On Sunday I rode to the East Austin Studio tour (E.A.S.T.), an annual showcase of Woodwork, metalwork, screenprinting, and the sort, spread out across various homes, fields and businesses within a 3x 4 mile expanse of the part of Austin I know the least about... 10 years ago, only the foolish white people dared venture into these neighborhoods. 12th and Chicon - once THE place place to witness a driveby - now borders an extraordinary metalworking shop...
Gentrification has pushed a lot of people further out; the replacement 20-somethings have held onto many of the customs: chickens in yards, Tejano bars, food trailers (both trendy and authentic), gardens, etc.
I was able to see a ton of studios on the electric bike; no waiting in traffic, up-front parking, electric range, etc... I even taunted a stray (rabid?) dog who was definitely NoT used to geting spanked in a full out sprint, bike vs. dog. He kept up with me until about 30 (I paused at this speed to see how long he'd go). After a block, he missed a step and faceplanted. Suck it!
The community sponsored garden I mentioned previously is 5 miles east of Austin, south of the Colorado River, in a forgotten fertile bend with nothing but a long, flat, straight road to get there... I figured since I was only 5 miles away (3 miles as the crow flies) I'd check out how my future meals were growing.
The land is surrounded by water on three sides and 71/183 to the south. You pull off on an unassuming road and drive through a half mile of slums, and then suddenly - you could draw a line - Austin stops, replaced by fields of grain, grazing cattle, birds, and gorgeous views of the Colorado river, which is devoid of any signs of human activity. I'm not sure how shovels haven't developed this prime real estate.
After 2 miles of middle-of-nowhereness I veered right to pass the YB ranch, headed another few miles and then paused to enjoy the sunset/quietest place I've yet heard in Austin.
The ride back home was bonechilling. During the flooding last August one of the bike bridges washed out, so I had to traverse a ravine to get across on the way there and on the way back (darK); easier said than done with a 90 pound bike and 6' wheelbase.
Said former bridge:
