After a 9 hour drive from Carlsbad Caverns, NM, we made it to Austin Texas baby! Yeeehaaawww!!! Dennis found a hidden gem, the Super 8 by the airport and it's really living up to its reputation. We were greeted by a pleasantly fragrant aroma (floral?), a Ganesha shrine, a friendly desk clerk and even a welcome goody bag! The bag had fun snacks like a Reese's peanut butter cup and whoppers as well as a bottle of water.
We've only got one day here in Austin, so we're gonna try to pack it all in tomorrow. We're planning to start the day with a little early morning birding at Hornsby Bend, then explore the town, and maybe some music in the nighttime. Check back to find out!
Carlsbad Caverns were amazing by the way. It's a freaky, crazy, wonder of nature and chemistry down there! Pictures will hopefully be posted soon. It's like Small World on mushrooms. I know, crazy b/c Small World already seems like it's trippin, right? One of the many things we learned at CC was the difference between and definition of stalactites and stalagmites.
Stalactite: icicle-like mineral formations that hang from the ceiling. The word has a "c" in it for "ceiling" and "tite" because they hang tightly from the ceiling.
Stalagmite: pokey-uppy mineral formations that are attached to the ground. The word has a "g" in it for "ground" and "mite" because you might trip over them! (yes, I know, dorky, but these things help me!)
Both of these are formed by dripping water carrying and depositing minerals over time.... lots of time. Little 1" stalactites that we saw were 70 years old! That means that the 20 foot honkers were a lot older.
Ok, ciao for now. Gotta hit the sack so I can catch the birdies manana. More pics soon... we promise.
Lishka
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