March 2018 Week 1 in Austin

I am currently in the middle of a 2 week stay in Austin, TX.  I have heard a lot of good things about Austin and I now believe they are all true.  It is a great city with a lot of character.  Here is the State Capitol building.

Austin is known for its live music and the 6th Street corridor does not disappoint in that area.  I have now been to the 6th Street area on two different evenings and there is indeed a lot of quality live music.  The University of Texas is located in Austin (main campus) and I visited the famous UT Tower on campus and got some great shots of the city from the top (see below).

I also got some pictures of the city skyline and viewed the emerging of the bats from the South Congress Street bridge at sundown (apparently Austin is famous for these bats).  

I played golf at Morris Williams Golf course last week and so far this week at the Lions Municipal Golf Course.  I am planning to play one more time this week.  Both courses are very affordable to walk (under $20 for seniors).  Here is the Morris Williams course.  

The Bullock Texas State History Museum is also worth a visit.  

There are many great barbecue places and the Texas Chili Parlor (near the State Capitol building) has authentic Texas chili (yummm!).

Austin is a very walkable city and there are awesome trails on both the north and south sides of the Colorado River that goes through town (Note: this is a different Colorado River from the one that goes through Colorado and Arizona - this one starts in Texas and flows into the Gulf of Mexico).  Here is part of a river trail on the south side.

March 2018 Arkansas

I am wrapping up my first week ever in Arkansas.  I had a great time in Little Rock, playing golf, going to museums, and going on hikes.  The weather was outstanding all week.  It was in the low 60s early in the week and in the 70s Thursday - Saturday.  It was cloudy on Friday but no rain all day.  

The first day I discovered the Big Dam Bridge.  It is a pedestrian bridge (one of 4 pedestrian only bridges in Little Rock) that crosses the Arkansas River.  Here are a couple of pictures.

It is a great place to go for a bike ride, a run, or a nice walk.  There is a system of locks on one side to allow boats to pass.  

I played golf on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 3 really nice courses for under $20 at each place.  

Rebsamen is a course along the river:

I also played at Hindman Park golf course and that had some nice views:

Little Rock is a very walkable city with the Arkansas Trail providing many miles of paved trails on both sides of the river with several parks connected to the trails.  Here is another pedestrian only bridge at Two Rivers Park.

On Tuesday, I did an amazing hike up to the top of Pinnacle Mountain, only about 20 minutes from the city.  The hike is 800 feet straight up and quite a challenge, going up and coming down, but it is well worth it.  Here are some shots from the top:

I strongly recommend the Pinnacle Mountain hike in Pinnacle Mountain State Park when you visit Little Rock!  

Here is the restored (now pedestrian only) bridge near the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum on the Arkansas River in Little Rock (and a view from the bridge).

Finally, here is the 4th pedestrian bridge in the heart of downtown Little Rock behind the Little Rock River Market (where I had lunch 2 different days - yum)!

And a panaromic shot from the top of Pinnacle Mountain.

Tomorrow it is on to Texas and the great city of Austin!

Publisher's note:  I have discovered that all of the State parks in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas do not charge admission fees to the parks.  I think that is the way it should be in all 50 states!

March 2018 Kentucky

My first visit to Kentucky was a rousing success.  I spent the week at a nice little house in the state capital, Frankfort.  It was a little chilly but I played golf on Monday and Tuesday and had a great time.  There were snow flurries a couple of days later in the week.

Here is the old State Capitol building in Frankfort.

I played Juniper Hill (in Frankfort) and Longview (in Georgetown) golf courses.  Here is hole number 17 at Longview.

I went to Louisville Wednesday and Thursday and toured the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory and also Churchill Downs.  Louisville is a nice city.

Here are some shots from Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Friday was a day trip to Cincinnati.  A beautiful city (also on the Ohio River like Louisville).  I had some great barbecue at Eli's Barbecue at the famous Findlay Market in Cincinnati.  Here are some shots of Cincinnati.

Tomorrow it is off to Arkansas.  I will be staying in Little Rock for a week and am planning to play more golf there and see the sights.