Checkout in the smoke pit room at Luling City Market
I date a "displaced" Texan. This means that I hear about Texas . . . A LOT. I hear about the barbecue; the TexMex; the breakfast tacos; the kolaches; the Texas Water Safari; the big game ranches; the fishing off "Port A"; how Blue Bell Ice Cream is the best (in his words, "I would take my chances with listeria . . . it's that good!"); how much money Texas makes off oil; how Texas should secede from the United States; famous people born in Texas; famous people not born in Texas who have adopted Texas; how Houston is massive; how Austin is growing; the traffic in Austin; how the music in Austin is better than the music in New Orleans . . . the list goes on and on. You get the point. We recently traveled to Austin to attend an old friend's wedding. This was only my second time in Austin and my fourth time ever in Texas. With extra time to explore, my boyfriend was ready to show me his Texas.
Like preachers ready to proselytize the uninitiated, my boyfriend and his best friend took me under their wings for a little Central Texas road trip. We headed out on a mission for barbecue at their favorite barbecue place, City Market in Luling. They said you can literally smell the money in Luling. "Are you joking? What do you mean?" I asked. They said, "You'll see or rather smell it." As we entered Luling city limits, they rolled down the windows and asked, "Do you smell it?" At first I said, "no" but then it hit me - the gas leak smell was so strong I would have called the local gas company if I did not know any better. Natural gas. That's the smell of money in Texas.
From the looks of it, natural gas isn't the only money-making activity in Luling. There are oil pumps everywhere. Unlike oil pumps I've seen elsewhere, every oil pump there is decorated - kids on see-saws, ducks swimming, you name it.
Fancy oil pump in Luling
Now to the barbecue which brought us to Luling. If it were not for the intoxicating aroma of barbecue which wafted through the closed car windows, one would never know that a nondescript, building from the 19th Century houses some of the best, if not the best, barbecue in Texas. City Market's walls are literally dyed from smoke. Actually everything in the place, including the cash registers, have taken on a deep brown hue. As we walked through the dining area to enter the smoke pit room to order, my anticipation built up. The smoke pit room is indeed smoky and dark and smells absolutely delicious. The only items on the menu are ribs, brisket, and sausage served on red butcher paper by green aproned men some wearing orange hard hats. Once you emerge from the smoke room, you proceed to the register in the middle of the dining room to get drinks (IBC Root Beer!) and sides. Oddly, knives are on the counter but if you want forks, you need to specifically ask for them. Then it is time to chow down. You would not know it from this blog entry but I really don't eat meat. That being said, City Market has the best sausage I've ever had. Go early before they run out.
Entrance to the smoke pit room
Contemplating the barbecue in the smoke pit room
Smoke pit for the mouth watering sausage
Ribs, brisket, and sausage at Luling City Market
City Market, Luling, Texas
The unofficial map of Luling, Texas
Blake's Cafe
I learned that it's amazing what you might see at a gas station in Luling. It was like an antique car show with owners who are more than willing to hang out in the middle of the gas station and just talk (or, as they apparently say in Texas, "chew the fat"). We could have stayed there for hours "chewing the fat" but there were other stops on my indoctrination road trip.
The next stop on our a Central Texas road trip was the recently renovated Zedler Mill on the San Marcos River. This is a checkpoint along the Texas Water Safari, which is an approximately 265 mile canoe race from San Marcos, Texas to the Texas coast. Check out Zedler Mill at http://zedlermill.weebly.com/index.html and the Texas Water Safari at http://www.texaswatersafari.org.
Luling Dam at Zedler Mill
Zedler Mill, Luling, Texas
Zedler Mill, Luling, Texas
Zedler Mill, Luling, Texas
Zedler Mill, Luling, Texas
Zedler Mill
Entrance to Zedler Mill
Our next stop was further upriver to a park along the river just outside of San Marcos, Texas. The park is apparently a popular hangout for Texas State University students. Much to my boyfriend's chagrin, however, instead of seeing bikini-clad co-eds, we saw a couple teenagers playing in the natural water slide, a couple of turtles, and a lovely bird (picture below).
Natural water slide in the San Marcos River
Back in Austin, I loved this Airstream turned boot and flip flop store. They also sell fabulous python skin purses. Of course I had to buy a purse. Check out Rickshaw Boots at http://rickshawboots.com.
Rickshaw Boots, Austin, Texas
Rickshaw Boots, Austin, Texas
So does Texas live up to my boyfriend's hype? Begrudgingly I have to say yes but it's still not Louisiana or New Orleans! That being said, I cannot wait to visit again, explore more, and get some of that City Market sausage!