Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Our Round Top Escape

Food Stop Lockhart:
According to my husband, any Texas road trip isn't complete without a stop at some hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint. Therefore we hit Smitty's BBQ in Lockhart, Texas. You walk into Smitty's and order your meat right there at the pit. The heat from the exposed fire warming my legs on the already 103 degree day. They serve your meat on butcher paper with a couple of knives and good old white bread (absent are any forks). You then head inside to order you sides . I was skeptical at first. " I don't get a plate. I have to eat with my fingers! Where is the sauce?" I thought for sure I couldn't eat without sauce but I was wrong, plain wrong. I scarfed it down. The sweet pickles were home-style thick-cut and tasted exactly like the ones my mother canned each summer. Cold sweet tea served in one-size only massive cups- we both got refills. The ribs were by far my favorite, but the sausage and brisket were by no means disappointing.

Also worth mentioning is Lockhart's picturesque downtown. It is a traditional downtown square with various storefronts its gorgeous courthouse taking the center spot. It was straight out of To Kill a Mockingbird and I fully expected to see an incarnation of Atticus Finch leaving that courthouse and if I had looked hard enough would have surely found Boo Radley's house and maybe even a Scout and Jem.

Even though Lockhart added about an hour to our drive to our destination of Round Top and forced us to deal with Austin traffic it was well worth it!

Final Destination- Round Top:

Each spring and fall Round Top holds a massive antique fair spreading over 15 miles. Round Top, which has a population of like 81 (the sign said 77 but I am giving it a little room for growth :) apparently gets 20.000 visitors. Kevin and I both talked about how we would like to go to a spring or fall show but decided it might be nice to get a feel for the area by going during a less busy time and therefore decided to plan our weekend getaway during the summer when they have a much smaller antique weekend.

I found the town and the area absolutely charming and refreshing. Not just refreshing because we got relax, sleep-in, nap ( I took a two hour nap!!) and leisurely eat dinner, but refreshing regarding basic humanity! We rented an adorable refurbished farmhouse which was furnished straight out of Country Living. The proprieter, Beverly, had emailed telling us the key would be in the lock and it was! Dangling in the lock for all the world to see.

Further adding to this belief was Royer's Cafe. Royer's is a busy and popular cafe which only seats 38 people and so frequently there is a wait. Well on the porch is a cooler of cold soda and beer which operates on the honor system. Drink as many as you want while waiting and when you get your table give the waitress your bottle caps or soda tabs so she knows how many you drank. At the gas station the sign said "Customers, let us see your face so we can turn on the pump for you." Apparently all it takes is an honest face to get gas. Everybody waved to you as you drove on the roads. For a over-citified girl like me it was wonderful!

Overall the trip was wonderful. We looked at the stars. I read my book. Had some good eats. We searched for vintage treasures and came home with some fun finds. The place had no TV reception (we did watch a DVD), no cell phone signal (had to go into town), no internet connection. We were unplugged and we loved it!

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