April 6, 2018
After a day off enjoying Austin we went back to our journey today. Getting into and out of a big city is always a challenge but Austin was fairly easy but not especially scenic. There is always heavier traffic around urban areas and all of us were happy to get far enough away that rural roads again allowed us to ride with fewer worries about vehicles.
Today’s route was not as nice as some earlier rides but did contain two interesting places. The first was Bastrop State Park where for a modest three dollar fee we were allowed to use their roads and enjoy their hills while avoiding a more direct but heavily travelled highway. An additional treat was a chance to view the devastation caused by a 2011 fire that destroyed a number of homes and cost two lives.
However, the real treat was the Ice Cream Parlour in Winchester, Texas. In this out of the way village in an out of the way location is a gem of business trying to make a success of it. If quality, friendliness and a unique environment are the criteria for this, they should succeed. The outside of the building is inviting with classic kiddie rides decorating the well shaded porch. Each one operates and can be ridden without inserting the usually required quarter. The inside is cool, clean and has an old time charm. Their ice cream is delicious and the variety unexpected in such an out of the way location. I was surprised at how reasonable the prices were. A generously scooped, fresh waffle cone and a locally brewed root beer still left a dollar’s change from a five dollar bill! It is worth the effort to find this gem in the outback.
