Fake Cake Float: Barton Springs, Austin, Texas

My previous two visits to Austin nine years ago featured visiting the Hotel San Jose (so someone else could write a feature about it in Canvas magazine and then we had the luxury of staying there as a gift for the published article). Nicole and I happened to have lunch across the street before heading to Barton Springs and the complex was tempting me to trespass. So we did. The pool was just as small and dark as I remember it to be but this time not so inviting and full of leaves.



It was a VERY crowded day at Barton Springs so parking was difficult. We lucked out and found a space moderately close and the sun was also shining more often than not. The springs were freezing as usual and Nicole's expression tells all.



Food is NOT allowed in the springs and we were nearly scolded twice for bringing cake onto the premises. If you juggle it in your hand like you are going to drop it, lifeguards come to believe it's fake pretty fast. Texas wins first prize with nosy/confused/questioning people though. Nicole and I even caught a woman touching the cake when she thought no one was looking. She jumped considerably when Nicole yelled, "Hey! Couldn't resist huh?" and I wagged my finger at her.



More "people watching."



I knew I had to bring a green cake to Texas, particularly Barton Springs (and little did I know Hamilton Pool would fit so well). Once the sun was out, the different hues in the water and the cake went together perfectly.



This was the first time the fishing line was used and it brought a pleasant aesthetic surprise: the ripples around it were circular when dragged around. In the final two photographs (still deciding which to print), the fishing line is not visible. The sun was behind the clouds for this image as well.



Unfortunately, the fishing line collected a lot of algae which does not fall under the "enticing" category.





This cake was the toughest one to photograph. It spent so much time in the water because the exposures were so difficult to get, the "frosting" along the bottom is now deteriorating. So now it is officially retired as of the 13th June 2010.