The View From the Train Window..Fort Worth to San Marcos on The Texas Eagle

Not many comments today, just a montage of what I saw as I gazed out the window of the Amtrak train coming home from Forth Worth, traveling almost 300 miles south to arrive in San Marcos, Texas.

Here's one of my favorites....a classy old airplane, maybe the famous DC-3, sitting in the midst of several small,  modern passenger planes.

Of course, there are lots of Little League games being played every Saturday during the spring. The Amtrak train tooted it's whistle several times as we passed by.

I wish I had spotted these horses before they were almost passed the window. Don't they look wild and free?

Someone turned an old freight car into a barn. Cool.

Friends, I can't help it...I will probably post at least once more with some of the fun stuff I spotted as I travelled. Bear with me and I promise I will move on to other topics soon!

Passing Austin on the Side

Last week, I rode the Amtrak train to visit my daughter and her family in Fort Worth. Someone asked me if I took many pictures on my trip. Ha ha ha....what a silly question. I held my camera and pointed it out the window for almost the entire 5 1/2 hour trip to Fort Worth and the entire trip back home. Altogether, I probably took about 600 pictures. That makes sense, because my obsessive personality keeps me glued to the window, for fear of missing anything at all. 

Today, I would like to share a few of the shots I took as we entered Austin. The train stops at Austin in a kind of grungy section of town. This derelict building was what I looked at while waiting for passengers to board and leave the train. Now, I have to admit that I love derelict buildings, so I didn't mind. 

We passed by one of the many places where several freeways interesect. It is unusual to see standing water under the freeways, especially since we have been in such an awful drought. Thankfully, there has been quite a bit of rain, this spring. It rained the night before, hence the standing water.

Austin is the state capital of Texas, and the self-proclaimed music capital of the world. It is claimed that there is more live music going on in different venues any given day than in any other city in the United States. That includes Nashville.

Austin is also the home to many high tech firms, including Dell, so there is quite a bit of money floating around some parts of the city.

It is incredibly expensive to live downtown. There are some very quaint homes, both large and small, built in the early twentieth century, but they cost quite a bit if they are near the center of town. Many people live in apartment complexes.

The tallest of the buildings, with all the chrome and glass architecture, have been built in the last few years, and there was a bit of squabbling about building them, too. It seems that Austinites love their downtown riverfront, which they call the Town Lake district. That confused me for a while, because I could never actually find the lake. They are really referring to the section of the Colorado River (not the one in Colorado, either...it is just a little Texas river with the same name) that flows through Austin. 

As you can see, it is gorgeous. There are biking trails, hiking trails, walking trails, doggie parks along side the "lake" and folks get on the water in colorful kayaks and canoes. The people who use the trails and nature parks complained that the tall buildings would ruin the view of the sky, and cast too much of a shadow over their fun. Well, anyhow, the ultra-modern, high dollar buildings did go up and they add elegance to the Austin skyline.

Here are a couple more pictures that I just had to include. This is the City of Austin Power Plant site. I love the art deco letters on the plain concrete plant. Even their power plant has charm. 

Riding the Amtrak Train

Thursday morning, bright and early, I arrived at the Amtrak station in San Marcos, Texas, to catch the train and ride all the way to Fort Worth, Texas. It was my first time to ever ride a train. I was a little apprehensive.

The Texas Eagle #21 departs from San Antonio, every day, and arrives in San Marcos at 8:32 a.m. to pick up passengers. San Marcos does not have an actual station with attendants. It is basically just two benches sitting right next to the track. 

 As you can see from this picture, you can drive right up to the bench. You don't even have to walk more than a few steps.

This is Anthony. He was a talkative young man who is a seasoned Amtrak traveller, so I asked him to tell me all about train travel. He filled me in a little as we waited for the train. He was going all the way to Saint Louis, Missouri to see his children.

 When we heard the train whistle, folks got ready to board.

 "ALL ABOOOOOOARD!"

The entire trip took just over five hours, which is about the same amount of time it takes to drive from my home in Seguin to Fort Worth. The ticket was only $30 one way, so for one person to travel back and forth, it is much cheaper to ride the train than to drive a pick up truck which only gets 17 miles per gallon.

We stopped in Austin, Taylor, Temple, MacGreggor, Cleburne and Fort Worth. As we neared the final stop, I asked the passengers if I could take a picture of the interior of the train so I could show my three year old grandson. One passenger suggested everyone wave, so they did.

It was a very interesting trip. Tomorrow, I will share some pictures I took of the sights and scenery I saw as I looked out the train window.

Chiro Java...Coffee and Chiropractic Combined!

Today, we are going to visit Chiro Java, a coffee shop located in the heart of downtown Seguin, across from the county courthouse. I used to wonder how to pronounce the name of the coffee shop until someone told me that Chiro was short for chiropractic...the owner of the shop is a chiropractor who has her office in the coffee shop. All of a sudden, the Chiro part of the name made perfect sense. 

A few years ago, someone painted a huge mural on the southern wall  of the shop. From a distance, you can see how well the blue sky of the mural matches the deep blues of the Texas sky.

 Here is the mural up close....It commemorates the stagecoach that traveled through downtown Seguin in the late 1800's and the folks who lived in Seguin.

If you would like to see what the Magnolia Hotel looks like today, you can do so here.
http://wildabouttexas.blogspot.com/2011/02/magnolia-hotel.html

Inside the shop, there is a roomy yet cozy dining area decorated with an eclectic mix of vintage furniture,  and burlap bags, old coke signs and paper parasols.

Local artisans' work is displayed on the walls and on tables. There are comfortable seating areas so patrons can hang around and visit as they work on their laptops (wi-fi is available).

The folks who come for an adjustment  as well as a cup of coffee check in with Lori. Instead of waiting for their appointments in a boring office, they just have a seat in the coffee shop until Lori calls their name.

I spotted this guy laughing at me as I talked to Lori, so I had to take his picture too....not the typical coffee shop decor, that's for sure!

Lori was so helpful and nice. While I was sitting at a table with my friends, I heard her call my  name. She wanted me to meet the Chiro part of Chiro Java. Here she is...Christine Steinbrenner, DC, according to the business card I pulled off the counter. She let me take a quick picture as she brought her next client into her office.

Now, I did not need my back adjusted...I went to Chiro Java to have lunch with some friends. And let me tell you, their lunch menu is awesome.

At the counter, Laurie took my order for one of their turkey avocado sandwiches. I love them.

It was delicious, too. 

So, if you are ever in downtown Seguin around lunch time, stop in at Chiro Java. I am sure you will love it.

On Track Arts... and Other Odds and Ends

Today, we are going to get a glimpse into one of the many antique-collectibles-odds and ends shops that can be found throughout the state of Texas. This particular shop is located in the small town of Harwood, which is about an hour southeast of Austin, and about two hours northeast of San Antonio.

Founded in 1874 next to the Southern Pacific rail lines, the town grew in population and by 1892, it boasted a population of about 350 people. Harwood shipped cattle, cotton and firewood during its heyday, but since the late 1800s, the resident population has shrunk considerably. Now, there are about 100 people who call Harwood home. 

Highway 90 runs right through the middle of town, with the train tracks just feet away from the road. As you can see from the view looking south, there is not a lot to the town anymore.

Looking to the north, you can't see much more....

You may wonder why I made a visit to Harwood. Well, I am a member of the Seguin Oakwood Art League, and through my involvement in this organization, I met Hal Shipley, a stained glass artisan. He does wonderful work, lots of it with a Texas flair, and he told me about his shop in Harwood. Appropriately enough, he calls his shop "On Track Arts". It is one of three main buildings on the main street of Harwood.  He invited me to check out all the items he and his partner have accumulated over the years, so I stopped in after my mother and I spent time at the Rosanky yard sale.

This is Hal.

Hal told me he has been picking up odds and ends for years and years.  I love odds and ends... Here are some of the neat things I spotted in his shop...

 an owl, a well-worn ironing board, some colored cowboy boots....

 an elegant green sofa...

 a serene black cat...

 a turquoise desk and a painted bunny,

a bust of Homer (or some eyeless bearded man, along with a wonderful Donald Duck print...

a cocker spaniel (who is also a bank) in need of a good home,

 a treadle sewing machine, a game board, a dainty apron which looks to dressy to ever be used in my kitchen, an eagle,

and last, but definitely not least, a life-size statue of a black and white Dalmatian.