Austin, Texas

Hi Friends,

I was in Austin, TX this weekend. My cousin Tony Ledvina just married the lovely and wonderful Adrienne Cowan. A large chunk of the Ledvina family came down to celebrate at the reception. I relished the opportunity to hang out not just with my sister and Adam who I have not seen since Thanksgiving, but my uncles, aunts, cousins and their children.

But more about, Austin...

Austin is an up-and-coming city with a distinctive personality. It's downtown scene is pretty happening, with plenty of restaurants, bars, petty cabs, and ladies of the night. They call themselves The Music Capital of the World. Every building on Sixth Street has a musical venue. Their annual music festival, South by Southwest (SXSW) hosts over 1,400 different performers and generates more than 110 million dollars in revenue for the city.

The local color runs in many different hues with plenty of yuppies and hippies. Sunday evening, my family and I walked from our hotel to the park beside the Congress Ave. Bridge to watch the resident bat community emerge from its recesses (a daily occurrence that can last up to an hour). Thousands upon thousands of bats take to the sky a half-hour before sun down. They spend the night hunting for food, and return to the bridge before day break.

I took some video of the bats, please forgive the less-than-eloquent commentary:

Austin was a fun city, plain and simple. If you find yourself in the area, definitely check it out.