Alex goes to Austin

This year, instead of the usual big birthday party with lots of kids and craziness, Alex requested a trip to Austin for his birthday.  He wanted to see the capitol building and watch the Congress Bridge bats fly at dusk.  We took his friend Emma along and had a great time!

The Texas Capitol Building is a thing of beauty and if you ever have a chance to visit it, I highly recommend it.

The kids couldn’t wait to get inside.

A view of the inside of the dome:

After exploring the building for a bit, we headed outside and couldn’t resist going for a carriage ride around downtown.

Then we met up with my very dear friend Josh.  He is a friend from my days in Atlanta.  Since then he has lived in NYC and recently moved to Austin.  I’m so glad that he is in Texas now!  I’ve missed him so much.

We walked around Zilker park and enjoyed the warm weather.

I love how alive Austin is.  It’s a city with a lust for life.  There’s a passion for the outdoors that runs rampant and every park is full of people enjoying themselves on any given day.

We dropped off Josh and headed down to catch our bat boat.  The guide on the boat pointed out how the Frost Bank Tower looks like an owl.  Love it!

As we approached Congress Bridge, we could hear the bats waking up and preparing for flight.  This is where they hang out during the day:

The sun was beginning to set as we passed under the bridge and the kids tried to catch a peek at the bats.

Then it was time to turn the camera off and enjoy.  Getting decent pictures of the bats is near impossible, so I just sat back and enjoyed.  I don’t know how many times I’ve seen the bats take flight now, but I love it each and every time.

The trip left the kids very satisfied, but I’m left craving lots more time in Austin!  Have you ever visited this great city?  What do you love about it?

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