefree, Untroubled.  The name may sound unusual, and its meaning (these days) is even more alien.  There was something about being there and eating s’mores that brought me back to when I was a kid sitting around the campfire in Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains with my family making the delicious dessert.  It made me think of the countless campfires I’ve sat at since then with family and friends talking late into the night.  It made me feel at home even though I was a scared freshman hundreds of miles from the place and people I knew best.

My brother, sister and I eating s'mores at Halcyon when they came to visit!

So, go to 218 West 4th Street, grab a marshmallow, start roasting, get your fingers sticky and eat until your heart’s content.  When you’re finished with your city campfire in the middle of the Texas Capitol, leave a comment and let me know what you thought!

You can buy s'mores for two or four people!

And, go here for Halcyon’s menu.

Go to the TEXAS v. Nebraska Volleyball Game!

Check out our Texas Longhorns (#4) face off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (#3) tonight, Wednesday (Nov 19), at 8pm. Get there early, sells out everytime! Students get in free, youth $4, adult $7, and reserved #10 at texasboxoffice.com.

And why should you go, you might ask??? Nebraska sells out every home game, it’s the best Big 12 rivalry in Volleyball, and it’s a ton of fun to watch. Look for service aces from Kiley Hall, hard hits from Juliann Faucette, Ashley Engle and Destinee Hooker, and blocks up the wazoo from Rachel Adams and Lauren Paolini. Don’t forget to look for our lady in black, Heather Kisner. Check out my previous post, #20.

See you there!

Faucette (No. 1) and the team get pumped!

#73 Eat at the Salt Lick

This post really goes out to our blog audience outside of the UT and Austin realm because hopefully most locals know about the wonder that is… The Salt Lick. If you don’t, you’re missing out and should immediately get yourself in the car, drive to Driftwood, Texas, ask for a heapin’ plate of barbecue and experience this legendary barbecue restaurant.

Let me set the scene: you drive through the Hill Country for about 25 minutes, after leaving the Austin city limits, and pull up to a compound of long wood and stone buildings and a dusty parking lot. If you’re arriving at night, white Christmas lights line the old wood fence and the perimeter of the restaurant. If it’s a Friday or Saturday evening, you will see masses of people waiting outside, mingling in the parking lot, lining the wooden fences and listening to live music – not concerned about the long wait. You can smell the wood-burning fire pit, with scents of smoky brisket and sausage wafting through the air.

A special perk of this finger-licking restaurant is it’s B.Y.O.B., so you can buy your favorite beer, ice it down and sip on cold beer while waiting for your table and enjoying your meal!

And for all you leaf eaters out there – their cole slaw is to die for (and I don’t even like cole slaw – it’s really unique), so munch away on that, their homemade bread, pickles and potato salad! Don’t get left out because you’re a non-meateater – this can be fun for anyone.

The restaurant’s history goes back more than 30 years and this eatery has been featured around the country as a premiere and renown barbecue joint.

The best way to enjoy The Salt Lick:

– come hungry because you will eat a lot!

– take a cooler of beer

– go in the early evening because you might miss some of the crowds, you can enjoy the sun set and the best time of the day in the Hill Country

– order “family style” – which means you will get brisket, ribs, sausage, potato salad, cole slaw, bread, beans, sauce, pickles & cobbler – it’s a really good price for the amount of food you get and they will keep bringing you more of whatever you want until you’re stuffed to the brim

– drown all your meat with the bbq sauce – it’s amazing

– go with a big group of friends or family – it’s best to enjoy with a lot of pals!