TAD 2005 Conference in Austin, TX

Connor went to Austin with me for the Texas Association for the Deaf Conference.


Jambalaya's in Giddings, Texas by Finijo

On the way to Austin, we stopped and ate at Jambalaya's in Giddings, Texas. We enjoyed the catfish, but the seafood gumbo was unique in that its two most prominent flavors were chili and sweet. It was an odd culinary experience, but the hostess swears they "sell gallons of it."


Red Barn 290 West by Finijo

As usual, the drive was gorgeous. I typically see things along the way that I want to get a picture of. This is a barn I always notice on the way to Austin.


Family Tree by Finijo

This shot is of a tree that died some time ago. There are other dead trees along the way that catch my eye, but this is the only one I stopped to shoot.


Intercontinental Exterior (from SFAI website)

We stayed where the conference was being held, the Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental Hotel. It's a smaller hotel, but the room was lovely and the staff were great. They have a nice breakfast buffet, and for once the banquet dinner was truly delicious. Usually hotel food is pretty bad, but they really put some effort into it and we had a lovely dinner. Connor was particularly thrilled with the chocolate chip cheescake.


Intercontinental View by Finijo

I have had terrible luck with hotel views this year. We had a corner room, so I thought we'd have better odds than usual, but this picture shows the better of the two views we had. The other view was of the hotel parking garage (I didn't bother to take a picture of it). Connor was a little irritated by the sound of the trash men emptying the dumpsters at night.


Connor's Flippers by Finijo

One of his favorite parts of our trip was getting to swim laps in the lap pool. There was only one other person in the work out and pool areas while we were there, and he got to use the pool, whirlpool and sauna without interference before we made our way to the banquet.


Celebrando 2005 by Finijo

We passed this theater on the way to lunch on Friday, and I guess we should have gone to see a film, but neither of us thought about it at the time. While I was in my conference, Connor sat in the room and looked after my friend Karen's daughter, Johanna.


Johanna and Connor by Finijo

Johanna and Connor sitting on the edge of the Hickory Street Bar and Grille fountain.


Hickory Street Bar and Grille (postcard)

I was just too tired to go sight seeing, so we only left the hotel once, to have lunch at the Hickory Street Bar and Grille for lunch on Friday. We drove home without stopping - Connor said he missed the cats and he was homesick.