Oh, Brother

Last week, my brother James visited from Michigan. He said he hadn’t been on a “real” [read: paid] vacation in over eight years, so it was definitely a much needed getaway for him. And since classes ended a few weeks ago, I actually hadn’t had time to relax much yet, so I was very much looking forward to his visit. I’d been racking my brain for a couple weeks, thinking of all the places I wanted to show him in the great Central Texas region: Lockhart barbecue, Enchanted Rock, Hamilton Pool, South Congress, among many other places.

His trip lasted a week, and I still had to stick around San Marcos for my church duties, so we had to plan wisely. And while we didn’t get to do everything on my to-visit list, I think I gave my brother a good taste of Texas, visiting Mount Bonnell, driving through the Texas hill country, eating at Stubb’s, kayaking on Lady Bird Lake, visiting Jacob’s Well, and hanging out at the San Marcos river…and my house.

James said it was the best vacation he’s ever had. That surprised me since the trip didn’t really revolve around the traditional “touristy” stuff (we did visit the Alamo, the Riverwalk, and the Austin State Capitol). I think when it’s all said and done, I was just happy to spend time with my brother. Whether it was grilling on my porch or driving along the countryside in my jeep, it was nice to just hang out again. Vacations seem more stressful when you plan too much or try make it fit a pre-planned box. The most fun moments happened when we just played it by ear. Take a look at some of my favorite photos of the week, below. Where do you usually take people in Texas when they come for a visit?