Regarding Austin - I like the nightlife, I like to boogie. Well, actually I did more drinking and not much boogie-ing, but nightlife in Austin was $1 beers and lots of live music. Not much GOOD live music, but I may have been frequenting the cheaper joints so what did I expect :)

I spent 4 good days in Austin, the last day of which I spent in an outdoor natural spring / pool, Barton Springs. There I aquired travel compaions with a car for the next few days, and a moderate amount of sunburn ! In the company of James and Chrissy we drove West from Austin to get out of Texas and into New Mexico.

It turns out Texas is BIG though, and we just made the New Mexico border by sundown, and found a spot to camp - an outdoor lake surrounded by large bushes and a few isolated campsites. It was beautiful and full-on back to nature. I honestly don't remeber being anywhere so remote and peaceful in my life.
We carried on through various state and national parks / forests, seeing bat caverns and ancient indian cave dwellings, and moved on through Alberquerque into Santa Fe.

Here my car companions and I will be parting - they are heading West to California and myself North into the Rockys. I am feeling happy but quite travelled out ! I think I will try to book some 3-4 day treks around the Rocky mountains to keep myself busy and see more of nature, which is where the US has really impressed me so far.