First, Filip and I went to the Kimbell Art Museum in Ft. Worth to catch the Impressionist exhibition currently on view there.  The drive was pleasant enough and the exhibition was very, very nice.  This marks the third time I've been to the Kimbell and each time I'm amazed at how many people show up on a weekday in the middle of the summer.  Despite the crowd at the exhibit, people were pretty well behaved. 

There were the usual suspects who make bad museum guests, of course: 

• Young parents with loud children who can't possibly appreciate the exhibit.
  
• Artsy people of all stripes who speak too loudly to their friends in a gut-wrenchingly pedantic manner as they interpret and explain the art.
  

On the way home from Ft. Worth we tried to stop in Waco for dinner.  I drove to the Baylor University campus thinking it would be a good place to find a nice restaurant or two but instead all we found was the university.  We ended up getting a tiny bit off course and ended up waiting an hour longer than we wanted to eat.  It worked out in the end and I'm sure if I'd been a little more adventurous in exploring the Baylor area I would have found what I was looking for.  I may have been rendered irrational by overwhelming thoughts of dread while I was in the belly of that ultraconservative beast that is Baylor.

A few days later I was in the Blanton Art Museum on the UT Austin campus to take in exhibitions of European and Japanese prints.  This museum space was practically deserted, just the way I like it.  I've learned from several visits, though, this museum attracts poorly behaved guests.  The gigantic exhibition halls rang with the voices of so many people talking at full volume that the experience was largely ruined for me.  I was spared the worst, though, because as I was leaving a large tour group of elementary school kids was lining up outside.

For me, art museums need to be quiet meditative spaces. I need to be alone with my thoughts so that I can really appreciate what's before my eyes.  I love the experience of a quiet, undisturbed museum visit.  It can be such a satisfying, pleasant, and soul-soothing thing for me that when it's ruined I end up in very foul mood.

I know I'm being a bitter old Queen here, believe me.

A few days later, we went to the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas.  It was a pleasant drive from Austin.  We took a route that went through several small towns.  The brewery tour was under 30 minutes long but was interesting and informative.  I bought a few things at the gift shop and took a few photos.  No photography is allowed inside the brewery, unfortunately.  The brewery itself is surprisingly small.  The tour is free and they give out free beer as well.  Adults are allowed four small cups and not a tiny drop more.  They offered about six of the Shiner brews and the beer, of course, is perfectly fresh.

This is me standing in front of the gift shop.

A wider view of the brewery.