Austin travelogue, part 2

Today was the sort of day that makes you love living in Austin. The day was gorgeous, sunny, clear and warm -- the thermometer in Doug's parents' truck said it was in the 80s. A stark contrast from yesterday's drizzle and a nice reprieve for Doug's parents from a Midwestern winter.

Like yesterday, Doug and I were on a mission to introduce his parents to different aspects of Austin. We started the day at one of our favorite places for brunch -- Moonshine Patio. With the nice weather we were able to sit outside. Doug's mom had a mimosa while the rest of us had a poinsettia, or champagne and cranberry juice.

After brunch we drove to Wimberley, a little town southwest of Austin. Wimberley has the feel of an artists' community and you can spend hours looking through the little shops. Doug and I got turned on to an Austin artist, Manuel Garza. He has such great details in his paintings. One neat thing, he paints a cardinal in each of his paintings and his signature includes a butterfly.

We only got to spend an hour in Wimberley as we had tickets to an afternoon play at the Zachary Scott Theatre. The play was Urinetown and it was easy to see why it won three Tony awards in 2002. Although the title of the musical is a bit unseemly, the play is hilariously funny and is a satire of some of the great Broadway shows. The show actually mocks itself with Little Sally adamant that no one is going to go see a show with the title Urinetown. The play tells the story of what happens when we don't manage our natural resources and face a drought (very appropriate right now in Texas). But in the telling of the story, you are not sure if you are watching Urinetown or another show. For example, Act 2 starts out with a scene reminiscent of Fiddler on the Roof. You also see glimpses of Annie, Big River and West Side Story. And just so you won't get confused with what is supposed to happen when in a play, Officer Lockstock takes the time to explain to Little Sally how musicals are set up ("I can't just tell you about Urinetown, it has to unfold" or "this is the finale of the first act, which means it's a big number with all the cast members").

Because we volunteer at the Zach, Doug and I see a lot of shows there. This really has to be the best one in awhile and we are looking forward to working it and seeing it again.

By the time the show was over, it was 5 o'clock. Doug's parents were a bit tired. They are leaving tomorrow and want to pack, so we called it a day. However, they did say that they really enjoyed their weekend and were able to discover a lot of new Austin places to add to their list. They are already plotting their next trip to Austin.