Quick day trip to Austin, TX

I drove to Austin today to visit a friend and get BBQ, rocks, fossils, and coffee.

First stop was Interstellar BBQ, which is possibly the best BBQ I have had in 10 years of living in Texas. We met and briefly chatted with John Bates the Pitmaster who was extremely friendly. The line was really long but it was a short wait and not bad at all. You can order drinks while waiting (either alcohol or non-alcohol, coffees etc.).

The BBQ lamb was the best meat I've ever had, a rare find at most places. The sides were equally impressive, clearly not an afterthought. The mac and cheese is amazing, and the beets are a must-try—even for those who usually dislike them. Even the pickles were exceptionally flavorful, far better than average. This is very clearly the best BBQ in the world.

Next stop was Nature's Treasures, a speciality store selling rocks, minerals, crystals and many other rare and obscure treasures. There were also meteorites and fossils and a seemingly endless variety of things. I purchased a UV Light for searching for rare items, and a bag of "Crack your own geodes". I will need to wait for the proper tools in order to slice the geodes open.

The last and final stop was Mozart's Coffee Roasters. I required a coffee for the drive back to New Braunfels. I got an iced black coffee and a bag of espresso beans for home. This coffee shop is on the waterfront at Lake Austin, with live music, and in-house roasted coffee.