Out on the water in ATX

Austin may not be a coastal city, but there's still plenty to do on the water. Although land-locked, Austin is bisected by the Colorado River, which forms reservoirs, or lakes, along it's winding route to Matagorda Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. Conveniently for Austin residents, these lakes - Lake Austin, Lake Travis, and Lady Bird Lake - are all in close proximity to the city, providing several options of where to cool off during these dog days of August.

Austin's iconic Pennybacker Bridge over Lake Austin

I've been lucky enough - thanks to my 2 outstanding bros! - to get out on the water a few times since arriving down here, and I have to say it is pretty nice. The water is just cool enough to be refreshing, and there is a great mix of good waterskiing/wakeboarding spots as well as quiet coves to anchor out and swim. Or so I thought. On a Tuesday, one cove we found had just two other boats. Fast forward to Saturday afternoon, and there were more than 50 boats lined up in the same cove, each with at least half a dozen sunbathers lounging on the decks, and more bobbing up and down on noodles in the water. I don't know which was worse: the puke that floated by me at one point in the afternoon or the tiny lake leeches I found on my feet after walking around in the more shallow, muddy areas of the cove. Otherwise, it was a dream, although the opposite of quiet. 

SUP-ing with Elaina on Lady Bird Lake

And then there's After Lake. Like Aprés Ski or After Beach, but After Lake involves docking at a pier-side restaurant - or often more a shack of sorts - and chowing down as you watch fellow watercraft whizz by, with or without a skier in tow. The best After Lake spot I've been to so far here in Austin is Ski Shores, where diners sit just on the edge of the dock as swans, fish and even turtles beg for leftover scraps. It's like a real-life aquarium! 

Considering I've been in Austin for 2 months today, I'd say I'm doing pretty well in the get-on-the-water department. Now if only I could say the same for my get-a-job mission...

Riga - The Paris of the Baltic

Boat cruises across the Baltic Sea depart from Stockholm every day, carrying passengers to exotic destinations like Helsinki or Riga. Most of these passengers don't really care where they're headed, and in all likelihood, won't even get off the ship until it's back in Stockholm. They're more interested in the tax-free drinking on board that earns these trips their rightful name: 'booze cruz.'

This is not to say our expectations were were far from these passengers' when our gang of 11 embarked on a trip to Latvia's capital city, Riga. However, I did care to see something of this city I didn't know existed before now, maybe get another stamp in my passport. And experience one of the infamous Baltic cruises I'd heard so much about.

I've never been on an overnight cruise like this to my knowledge, on a boat with 10 levels, multiple restaurants, swimming pool, sauna, movie theatre. It was all new and exciting... until I got on the boat and realized we'd signed ourselves up for probably the oldest vessel in the Tallink fleet. No matter, there were enough of us to make our own fun. And we did.

I can honestly say we dominated the karaoke, hands down. The word dominate is open to interpretation, but it can't be argued that we were the most musically active group in the bar by far. Wannabe, Gansta's Paradise, Killing Me Softly - you name it, we covered the spectrum.  

Upon our 11am arrival in Riga after 17 hours at sea, we set off and explored the city to the fullest extent possible in a 6-hour window, starting at the Finnish-owned Hesburger, of course, to eat away our hangovers. Special mayo, good burgers. Although I have to say I like Sweden's Max slightly more. 

We spent the next 4 hours wandering down Riga's narrow, cobblestone streets lined with beautiful buildings, apparently of German Art Nouveau architecture (according to Wiki). Small markets sold countless pairs of elaborately decorated, hand-knit socks and all the amber jewelry you can imagine. 

After a mediocre meal at an incredibly authentic Medieval restaurant in an old wine cellar, we headed back to the boat for our return journey and round II of karaoke of course. Then onward to the late-night disco. Perhaps it was the rocking of the ship, but I've never had more fun dancing. And I was never as happy as I was the next morning to get off a boat.