One man's junk...

I know the people in Austin love to keep telling us all that they are 'weird', which is all well and good but it's all relative, right?! I live in SF and let me tell you, there's plenty of 'weird' here too. It would take something truly over the top for me to think Austin could live up to the hype. Don't get me wrong, I love the city, but you get my point on the weird thing.

Anyway, on my last visit to Austin, it threw one right out of the ball park. Don't ask me how, but we heard about this 'museum' call the Cathedral of Junk & decided to pay a visit. Turns out, it's a collection of old, random objects that the artist has carefully (understatement) curated and assembled into a full size building structure that you can meander through. Each zone, room & section seems to be a narrative about the passing of time. You can't help but get lost in the space, not only because it is literally a bit maze-like, but also because you get sucked in to the tiny details of the artwork; the more you look, the more you see. 

To top it all off, the guy has been working on this piece for about 30 years solid. He started to build it in the backyard of the rental property he was living in back in the 80's and kept going. He must have had a great relationship with his landlord - not only did he build a giant structure there that is taller than the house, he also ended up needing a city building permit it got so big.

Today, the artist owns the property & lets visitors drop by (with appointments) to visit. It's free admission, but a $5 donation is asked for. TBH, we ended up giving the guy $20 or more, the place was so worth it. Check it out if you are ever in town! If you need to see more of what I'm talking about, check out the video.

Appliances anyone? I don't even know what most of these are.

Step up to be tall, sit down to be small. Profoundness found in junk

Coldplay's "Yellow" lyrics, etched into a concrete slab. There's loads of song lyrics hidden throughout the structure. 

Who remembers the old iMac computers, you know, the colored variety? Haven't seen one since university days. I remember using a safety pin to push a hidden button to reboot the damned thing

This seems like something out of a Stephen King narrative. I'm not sure why Mother Mary & a creepy Christmas snowman are in a tiny office space together engrossed in discussion. Thoughts?

Building Bridges & Canals

The sprawling San Mateo bridge is one of the lesser known of the 4 bay area bridges.

I love it when an afternoon drive leads you to somewhere completely unexpected.

Last week we took a little drive out to San Mateo, a place I don't often visit. A wrong turn in the car led me to Foster City, a surprising suburb where the houses run along little canals! I guess it is an homage to Venice Beach in LA or something... but somewhat out of place in the otherwise generically suburban neighborhood. Foster City is a creation of the 60's. What used to be a marshland, was subsequently converted into a residential area that has over 16.5 miles of navigable canals! You can read more about it in an article the New York Times ran a few years ago.

I also managed to stumble across a vantage point of the San Mateo bridge that gave me a different perspective on its size. Originally built in 1929, this is the longest bridge in California and the 25th longest bridge in the world. I kinda love the architecture of the rebuilt bridge - true 60's modern style that is both an eye-sore & a delight. 

Foster City in San Mateo County boasts a man-made network of blue canals that provide waterfront living for about 30,000 residents.

From this perspective, you can see the long and winding reach of the San Mateo bridge. This is more than 752ft worth of bridge right here!

Windsurfers & kite-surfers delight in the waters of the Bay Area. Don't let the calmness of this pic trick you, the currents are brutal.