In the Mueller Neighborhood of Austin, Texas is a town park that turned out to be surprisingly special. To be honest, I only initially visited Southwest Greenway because it was close to my AIRBNB. After walking around however, I would argue that this place is worth a detour regardless of where your accommodations are. Except if you have anachrophobia. Then avoid. Or just avoid the far end of the path where I started the trail. There is a sculpture there called Arachnophillia and it is designed by a Houston artist, Dixie Friend Gay. It stands 23 feet tall over the trail, so you walk right under its abdomen filled with shining metallic eggs.
You can learn more about the kinds of spiders that live in the region and the artist who created the artwork.
The path is made up of crushed gravel, which is wonderful for walking and running, continuing on towards a lake that was picture perfect at dusk.
It was also a fantastic spot to stop for a bit of bird watching.
A group of canvasbacks dominated the scene.
A lone egret hunted along the shores.
Further down the line a labyrinth of formal trails appeared. They are filled with native grasses and prairie plants in conjunction with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Nestled between them are two additional sculptures by an Austin artist, Chris Levack: Wigwam and Pollen Grain.
The cactus pollen piece is of particular interest, it is a supersized version 700,000 times the size of its microscopic counterpart! Mueller Lake soon comes into view as the evening arrived. All lit up, it is still active after dark with those exercising and enjoying the night.
The lake is filled with more birds, silhouetted. The park is built on the former site of Mueller Airport and some of its features were preserved – such as an old hangar which is the site of the Sunday Farmers Market in the park. It is easy and enjoyable to walk around three miles from the pond with the spider sculpture out to Mueller Lake and back, diversifying the scenery meandering off on different paths.