| We emerged from our sleeping bags groggy and sunburned on Tuesday, but we woke up quickly after getting to work at the Salvation Army. There were lots of lunches to pack that would be distributed to Austin's hungry, and we were just the folks to prepare them. Once we had completed that task, we moved on to preparing and serving lunch to folks in the residential programs there at the facility. In the process, we learned that putting your hand in the tea is a bad idea (who knew?) and Darrian can do a great impression of a certain savior when he wants to. |
| Austin is known throughout the state for the great collection of unique locally-owned businesses one can find there, and after showering at the local YMCA we took some time to check out two of the best: Waterloo Records and Book People. |
| Not only are there great places to shop around town, there are plenty of great places to eat. We had our first Austin dinner at Shady Grove, a local staple that features unique homestyle dishes and 1940's RV park decor. I recommend the cajun meatloaf with jalapeño mashed potatoes. Mmmm. |
| As if we hadn't crammed enough into our day, we took a trip across the river to see the "world's largest urban bat colony" emerge from beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge. I think we all agreed: there were a whole lot of bats. Our evening concluded with a trip to Amy's Ice Cream, another local staple that mixes up fresh creams in unique flavors every day and pairs them with tasty toppings. Since we're from the Memphis area, it seemed appropriate that a few of us share the Elvis special: mexican vanilla with peanut butter, warm bananas, and cinammon. |
