Monument Cafe
500 S. Austin Ave
Georgetown, TX 78627
512-930-9586
http://www.themonumentcafe.com/
This is one of my favorite "comfort" food spots. I think I could eat here multiple days in a row and still enjoy it. What is so good about it is that it feels like your mom or grandmother is cooking for you out of the garden. They always have some special but I tend to like the fried chicken or whatever fish they have that day. The veggies are in season. Friday, they had okra and butternut squash. The eggs are also local. The same items I am getting at the farmers market. My kids like fresh vegetables and enjoy the place. All of their limeade, lemonade and strawberry lemonade (my favorite) are fresh squeezed. I haven't ever experienced a horrendous wait to eat and I think you can call ahead. The staff is always very helpful. We ate with a friend requiring a gluten-free meal and the chef came out to speak with him about how the food would be prepared. I was impressed.
The newest addition to Monument Cafe is the Monument Market. They have locally made cheese, fresh fish, vegetables from local farmers, even fresh milk with the cream on top.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Mount Bonnell - Austin Texas
Mount Bonnell
3800 Mt. Bonnell Dr.
Austin, TX 78731
http://www.austinparks.org/apfweb/park.php?parkId=287
Mt. Bonnell undeniably has one of the best views in Austin. After you hike up the long stone staircase you can go straight ahead to the pavilion to see a terrific view up and down Lake Austin. Or if you go down the trail to left you can see a great skyline view of Austin. As you follow the trail back up to the pavilion and beyond off to the left the views are a bit disconcerting. You can look down onto some beautiful homes on the lake. You can teach the kids some great lessons on history by having them research who the mountain was named for. http://www.west-point.org/joseph_bonnell/mt-bonnell_narrative_history
3800 Mt. Bonnell Dr.
Austin, TX 78731
http://www.austinparks.org/apfweb/park.php?parkId=287
Mt. Bonnell undeniably has one of the best views in Austin. After you hike up the long stone staircase you can go straight ahead to the pavilion to see a terrific view up and down Lake Austin. Or if you go down the trail to left you can see a great skyline view of Austin. As you follow the trail back up to the pavilion and beyond off to the left the views are a bit disconcerting. You can look down onto some beautiful homes on the lake. You can teach the kids some great lessons on history by having them research who the mountain was named for. http://www.west-point.org/joseph_bonnell/mt-bonnell_narrative_history
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Austin Bat Colony at Congress Bridge
Austin Bat Colony
Bat Conservation International link below
http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/visit-a-bat-location/congress-avenue-bridge/subcategory.html?layout=subcategory
What a great thing to do all ages! And it is educational. We have taken people with kids as young as 4 up to my grandmother who is in her 80's to see the bats depart in the evening. Everyone loved it and talked about it for days afterward. This is the largest URBAN bat colony in the US. We have watched the bats several ways. We have been under the bridge, which has a carnival atmosphere. There are vendors selling everything from ice cream to light up toys for the kids. However, you cannot get the full effect of how many bats are departing because the trees block quite a bit of the view. We have watched the bats from up top, which allows you to see the colony flying for miles but you don't see them coming out of the crevices in the bridge. It is crowded and a busy street so watch the kids closely. Our favorite was to take a boat tour which puts you in the water under the bridge. You can see them departing and because you are on the water the trees don't block your view of the almost 2 million bats flying into the distance. We went on Capitol Cruises http://www.capitalcruises.com/bat-watching/.
The boat ride cost us $10 for adults and $5 for kids. We were put on the waiting list so that we didn't have to pay in advance but we were able to get on the boat because others were late or didn't make it.
This is a highly recommended activity for anyone in the Austin area.
Bat Conservation International link below
http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/visit-a-bat-location/congress-avenue-bridge/subcategory.html?layout=subcategory
What a great thing to do all ages! And it is educational. We have taken people with kids as young as 4 up to my grandmother who is in her 80's to see the bats depart in the evening. Everyone loved it and talked about it for days afterward. This is the largest URBAN bat colony in the US. We have watched the bats several ways. We have been under the bridge, which has a carnival atmosphere. There are vendors selling everything from ice cream to light up toys for the kids. However, you cannot get the full effect of how many bats are departing because the trees block quite a bit of the view. We have watched the bats from up top, which allows you to see the colony flying for miles but you don't see them coming out of the crevices in the bridge. It is crowded and a busy street so watch the kids closely. Our favorite was to take a boat tour which puts you in the water under the bridge. You can see them departing and because you are on the water the trees don't block your view of the almost 2 million bats flying into the distance. We went on Capitol Cruises http://www.capitalcruises.com/bat-watching/.
The boat ride cost us $10 for adults and $5 for kids. We were put on the waiting list so that we didn't have to pay in advance but we were able to get on the boat because others were late or didn't make it.
This is a highly recommended activity for anyone in the Austin area.
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