In the fall of 2023, Varya, David and I drove and biked to a nice AirBnB house on the north side of Lake Travis for some lakeside leisure and Texas Hill Country moto touring.
With David on his GS, and me on Duca, we rode through hill and dale in a big loop around Lakes Travis, LBJ, and Inks, venturing as far north as the southeastern shore of Lake Buchanan. (“S” was our start/stop point in the lower right of this Lago Vista Loop map.)
Lago Vista Loop
Feeling peckish around Llano, we sampled an ill-advisedly sizable portion of Cooper’s Pit BBQ.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, passing deer watched Varya read and knit, unconcerned with golfers in the clearing.
Walking down a long, rocky shore to Captain Pete’s Boat House for a floating dinner really showed how low the water is in Lake Travis.
The perfect evening for Varya was a little nap in the hammock followed by quiet reading and knitting while looking across the dark lake to the lights of the southern shore…so hygge.
Varya designs and sews most of her nice clothing these days, telling me the expensive fabrics and machines she buys are offset by not having to buy retail clothes. On the advice of counsel, I go along with this story. There is no doubt that she produces great ensembles with amazing speed, such as this long skirt and sleeveless top for Dad’s Day dinner.
Dad chose his favorite local upscale restaurant, Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, where the steaks, service and atmosphere rarely disappoint.
KOOZA was the first Cirque du Soleil show that Varya and I enjoyed in Houston after returning to the US over a decade ago, and after we saw it again in February, became the first repeat show we’ve caught from this Canadian-born troupe. We’ve seen many Cirques over the years, including in Moscow and Las Vegas, and never miss them when they swing through Houston and set up large climate-controlled tents at the Sam Houston Race Park. Their world-class acrobatic acts drawn from around the globe never fail to amaze, set to the intercultural rhythms of live bands, loosely strung together by a “story” unique to each show.
As she often does these days, Varya used KOOZA to debut an outfit made by her own hands and sewing machines. Starting as an offshoot of knitting, sewing her own tops, skirts and dresses has become her primary hobby. Besides choosing her own fabrics, she enjoys customizing her fit, including creating the sufficiently long sleeves so elusive in store-bought tops. Plus, her handmade dresses often have pockets, taken for granted by guys, but apparently all too rare in women’s clothing. She can now outfit herself daily with her own fashionable creations for a couple weeks, maybe longer.
For our first visit to the Virgin Islands, Varya and I escaped Houston in chilly January to enjoy a warm week in the Caribbean paradise of Saint Croix, easily one of our favorite vacations so far!
The first thing you notice after landing at the little Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) on the small island–besides your rental car being scratched and beat to hell (just circle the whole car on the card and write “damaged”)–is that despite driving on the left side of the road like Brits, all cars come from the US mainland and have steering wheels on the left. So, you the driver navigate the left edge of the narrow, twisting roads avoiding tropical flora while trying to keep the rest of the car and your passenger away from oncoming traffic in the middle of the road…very strange. Peering under a big left-pointing arrow sticker at the top of the windshield, I verbally repeated my Cruzan driving mantra, “Stay left…stay left…stay left…”, but still tended to drift right in parking lots. If they didn’t want to import right-steering-wheel cars, why not switch to good ole American right-side driving? It probably wouldn’t take more than a long weekend to switch all the signage on this small island. 😉
Surviving the wrong-sided drive from the south side of the island over big hills to the north, we arrived at our Carambola Beach Resort, dined on the seaside deck and rested from the journey. It wasn’t until the next morning that we truly appreciated the beauty of this rather secluded beach resort butted up against the green hills rolling into the bright blue sea. Our first day was spent relaxing on the beach and enjoying the resort itself before exploring the island in the coming days.
When we ventured out of the resort the next day, we drove east (on the wrong side) along the north shore to Christiansted for lunch by the docks and marina, watching fishing and recreational boats and seaplanes come and go, before continuing east until the road ended at the easternmost spot in all US territory, Point Udall. It is quite a unique experience to stand on a point surrounded in nearly all directions by endless water.
One of the highlights of the week was our evening bioluminescence tour with Sea Thru Kayaks. Drawn to the idea of maximizing our bioluminescent viewing through see-through kayaks, we soon learned these were designed for little people and kids, so we opted for a larger, quicker, more stable open sea kayak, the better choice for full-sized adults. Regardless of kayak size, everyone gets splashed in these tours, and we dressed for a wet nighttime adventure. The glowing and occasionally sparking microbes in Bioluminescent Bay were clearly visible once it got dark, responding to the agitation of our oars with defensive luminosity, albeit more subtly than I expected. To be honest, more than the bio-glow, I enjoyed simply kayaking through tropical bays and lagoons in the dark, quietly gliding across tranquil black water like people have been doing here for countless centuries.
Carambola was never crowded, so beach chairs and dining tables were always available, and we often felt like we had the beach to ourselves. We rented snorkeling gear for a couple days, awkwardly strode into the surf, and swam over reefs just offshore teeming with colorful fish.
On our final day in Saint Croix, we checked out of Carambola and drove west (on the wrong side) to the larger commercial port of Frederiksted, where cruise ships come to port, for one last seaside lunch before heading southeast to Rohlsen airport for our return flight to the mainland.
Rewind to New Years Eve Day, a few weeks before our Saint Croix adventure. Every New Year by tradition, Russians watch an old romcom movie, The Irony of Fate (worth checking out with subtitles). After rewatching it, Varya asked if Americans have a similar traditional New Years movie. The closest we came up with was Trading Places with Eddie Murphy, Dan Ackroyd, and Jamie Lee Curtis, since it takes place between Christmas and New Year. As Billy Ray and Louis exchanged congratulatory toasts in the final scene on a beautiful beach, triumphant over the evil Duke brothers, Varya remarked, “We’ll soon be there!”, meaning somewhere like that tropical paradise.
Before we flew to the island, she’d learned that the Trading Places ending scene had indeed been filmed somewhere on Saint Croix. “Cool coincidence,” we thought. Then midweek, as I swam out to a buoy and looked back at the rocky hill on my right giving way to the beach on my left, I realized it appeared all too familiar. Back in the room, I grabbed my iPad and confirmed my suspicion: the Trading Places final scene occurred on the very same Davis Bay Beach we’d been lounging on, the movie filming just a few years before the Carambola Beach Resort was built on the same spot! I’d been swimming right where the sailboat was anchored! We hadn’t realized how accurate Varya’s prediction would prove to be 🙂
Varya also informed me that Dmitri, the waiter who takes their “lobster and cracked crab” order at the end of Trading Places, was played by Barry Dennen, the same actor who’d played Pontius Pilate in the movie version of Jesus Christ Superstar. Skeptical, I had to look it up to confirm. I couldn’t believe Dennen had gone from so dramatically portraying such a consequential Roman Governor, belting out, “Don’t let me stop your great self destruction!”, to a bit part like Dmitri exclaiming, “Extrrra primo good, sir!” in response to a lunch order. Saint Croix taught me much. 🙂
Indulging her fashionista tendencies, Varya’s latest hobby is making clothes for herself, including this skirt and turtleneck she created for my birthday dinner…
When she asked what sort of dress she should make for a friend’s holiday party the next night, I suggested it should look like a present…for me! 😉
She’s pretty handy with threads and fabrics, but can hers light up like my hi-tech Amazon scarf?! (OK, she still wins.)
Varya and I returned to the Lakeway Resort on Lake Travis last fall for our respective loops, her knitting and my biking. Lakeway already had holiday decorations out to greet guests arriving for the knitting retreat and weekend getaways.
While Varya and her fellow knitters showed off their creations (including her hoodie and shawl in these pics) and tackled new techniques and projects, Duca and I looped and twisted around the lakes, following a route I mapped out in Rever. Despite needing UI improvements, Rever is handy for planning a moto tour on roads with Butler G1-3 ratings, but always overestimates time required, or rather underestimates average speed. So, riders may assume Rever’s “TOTAL TIME” includes several stops for gas, lunch, naps, etc.
Speaking of lunch, I found a great place to stop in Llano, Cooper’s Old Time Pit BBQ, and enjoyed a couple pounds of excellent smoky meats…mmmmm. South of Llano, I rode by the locally famous Enchanted Rock that I’d heard about since first arriving in Houston decades ago. Sure, a pink granite hill is kinda cool, I guess, but I wasn’t enchanted enough to dismount, much less pay the $5 entrance fee.
Back at Lakeway, we enjoyed the resort’s stone decor, tasty dining, and tranquil vistas from our balcony. No doubt we’ll return again for more fun in the Texas Hill Country.
Late last October, Varya and I loaded up the old Lex and trailered Duca up through NE TX and a bit of OK to Eureka Springs, AR. The plan was for Sean & Keri to ride down from KC on his H-D and Greg to ride south on his KTM from StC for a couple days of hilly rides around Eureka. Unfortunately, an inescapably large, fearsome storm front on the horizon kept Sean & Keri in KC and forced Greg to ride home the next day to beat the deluge.
Before the storm, Greg, Varya and I stayed at the 1886 Crescent Hotel, basically an Ozark version of The Shining hotel, complete with an old, creepy vibe and ghosts of past horrors.
As Greg escaped on his Austrian, a little cold rain creeped into Eureka Springs warning of worse weather to come. Varya and I did a little damp shopping in the artsy/crafty town (OK, she shopped for baubles and beads while I sought a bar advertising “Husband Day Care Center”) before returning to the hotel to enjoy autumn afternoon views.
That night, we joined a Ghost Tour, in which a creepy old-timey nurse led us around our hotel while describing its haunted history. A fraudster once ran it as the Baker Hospital for Cancer Cure, preying upon rich, gullible, desperate patients who typically didn’t survive long enough to file suit. According to our “nurse” guide’s script, some may still roam the halls as spiteful spirits seeking solace. She invited us to take plenty of photos of specific rooms and slightly warped mirrors conveniently placed at the ends of halls, and to let the staff know if our phones caught anything spooky. Varya claims a blurred shape on the side of one of her pics looks like a child’s arm–perhaps the arm of the long-deceased child said to roam these halls! (I wasn’t convinced.)
Sadly, we saw no paranormal activity or apparitions on a tour that seemed a bit pricey for just a guided walk around the hotel–they could have rigged up a hologram or at least an eerie soundtrack. 😉 Perhaps the weirdest part of the tour was at the end…in the dark basement…with shelves full of bottled tumors removed from dead patients who apparently were not cured by Norman Baker.
After a couple nights in the so-called “Ghost Hotel” of Eureka Springs, we drove north into the expected big storm front. As Lex-rocking winds and torrential rains severely limited visibility, we slowly made our way across MO to Mom’s townhouse in Saint Charles by late afternoon.
Denied the Pig Trail and other famous Ozark roads by bad AR weather, Greg and I took advantage of the first clear, sunny day of the week by riding SW from StC in a big loop around central/southern MO. Greg’s been riding most of his life, and I’ve ridden for a couple decades, yet this was our first time riding together. After the wet, gray, abbreviated stay in Eureka Springs, this picturesque, spirited day ride through the colorful fall leaves of southern MO with my oldest schoolmate (at least a month older than me!) made trailering Duca all that way worthwhile.
Finally, the main event of the northern journey: on Mom’s 80th birthday, a couple dozen of her closest friends and family gathered at Tony’s on Main Street, perhaps the finest restaurant in St. Charles, to celebrate her eight decades on Earth. Tony’s excellent cuisine (oh, those medallions!) were well complemented by Scott’s cakes, Sean’s beverages, and everyone’s favorite stories about Jeanne, which Claire declared were to be shared while adorned with the Birthday Queen sash! 🙂
During the drive back south to Houston, I began noticing a strange sound, increasing with speed, coming from our right rear wheel. I eventually discovered thin wires sticking out of the walls just beneath the tread of our relatively new Kumho Road Venture tires. Discount Tire replaced it under warranty, of course, but call me a former fan of inexpensive Kumho tires from South Korea. Back to pricier Yokohama Geolandars!
Cute town and ghost hotel in the Ozarks, surviving severe weather, beautiful bike ride, and partying with octogenarians…not bad for a one week road trip!
What says American Independence Day in Texas more than a pan full of of choice cuts marinated all night, grilled on the back patio, served alongside Varya’s excellent side dishes and shared with Dad and Elaine last July 4th?! As my beef-loving, naturalized American Girl often says when passing a steakhouse or cattle ranch, “Mmmmmm…steaks!”
One glorious Thursday in early spring, Varya and I rendezvoused at scenic Lakeway Resort on Lake Travis for a long weekend getaway. While I rode my bike from Houston, she drove her convertible ‘Stang, knocking out her longest highway haul like a pro! At the resort, Varya modeled her expertly crafted colorful creations, evidently as one does at a knitting convention, judging by the many yarn-clad guests.
As she began her exciting weekend trading yarns with fellow knitters from around the globe, I spent Friday twisting around Lakes Travis, Marble Falls, LBJ, Inks and Buchanan on a Ducati (almost as thrilling as knitting), winding up in Erik’s & Liza’s garage with David and his BMW. As is customary at this 5…er…6-star west Austin resort, appetizers and aperitifs awaited our arrival.
Fortunately for us dinner guests, Erik grills some killer steaks and master chef Liza sets a lavish, delicious table, so our generous hosts spoiled us all. After much feasting and revelry, we retired to the poolside veranda and fire pit for digestifs.
The next morning, perhaps a bit later than planned, David and I suited up and rode westward for our all-day hill country moto-tour, looping around Luckenbach and Comfort before twisting back east to meet Erik and Liza at Salk Lick BBQ in Driftwood. Nothing hits the spot after several hours of riding like a big plate of BBQ buffalo ribs!
Thanks, Dave, for the great ride, and thanks again, Erik and Liza, for opening up your most excellent hill country home to flatland bikers!
Moonday 