Last night, Scott and I went to one of the coolest events we’ve been to since moving to Austin. Outdoor movies in Austin with Alamo Drafthouse! The Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow is hosting pop-up outdoor movies at various locations in Austin. Last week, they screened “Goonies” at Live Oak Brewing and last night, it was another one of my favorites—“Moonrise Kingdom”.
This past month has been completely insane. Back in April, Scott and I made the decision to move to my hometown of Austin, Texas. We had a few months to wrap our heads around the idea, but it wasn’t until I sold my car, crammed all of our belongings into a Budget moving truck, hitched Scott’s car to the truck, moved out of our apartments and hit the road that IT GOT REAL. We spent four days on the road and I really enjoyed having that time to laugh, scream and think about how OMG it’s happening. We’re really going for it!
After tastings at 4 different wineries, Scott and I were in need of a bit of a reset. We took a quick power nap back at the hotel and downed a couple Dirty Chai’s from Java Ranch before setting off to explore the main drag in Fredericksburg. Side note: Some of the nicest people on the planet work at Java Ranch. Seriously! We went back the next morning and had so much fun chatting at the register that we almost forgot to order. Ha! Meanwhile on Main Street, we stopped into Hondo’s (a must), before meeting a lovely Longhorn named Bingo. Hey girl!
I wanted to show Scott a bit more of Texas, so instead of going straight up I-35 and getting to Austin in less than 2 hours, we took a detour and drove to Fredericksburg, the home of Texas German. Crowds of people are lured to Fredericksburg each weekend for its charming strip of restaurants, bars and shops… and wine. The Texas Hill Country is the second largest wine region in the nation, and Fredericksburg is a popular place to make your home base before setting out on a tour of the many surrounding wineries. So popular, that I almost wasn’t able to book a wine tour. Spring Break + Bluebonnets in full bloom + gorgeous weather = no wine tours left! Lesson of the day: Book months ago.
Let’s continue with our San Antonio shenanigans, shall we?! We spent the day with my step mom Mona. She’s this wonderful person who has no fear and will conquer anything and everything she sets out to do. She sees the world in other creatives, and will encourage the heck out of you in just one short chat. Her enthusiasm and spirit make me feel like I am She-Ra. Mona took us to a new resto/bar in SA called Barbaro. It’s located in a great neighb of San Antonio—Monte Vista. A friend of hers (Hi Whitney!) met up with us and we all gushed about future creative projects we would someday hopefully work on together. It was fun, fun, fun. My favorite thing about this place (if I have to choose just one) is the off-the-menu drink called the Blanche Devereaux. I MEAN!! A drink named after my favorite golden-ager floozy? It’s made with lemon, bourbon, apricot liquor and honey syrup. Sign me up. My step bro John (Hi Juanito!) met up with us and had their glorious pizza. Don’t miss out on this place, y’all. It’s as cute as it is yummy.
I moved to San Antonio from Austin just before high school. I love going back to see my family, stuff my face with tamales and queso (and margaritas) and stop into my favorite shops. The city has changed so much, and I really enjoyed experiencing the new flavor during this trip. The first thing Scott and I did when we got into town was meet my dad AKA Daddy Rip at my favorite quirky health-Mex joint, Adelante. The cash only restaurant is super laid-back, colorful and serves delicious fare. I’m obsessed with the Poblano soup and veggie quesadillas. Rip always orders the Summer Plate. This is a must when you’re in town.