East side panorama

Here's a panoramic shot I took of the east side of downtown Austin from the pool deck of the new Westin Hotel. If you had shown me this photo when I was a kid, there is no way I would have said that this is really Austin.

Spanning the creek

I'll avoid the urge to make any comments about golden arches. Progress is being made on the new bridge over Shoal Creek which lets Second Street go west through to the Seaholm Project.

A natural touch

This piece of wall art in the new Westin hotel brings the outdoors in, as they say.

Caught in the act.

This is an interesting piece of wall art in the new Westin hotel in downtown Austin. I managed to catch a reflection of my partner in life shooting a photo of her own in the mirrored part of it.

Herbal remedies

This store on the east side has some colorful herbs in the window. 

The old and the new

Here is a panoramic shot that tells a tale. On the left, Cisco's Bakery that has been an mainstay for breakfast and lunch in Austin forever. On the right, Qui restaurant, the hot new entry in the Austin dining scene. Both on the east side.

New graffiti

I guess putting flowers on telephone poles is a trendy idea now. Saw this one outside of El Mercado the other night. 

Fallout!

You wouldn't know it to see this dry creek bed, but in the flood not long ago, big trees like this got knocked down. 

Don't you miss your yard?

This is one of the questions that we get all the time since we moved downtown. Fact is, we can be on this part of the trail in a matter of minutes after stepping out of our building. Plenty of outdoors for us and I don't have to maintain it!

Blowing in the wind

Rock Island on the Great Lawn at Zilker has some weather gadgets. I wonder why they are placed here?

Thom's

This upscale convenience store is a regular stop of ours on Barton Springs Road for a cool bottle of water.

Sail On

These sailboats on Lady Bird Lake can be rented I believe at an establishment near IH35. The lake doesn't allow private motorized boats with a few exceptions.

A chilly drink for a summer afternoon

We tried out a new restaurant the other day. The woman by us at the bar was having a mint julep. Very nice looking in its frosty mug.

Vintage Pickup

This is the front of a vintage pickup owned by the Lambert's restaurant over on Second Street.

Gables Views

This Gables Apartment building is where our friend Jackie takes some stunning views. They have one of the apartments with the sweeping windows facing the Pfluger Bridge and more windows on the west side with a balcony.

Scoop It

This medallion is embedded in the Pfluger Bridge. I assume there are others elsewhere.

Memorial Bench

This memorial is on the south side trail of the Butler Hike and Bike Trail along Lady Bird Lake.

Two Dogs

Two dogs ply the Butler Hike and Bike Trail, lagging their owner just a bit.

What?

In case you are in Austin and wonder what this means...it's indicates that while you aren't supposed to use the Hike and Bike Trail after 10 p.m. you may use the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge after the curfew to cross Lady Bird Lake. But you shouldn't loiter I suppose.

Fancy Hubcap Self Portrait

I was shooting the fancy hubcap but I liked the surrounding reflection including a not so flattering shot of the flabby photographer!

Blind Corner

There is a pedestrian bike bridge near our house with a bike path coming up that used to connect with a really blind corner. That part of the path has been closed for a while but the sign and the flowers make a nice composition I think.

Colorful Bikes

Seems that bicycles have interesting colors in interesting places these days. And they cast some great shadows.

Feel the Wind in Your Gears?

That's what the sign says, but I think these rental bikes don'e have gears!

A Break from the Bike

These bikers were taking a break (and a few pictures) on the Mopac Pedestrian (Roberta Crenshaw) bridge.

The Theta Special

One of my favorite burgers in the world -- The Theta Special at Hut's Hamburgers. Hickory smoke, cheddar cheese, pickles and mayo. Delish! Why it's the Theta Special, I have no idea, but it's been around since the 1970s at least. Bound to be a story there.

Taking a moment

In my walks around the lake, I often see someone in this bench checking their phone or just taking a breather from their daily life.

Under the bridge.

On our exercise walks, we often go under the MoPac Bridge on the pedestrian walkway. Sometimes it's daunting to think that a lot of cars are right above you. 

That covers a lot!

Hey -- it's in the eye of the beholder!

Best wishes from the tavern owner

 Glad to know that my attributes are recognized.

Sweets for the not-so

I can't eat a lot of desserts so it's nice when a benevolent chef makes me something like this sorbet dish. And the presentation was superb. 

An Austin Bicycle

I've been seeing more and more of these fat tire bikes around town. These were for rent on Cesar Chavez. It is theme day at City Daily Photo. The theme is " Let’s See a Bicycle From Your City". Click here for other bikes from other cities.