Bill and I have enjoyed spending our first Christmas in downtown Austin. We are blessed to have this time away from work to spend with family and friends.
We are surprised at how quiet downtown Austin has been this week. Traffic is light. Restaurants are not too crowded. Our parking garage is pretty empty. (We have been getting coveted second-floor spots!) The lobby concierge said that, even though many residents are away this week, just as many residents have visitors here. So the downstairs lobby is still a busy place.
The gray weather and colder temperatures over Christmas weekend kept everyone indoors. Now that the weather has improved, the trail is filled with joggers, bikers, walkers and even equestrians. There are noticeably more families than usual.
Rowing lessons were definitely a popular Christmas gift this year. The lake is busy with kyaks, sculls, canoes and paddleboats. Several times we worried about mid-lake collisions but the boaters all managed to avoid each other. This almost makes me want to take rowing lessons…in January? Well, maybe later in the spring.
Downtown evenings have been quiet too. The bands at the nearby outdoor venues took a few days off. But our quiet week is about to end when ANY (Austin New Year) begins in a few hours, just across the lake at Auditorium Shores. We are looking forward to tonight’s fireworks, which should be right in the center of the photo above. And next week is Free Week, which means free admission to many downtown music venues.
Let the fun begin! Happy New Year!
