On the Road Again – San Antonio Stroll

TRAVEL THERE: SAN ANTONIO STROLL

Any day I’m traveling is a good day. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good hair day. Looking in the mirror for the first time that morning was a startling experience. Maybe I should have just washed my hair again, but instead I decided a few hot rollers would do the trick.

On the Road Again

Bad hair aside, I was almost giddy at the prospect of traveling.  Deb texted she was on her way, so I stacked my luggage outside the garage and went about those last minute things you have to do before you leave home for several days.  Hubby was going to be there, so I didn’t have quite as many to do.  He’d keep the home fires burning.

My partner-in-crime arrived.  We loaded up the car, took a few photos and headed south.  The first stop was a brief one in Waco.  No sightseeing, even though Waco is a great little town for that.  Just a little restroom break, a morning snack and a some gas – then we were back on the road.

The morning snack was pretty darned good.  I don’t usually go to Burger King, but it was convenient.  Deb had some kind of coffee concoction that was really more like a chocolate shake with a little coffee flavoring.  Since we decreed nothing we ate during the weekend would have any calories, I had a cinnamon roll.

Dining and Shopping in Round Rock

Next stop was lunch with my Cousin Brenda in Round Rock.  The city’s biggest claim to fame is that it’s just north of Austin, but they also have a pretty good outlet mall.  We met Brenda at Mimi’s Cafe.

Can you say Cinnamon Spice Muffin?  When they said Cinnamon Spice, I thought Spice Cake, but am I ever glad the waitress set me straight, because I almost opted for a Blueberry Muffin.  Instead, out came this amazing pastry filled with walnuts and dusted with cinnamon sugar.  My official entree, which was delicious, was a chicken crepe, but the muffin stole the show.

With Round Rock Premium Outlet Mall just next door, we should at least drop by right?  We’d thought about making a sight-seeing stop or two down in Austin, but Brenda said the traffic wasn’t worth it.  She told us about a new toll road and said we should be headed south by three.  That only left us an hour and a half, so we shopped with some very good luck.

This year has been so crazy that even though my bestie gave me a handful of gift cards to Bath and Body Works for Christmas, I had never gotten around to using them.  Since this was the first store we saw, I whipped out my cards and went to town.  I love my daily bubble bath, but I usually opt for whatever bubbles I can find in the grocery store.  The gift cards allowed me to stock up on all kinds of amazing scents the grocery store will never smell.

A few more steps down the sidewalk a few steps were a pair of my favorite clothing stores, Jones of New York and Kasper.  The good news was the great sale they were having.  The bad news?  It was a store-closing sale – and not just those stores, all the JNY and Kasper outlet stores.  I can’t tell you how much of my wardrobe comes from those two outlet stores.

Apparently, someone bought them and decided to get out of the outlet business, to focus on their department store business.  That makes me sad, because I am not a department store shopper.  I really don’t need any clothes because I still haven’t worn everything I inherited from Mom and Aunt Edie, so I don’t hang out in department stores.  I’ll visit an outlet mall, because it’s less hassle and I find real bargains on clearance.  Every once and a while I’ll stop by and find a few items at give-away prices to keep my look fresh or to replace something I’ve worn to thread-barrenness.  Kasper and JNY have been two of my favorites, I guess because they were favorites of Mom and Aunt Edie.

I did virtually steal a navy blue sundress and a sweater set, because the prices were jaw-dropping.  If you have an outlet mall near by, run over there and check out the savings.  Gorgeous stuff, great prices.

The hour and a half we had for shopping disappeared into the plastic bags hanging on our arms, so it was time to go.  We hugged my cousin’s neck and took her toll road to San Antonio.  Come back next week and I’ll tell you all about our interesting stay at an not so marvelous hotel bargain.