Blind Spots
Last night, the wife and I stumbled upon KLRU‘s Austin Remember When series and got sucked into an hour or so of regional history. The show is unabashedly folksy, with innumerable statements of the “back in those days …” variety, but it’s also a good reminder of what elements link the hi-tech go-go Austin of today to the simpler times of yesteryear. Those of us who weren’t here in the 40’s, 50’s, or even the 70’s might not fully appreciate the slower pace or the simpler way of life, but we can easily identify with a cool dip in Barton Springs or a UT home game.
The show also reminded me of some basic Austin pleasures that I have yet to sample in my 13 years here. I’ve overheard more than one long-time Austinite admit to never having been to Barton Springs Pool, or walk the steps to Mt. Bonnell. For me, the Deep Eddy Pool is an historic place I’ve been meaning to visit, but just never seem to have gotten around to getting there. Maybe I’ll do some laps this weekend …
I think it’s common for people to skip on these basic pleasures for one reason or another, and then slowly build up a subconscious resistance to ever doing it. Are there any Austin institutions that you’ve been meaning to visit, but never have?
I’ve never been to Broken Spoke and I’ve always meant to go there.
I never made it to Antone’s when it was on The Drag. I don’t have much interest in going to the new location.
Deep Eddy isn’t all that impressive unless you have kids or like to swim laps. It’s also a lot hotter in the summer since the removal of the cottonwood trees a couple of years ago. I don’t remember exactly why that had to be done.