Comments on: Everything is bigger in Texas

By: Peter Scarnati

Peter Scarnati — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:14:57 +0000

In reply to Kat.

Yeah. The boil and bake…. the ONLY way to make a good bagel. If only more of these “bagel” shops around the country would only figure that out!!
BTW, isn’t nice to be able to go online and unearth such valuable info!! :))

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 20:31:51 +0000

In reply to Kat. Thanks for clearing up those steps and you thoughts of Austin. Mike

By: Kat

Kat — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 20:19:22 +0000

In reply to Peter Scarnati.

‘dem is fighting words! :) Mike is from Long Island. We have found good NY style pizza in a few places we’ve been but it’s usually easier to find good bagel joints. I have to agree with you though, NY and NJ has some darn good pizza!

When we end up in a new town, Mike gets online and looks for bagel places that boil then bake. We’ve found an excellent bagel place in MD, and a good one in Tucson. Austin had a pretty good bagel place too. Pizza is much more subjective so finding a “good” pizza place doesn’t usually mean the same to everyone, so I understand your skepticism.

By: Peter Scarnati

Peter Scarnati — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 20:09:05 +0000

I was born and raised in NYC. Since leaving for college in Arizona, I have lived in PA, DEL, MD, FLA, NJ, AL, KY, OK and now in IA. With the exception of northern NJ, I have yet to find pizza or bagels anywhere near comparable, let alone as good, as found in NYC.
When we hit the road fulltime in 2 years, I will have to sample the goods in Austin, but I must say I am a bit skeptical.
What part of NY is Mike from?

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 17:47:06 +0000

In reply to Kat.

So the farthest west we’re heading is San Antonio. Then we’ll head north to Austin and then to Dallas. We gotta be back in NOVA by mid-May for a wedding, which is a total bummer. We’d love to keep heading west. But, such is life….We’ll get there eventually.

If you have other specific recommendation for Austin, let us know.

And that is not very good news about the roads. We were hopeful we had the worst of it behind us. Though, I will say, we’ve had no major damage from all the crappy roads.Knock on wood……

By: Kat

Kat — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 16:28:41 +0000

In reply to Mije. Hi, Austin is a good place to visit and we did enjoy seeing the various sites. It is too bad they were out for lunch, I think it would have been fun to watch congress in session for a little bit. Mt. Bonnell stairs aren't actually as imposing as the picture looks. It's only about 100 steps so you're at the top before you know it and the view is worth the climb. If you're in the area, Austin is a good spot to take a quick visit!

By: Mije

Mije — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 01:04:47 +0000

Just ran across your blog and was doing a little reading and catching up. I bet the capital was a neat visit and a bummer that most were out for lunch during the session you were there. Loks like quite a hike up My. Bonnell but being lined with trees made it a pleasant and relaxing jaunt.

By: Kat

Kat — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 22:52:07 +0000

In reply to Laura.

No kidding. My friend in Texas says all her kids (school teacher) go regularly. Just be careful, we did go to one Buc-ee’s that was not truck/rv friendly. This particular one did, so we figured we’d see what all the fuss was about….yeah, it’s just a big travel stop. It’s weird, I don’t get it.

As bad as that stretch of I-10 was, we’ve hit worse in Montana. Our water pump stopped working and our backup camera wiring loosened during that drive. Is it a bad sign that we thought that stretch of I-10 wasn’t so bad compared to other roads after 3 years??

How far out west are you heading? Austin has some great breweries and food spots! Enjoy!

By: Laura

Laura — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 22:42:48 +0000

Ok, can I just tell you? Since we’ve been in Texas, I have heard more about Buc-ee’s than any other person, place, or thing. It’s like a CULT around here! People LOVE that place! And yes, we are totally going to check it out, because it’s apparently THE place to go…. but I’m just saying: It’s a little weird.

Also, that Louisiana stretch of I-10 was ABSURD. They need to invest in some new paving immediately!

Thanks for some good Austin ideas. Safe travels west!