The runner up post from my recent poll fits in nicely with this week’s photo challenge: on the way. I’d never been to Austin, Texas before and found our brief trip a bit of a tease. Try to imagine my increasing awe and fascination at the extent and variety of street art we came across, while conscious of our shared desire to arrive promptly for a timed slot later that day.
We stopped off to enjoy a tasty, Tex-mex breakfast at Maria’s Taco Xpress. Pity there was no dancing at that time of day! On the way out, we paused to admire this:
We don’t paint undergarments on washing lines and flower borders on the walls back at home. It’d be a lot more fun if we did! (I’ve a few more pictures of this quirky ‘motel’ to share with you at some stage).
On the way back to check out from our excellent hotel San Jose, we went past this (above) and this (below):
Peace and love with my morning coffee? That’ll do me!
Here’s one for all bookworms and dreamers – and perhaps a mystical source of the hundreds of thousands of bats we’d watched emerge at dusk the day before from a bridge nearby. OK, perhaps not. I felt a strong desire to work for the kind of place that would have a parking sign like this…
… to have my car serviced at a garage that would paint ‘we care’ on the wall…
… to glimpse colourful artwork more often behind wire fences and vegetation as I pass by…
… and to have Mister Rogers look down benevolently at me every day to make sure I was neatly parking within the yellow lines, like a good neighbour.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my home town in northern England. And it wouldn’t do for all places to be the same. But I’d dearly love for this kind of effervescent creativity to be on all our ways a little more often. For now, I’ll leave you with a snapshot of this car planter:
“But why”, I seem to hear you say “is the picture all askew – and why have the car and the prancing horse’s head been so recklessly chopped off?”
Because we were on the last minute and this is the best I could do in the time allowed by my otherwise kind and patient companions, who were all shouting ‘Hurry UP!” as I ran around to take the picture.
Susan Rushton 
I found the graffiti and street are in Austin equally fascinating and fun in my first trip there about a year ago. Sadly, they’re a bit under water at the moment but I’m sure they’ll emerge just fine! Loved your photos.
Thank you – I feel so sorry for the people (and wildlife) trying to deal the flooding. We experienced a much smaller, briefer flash flood in the south, but even that was quite alarming – a river swept down the street and stranded a car in just a few minutes.
Making time to take that last shot. . . worth it! Thanks for this lively, gorgeous post. This art is so vibrant and filled with heart. I grew up in Austin, but have been away for close to 15 years. I don’t recognize any of these specific places, but the spirit of them sure looks familiar.
I imagine after growing up there that you carry the spirit with you where ever you go. I hope we both get the chance to go back and visit!
What a cool place! I love the “Taco Express” picture especially. It looks like such a fun trip.
It was – you’d have had a field day with your camera!
😊 I think you could be right!
Austin is a fun city and I love the street art you’ve found. I must have been busy eating barbecue…😉
Wow! I just love these … so much creativity, colour and flare. Bring it on … 😀
What a fab post – I am heading to Texas later in the year and Austen is one of the points highlighted on the map! Can’t wait to see it now I have had this lovely glimpse!