Today I left for Austin for a week in the Live Music City!  It will be a week as I am also attending the National Restaurant Association Innovation Summit leading up to the race.  Plus, while I am in town there will be restaurant scouting as usual.

One thing for sure, you need a lot of gear for a triathlon and I didn’t even take my bike with me.  I can’t remember the last time I lugged two big pieces of luggage through an airport.

A couple thousand miles later, and a Lyft ride, I was in my Airbnb.  For the next week I will be living above the garage in this styling South Congress multi-unit house that is less than a year old.  This neighborhood is going through huge change as you will find houses like this, and right next to it is the an original house from the 50’s.  They are knocking them donwn one by one and putting up these architecturally diverse houses all over the place.

Even with the hipsters moving in, there is still plenty of Austin flavoring the area.  As I drove in, we had to dodge a couple Guinea Hens just walking down the street like they owned the place.

With check-in success, nourishment was up next after a long flight.  Austin is all about tacos and so am I.  Luckily, right around the corner was a Torchy’s tacos.  I walked over and worked my way through the vast menu of taco options.  I decided to go for the two famous Austin mainstays.  First, a breakfast taco.  Austin has a trailer on almost every corner selling breakfast tacos.  Second, a brisket taco with avocado.

Nothin’ like gettin’ all local on day one.  Having Torchy’s within walking distance could be an issue this week.