Because I wanted to get into Dallas before the afternoon rush hour started, I didn't have a huge amount of time to sightsee (or sleep!) in Austin in the morning. My one and only destination was the Texas State Capitol:
Naturally, because this is Texas, the Capitol building is 10 ft taller than the US Capitol Building. The more you know. Unlike the Feds, Texans are pretty relaxed with their security - no tickets or anything are required to check out the building (a huge plus when crunched for time!). Of course, there are plenty of guards roaming the hallways. One of the more noticeable features upon entering the building is the Texas state seal, which features the seals of the US, the Confederacy, Mexico, France, and Spain:
The inside of the building itself has several historical exhibits, including a restored agricultural museum (that was once used to show off Texas's many agricultural products), and a collection of artifacts from the Texan Independence War. Some of the early flags flown by the Texan rebels (or at least replicas of them) were on display, including this one, which I think is pretty much the best flag ever. It was flown by a town which had been granted a cannon by the Mexican government. The flag was created when the Mexicans wanted to reclaim the cannon, presumably to disarm a potential rebellion:
The attention to detail in the building (besides the rooms that were totally demolished to make way for modern spaces...) was neat - even the door hinges are custom:
Finally, the grounds have a collection of statues. Perhaps the most striking was the monument to the Confederacy, something you're certainly not likely to find outside the South (and, perhaps, not even in such a form outside Texas, with its rather unrepentant attitude towards Reconstruction):
After leaving Austin, I made the drive up to Dallas. There was nothing particularly interesting or redeeming about this drive - it's 3 hours of ugly interstate highway (I-35); the most that can be said for it is that it is efficient. (On a random note, the highway system in Austin is insanity, with its incredibly dense network of raised and level highways running adjacent to each other and crossing and so-many-levels-head-asplode.) In Dallas, I met up with my aunt at work, and we promptly ran out to see a museum exhibit recommended by her co-workers, the Mustangs of Las Colinas. We didn't really know why they were important, but there was only 45 minutes before closing, so we took off. The museum purportedly closes at 5pm, but at 4:43, it was abandoned, so we just took pictures in front of the sculpture instead:
Turns out the sculpture is the whole point - the museum is about the sculpture, which is apparently the largest equestrian sculpture in the world. Looks cool. After this, we headed home, and got (a really good!) dinner at a Moroccan restaurant named Marrakesh Cafe. Highly recommended - very good food, good prices, and the staff were super friendly.
Tomorrow: Dallas, TX to Roswell, NM
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