A Lovely Tour Of Downtown Austin



On one of my days in Austin, I rode the E-bike downtown to the historic center of Austin see the sights there. It was a fabulous experience, as Austin is home to some beautiful landmarks.  I shall include a brief blurb about each as you peruse the pics below: 

The Texas State Capitol is the capitol and seat of government of the U.S. state of Texas. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the structure houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and of the Governor of Texas. Designed in 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, it was constructed from 1882 to 1888 under the direction of civil engineer Reuben Lindsay Walker. A $75 million underground extension was completed in 1993. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

The Texas State Capitol is 302.64 feet tall, making it the sixth-tallest state capitol and one of several taller than the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The capitol was ranked 92nd in the 2007 "America's Favorite Architecture" poll commissioned by the American Institute of Architects.











A candid shot, I loved capturing these classic-looking Texan police. Too bad they weren't all adorned with the typical cowboy hats! 




The origins of this church date to the 1850s when the largely Irish Catholic community in Austin, (originally called "Waterloo"), built a small stone church named St. Patrick's on the corner of 9th and Brazos Streets. It was built of locally quarried limestone. The parish continued to grow, due in no small part to the increase in German Catholics. In 1866, the parish decided they needed a new church and could afford masonry construction. While the Irish preferred that the church retain the name of St. Patrick, the German residents hoped the new church would be dedicated to a patron saint who reflected their heritage. Both sides compromised and agreed that the new church be named in honor of Mary. In 1872, after Austin was made the permanent capital of the state, the parish laid the cornerstone for a new church choosing a location one block north of the original building.  St. Mary's was finished in 1874 and dedicated in 1884. St. Patrick's was demolished around 1874.







The Driskill, a Romanesque-style building completed in 1886, is the oldest operating hotel in Austin, Texas, and one of the best-known hotels in Texas generally. The Driskill was conceived and built by Col. Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his fortune constructing "the finest hotel south of St. Louis". (I was blown away by its grandeur... the nice young man who worked there, Amon, explained that at one point the hotel operated as a bank--hence, the old and original door to the bank vault still exists--and that the hotel's elevator--an original!--was one of the first ever to be installed in the U.S. 
But the most wonderful tidbit of history was that there was a shoot out in the main area of the hotel, and it is still possible to see the patched up bullet hole in the painting of Col. Driskill, who's grand portrait yours truly posed in front of!) 

















My wonderful grand tour of the historical center of Austin was capped off with a most pleasant bike ride along the "bike and hike" riverfront trail, running for quite a distance through the city. It provided some great views of both the river and skyline... and led me to my lunch destination of "Casa de Luz", a "yoga village" with a fabulous vegan cafe. I feasted on a delectable assortment of wholesome foods before returning to "mi casa" in Mueller, and Taiyo, who eagerly awaited an afternoon walk. It was a really wonderful excursion and left me quite enamored with this wonderful town. 





















 

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