Farmers Markets - Days Two and Three - June 18th - 19th

There are lots of Down to Earth folks at your local farmers market. In Bastrop, about 30 miles east of Austin, we visited the 1823 Bastrop Farmers Market where we met Charles Eastland selling his big juicy tomatoes.Mr Eastland's great, great grandfather was the first judge in Fayette County! We sampled fresh baked vegan pretzel bread from Tough Cookie Bakery and admired the work of some local artists. The Producers Market is an indoor farmers market and small grocery store. They provide the products of local farmers year round alongside basic staples. After hoofing around the markets, we sat down to a yummy lunch at Maxine's on Main which serves some of the best pie in Texas (we tried several pieces, we should know)!

Pie at Maxine's on Main

Back in Austin, Ty Wolison of Windy Hill Organic Farm showed us around the HOPE Farmers Market. which is a part of the HOPE Campaign whose participating artists promote education and peace around the world. We saw planters made from recycled bicycle parts alongside fresh homegrown summer squash and heard tunes from strolling hometown musicians. We loaded up on some great local goodies.

Filming at the HOPE Farmers Market



Fresh from the earth!



Ty Wolison shows us around.

BATS - Day One - June 17th

Our first night we were delighted by the emergence of the more than one million Mexican free-tailed bats that live under the Congress Avenue bridge in Austin. We had a perfect view of the bridge and the river from our nice rooms at the Hyatt Regency Austin and had front row seats for the bat emergence aboard Capital Cruises double decker paddle wheel river boat.


It's remarkable that these creatures decided an urban bridge was the perfect place to call home. Friend and bat expert, Sara Weaver enlightened us about bat behavior and habits. We learned for instance, that much of the Austin bat population recently tends to over-winter rather than migrate because the insects that they eat (by the ton) are not migrating as much either. This is thought to be due in part to warmer winter temperatures. Maybe they just love it here in Texas as much as we do.

The Down to Earth Great Texas Road Trip Begins

On Friday, June 17th, 2011, we headed south on Interstate 35 from our homebase in Dallas to begin the adventure of a lifetime. As we hit the road to film the pilot episode for Down to Earth, our travels took us from Dallas to Austin and on to Bastrop, Elgin, Johnson City, Marble Falls and Burnet. The sights along the way set us off on a detour more than once and we've documented the whole journey for you.

Come along with us on Down to Earth as we take you across the great state of Texas and beyond!