This was the Special Touristic version of our usual outings. It’s been a while since we’ve headed east and not toward Redbud Island. Perfect for TOWN Secretary Lisa McM’s guests Kerrie Q. and Monica G., and first time TOWNie Cindy L.
Traffic for Blues on the Green is always a challenge, but Lisa, with Kerrie, and Monica, took the scenic route across the Emmett Shelton Bridge and along Stratford to the Rowing Dock’s back door. Cindy braved the strollers, backpacks, dogs, kiddos westbound on Barton Springs Road and came out a winner, turning right on to Stratford with no impediment.
What could be more iconic than a paddle into Barton Springs past the two lovely bridges, hearing warm-up music from Blues on the Green musicians plus kayaking in the heart of Austin’s downtown? Gail P-C spotted a raccoon, quietly going about it’s business just under the many feet on the trail just above (no, it was not a nutria), and also a row of eleven turtles arranged on a branch above the water, from smallest to largest. Somehow we avoided the young men hurtling off the bridge.
Kerrie runs on the Hike and Bike trail, so seeing it from the water was a new angle for her, and her out-of-town colleague Monica will be looking for kayaking opportunities when she returns home to Ft. Worth. Cindy L is fond of films at the Austin Film Society Cinema near 290 /35 so we could look forward to some cool outings there as the weather heats up. Lois K. set the pace from the start in her own red boat. Leading from the rear, I saw, at some distance, an almost impressionistic canvas of water with colorful boats, shirts, and life jackets of our group spread across the width of the river. Good news: the Rowing Dock has a whole bunch of new sit-inside 10′ Perceptions. They are wonderful colors and are guaranteed to look fantastic in any of your photos.
Dinner at Hula Hut was a good suggestion from Gail and our different dishes came amazingly fast. Sitting alongside the Tom Miller Dam gave rise to plenty of conversation about recent flooding. Several of the group remembered the story of the young couple a few years back, whose boat was disabled on the water and carried over the dam. We think that the boat did not survive, but the young man and his passenger did. So a happy ending for all of us. TOWN’s next Kayaking outing will be the daytime paddle with Gail P-C on THURSDAY 13 June at 10 am (meet at 9:30 at the Rowing Dock), then an evening trip with the effervescent Lisa McM Wednesday June 19, meet at 5:30, plan to be on the water at 6, and then the same again on Wednesday 26th.