16. Florida – Part 3

Month: January 2016

Location: Orlando

Bittersweet and strange

Finding you can change

Learning you were wrong

- ‘Beauty & The Beast’

I slept in a little longer than the previous day and the rest did seem to help, along with ‘Advil’ of course.  After some coffee, I took a cab to ‘Disneyworld – Magic Kingdom’.  As I stood in the long line to buy some really expensive tickets, I wondered how important this experience is for a family of 6 or even 4, because it does cost a lot to come here and they better get what they were hoping.  I bought an even more expensive ticket that would grant me access to any 2 of Disney’s parks and I chose ‘Hollywood Studio’s’ beside the ‘Magic Kingdom’.  Just as iconic as the Sphere of ‘Epcot’, the most dominant landmark which is visible as you approach the park is a full sized “Princess Castle” – similar to the one in ‘Disney’s’ movie logo.  I entered the park and as expected, it was full of visitors.  They were lining up along the sidewalks for what seemed like a parade down the main street, but I had a lot to see and so kept moving.

The 'Princess Castle'

The “Princess Castle” isn’t exactly a castle.  I mean it is shaped as one, but it’s just a prop, like in a movie set.  But it does set the tone for rest of the park, which with its “Princess” theme, is mostly geared towards little girls.  There are restaurants which have that theme and good luck getting into one unless you either have a reservation or a lot of patience.  I had neither, so picked up some food to go, which I ate standing up and then started walking around the park.  As with other parks, there are various zones and themes and soon I came upon the one which seemed like a village in France. Sure enough, it was ‘Beauty & The Beast’. 

Inside 'Belle's' house

Now, I am an unabashed fan of all things ‘Beauty & The Beast’, the movie, the musical, the music, the story, everything.  So obviously I was interested and visited the gift shop which has several things that I could have bought, but decided not to.  I was continuing on, when I passed a charming cottage and saw a line outside it.  I asked the lady attendant and she said that inside the cottage a scene from the film would be staged, with audience participation.  She asked me if I liked Beauty & The Beast’ and when I said that I did, she said that I absolutely needed to go inside.  The wait didn’t seem that long and so I stood in the line with several kids and their parents.  We were first shown to a room that was meant to resemble ‘Belle’s’ cottage, and were then taken to other rooms which were the ‘Beast’s’ castle – complete with the “living props”.  Some of the kids – and their parents – were selected to be a part of a skit named “Belle’s Birthday”, which also included an actress dressed as ‘Belle’.  It was all good and upon leaving the show, I went back to the store and ended up buying some of the things which I had passed on earlier – including a vinyl record of the ‘Soundtrack’.  I chatted with the girl at the checkout, who was working here for the summer and to whom I professed my love for this story and the entire experience.  It was evident that my mood had definitely improved since the morning. 

Indeed!

The lines for each ride seemed like they were a mile long, though one ride caught my eye – the renowned “It’s A Small World”.  To be honest, I had no clue what this was about and the reason I had stopped was because I had read the tagline, “The happiest cruise that ever sailed”.  Well then, I had to be on it.  The lines were indeed long and it took a long time to get to my “boat”.  Like some of the other rides that I had been on over the last few days, this was also a moving conveyor of transportation mediums – this time shaped like a boat and moving on rails in water – and I jumped in one of those, being the only person in my vehicle.  I really did not know what to expect and soon it became clear.  The ride, for those who don’t know, is a journey through various parts of the world where puppets in the form of children, serenade you with the song, “It’s A Small World After All”, in different languages.  All throughout, the tune – composed by the legendary Sherman Brothers – stays the same and I will be darned if one is not humming it even after leaving the ride.  It was the most festive…the most joyous thing that I have done in a long time and I don’t know precisely when I started smiling, but that smile stayed with me for the rest of the evening.  Finally, I understood what ‘Disneyworld’ means to everyone.

"It's A Small World" ride

I could have gone back on the ride several times, but the lines were getting to be ridiculous.  This did not stop me from another wait to go on a ride through the “Haunted House”, which proved to be fun as well.  Since I had tickets to go to another park, I had to skip some of the other attractions like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and as much as I wanted to wait and see a performance by “Mickey & Minnie” on the steps of the castle, I had to leave.  There are shuttles that take visitors from park-to-park and depending on which park one wants to go, there are different pick-up stations.  Well, apparently everyone had decided to go to ‘Disney Hollywood Studio’, since I encountered a huge line.  We waited for a bit and thankfully 2 buses arrived to take everyone to our next stop.  As with everything related to the “Disney experience”, the bus ride was a lot of fun, with the driver keeping us entertained with trivia and fun facts.  Those made the 15-20 minute commute go by without a hassle.

Gene singing in the rain

Dusk had set in when I entered the park and my first stop was at the ‘Great Movie Ride’, one of the premier attractions of the park.  Thankfully the line was moving fast and as usual, there were carriages on a conveyor belt to take the visitors on a ride through the decades of legendary movies.  There were sets and moving props which recreated some of the scenes – such as the airport scene from ‘Casablanca’ and Gene Kelly hanging off a lamppost.  Our tour guides participated in the scenes as well and it was a lot of fun.  I emerged from this and rushed to catch a demonstration of an ‘Indiana Jones’ stunt scene, complete with explosions and even an incorporation of an aircraft for one of the scenes.  It was thrilling to see and as close to a movie set as I would get.  The park had come alive when I came out and it was now packed with people.  Since ‘Disney’ now owns the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, they were marketing the heck out of it and based on the line for “make your own lightsabers”, they are making all of their money back.

Fantastic scenes at 'Disney Hollywood Studios'

I saw an area which had the maximum concentration of people and as I walked there, I saw that they had covered 2 entire “city blocks” with holiday lights.  It was fantastic and no wonder the crowds had come out to see it.  I did not want to enter that sea of humanity and so went around that area and found a small theater which was showing a short film on how Walt Disney had built his empire.  As I watched him grow through his humble beginnings, all the way to the establishment of the studio and the parks, a couple of things became apparent.  The first was how Walt never forgot how this had all started and the documentary ends with his famous statement, “In the end we must never forget, that it all started with a mouse”.  But more importantly, Walt never lost track of why he was doing all of this.  One of the great “Vision Statements” for any company was developed by Walt Disney.  Admired by thousands for its simplicity and directness, it is probably the most apt thing that he could have said about his own organization.  It simply states – “To make people happy”.  Based on personal experience today, I couldn't  disagree.

It was now time to depart and it took me quite some time to walk out of the park and find the taxi stand.  After a few wrong directions and turn, I got a cab and went straight to my dinner appointment at ‘Cuba Libre’.  The dinner was fantastic and as much as I wanted to stay for the conversion of the restaurant to a nightclub, I was tired and went back to my room.  The next day was for departures – both for me and the ‘Michigan’ fans.  I had booked the same driver who had picked me at the airport a few days ago.  Has it really been less than 3 days?  I had been so wrong about some things.  Yes, I had come here a bit jaded, a bit bitter.  But I was leaving with a different mindset; a more upbeat outlook towards life, more optimism towards the New Year and a promise to make the right choices.  Yes, Walt Disney was right about their vision.  At the end of the day, the thing I will remember the most, the thing that I am most proud of having done during these travels and the thing that I will always mention when people ask what I did in Florida will be - “I went to Disneyworld”. 

16. Florida – Part 2

Month: January 2016

Location: Orlando

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” – ‘Albus Dumbledore’

I remember the very first time I heard of ‘Harry Potter’.  The 4^th book was coming out and there was a big party planned for its launch.  So I decided to see what the big deal was and before I knew it, I had read the all 4 books within a week.  There’s nothing that compares to reading ‘Harry Potter’ for the first time and like the rest of the world, I couldn’t wait for the rest of the books to be released – reading them on the first day and even attending a midnight party for the last one.  Then there were the movies.  There is some magical – if you pardon the pun – in seeing your imagination come to life and it was special watching them in a packed auditorium, with an audience of fans such as I.  So when I heard that an attraction named ‘The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter’ was opening in ‘Universal Orlando’…well, I guess my visit was a foregone conclusion.

The famous 'Universal' logo

The exhibit itself is actually spread over 2 parks – ‘Universal’ and ‘Islands Of Adventure’, with a real life ‘Hogwarts Express’ connecting the two parks.  I had called ‘Universal’ a month before to understand what this all meant and to buy my tickets along with something that would enable me to travel on the train between the 2 parks.  I wanted to get to the parks as soon as they opened and it was part of the reason why I chose not to stay for the fireworks the previous night.  I took an ‘Uber’ to ‘Universal’ and the entry to the park takes one through a promenade of restaurants, bars, clubs and other shopping attractions, which are sure to come alive at night.  I entered the park and made a beeline to the ‘Harry Potter’ exhibit, which was at the very end, passing by areas which I knew I would like to visit later in the day.

I got an earful from the "talking head"

The first sight that you see as you approach the exhibit is a full-size, multi-level, purple ‘Knightbus’ – just as the one in the movie and complete with the conductor and the “talking head”.  Everyone was taking pictures, as did I, and as I struggled to get a correct shot, the “talking head” was making snide remarks on the amount of time that I was taking.  Brilliant!  I walked through the main entrance and saw a sight that took my breath away – they had replicated ‘Diagon Alley’, and not just a set, but complete with all the shops.  As I walked through the “Quidditch Supplies” store as well as ‘Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes’ – which was just as shown in the movies – I realized that I was having an opportunity to experience the impossible.

The 'Diagon Alley'

Since I had been running late this morning, I had not had an opportunity to eat and boy was that a lucky thing.  Because now I was standing outside ‘The Leaky Cauldron’, which like everything other establishment here is a fully functional restaurant.  The interior was like a medieval castle and I ordered a typical “English Breakfast”, complete with “Pumpkin Juice”.  After that I continued exploring the other shops, even buying a “Ginny Weasley magic wand” for a friend at ‘Ollivanders’.  Speaking of wands, there were 2 types of wands, one simple one and then a version which must have some sort of ‘RFID’ technology, because you could wave it at different areas of the exhibit – in both parks – and it would do “magical” things like turn the water on etc.  At the back there even was the notorious ‘Knockturn Alley’ with the sinister ‘Borgin and Burkes’ shop. I even came across an establishment that sold authentic “Butterbeer”, which was simply outstanding.  But the main attraction of this ‘Diagon Alley’ was the ‘Gringotts Bank’. 

The "Dragon's" wrath

As shown in the movie, this building is at the end of the street and I saw that there was a big line to ride the rollercoaster inside, just as the one the characters use to get to their vaults in the book…though I am assuming that this one is not buried deep underground.  There was no way I was going to stand in line for over an hour, and plus, the main attraction of this place was really on the outside.  Perched about the building was a full size replica of the White “Dragon” from the movie and every 15 minutes or so, the creature would let out a huge growl and a puff of fire, drawing applause from everyone assembled.  I walked about a bit more, watching in amusements as kids and adults alike tested their wands at different stations prescribed in their map.  But now it was time to move to the next part of the exhibit, and so I made my way to “Platform 9 ¾” at ‘Kings cross Station’.  I had a ticket on the ‘Hogwarts Express’.

All aboard

I walked through the station and reached the platform to find an exact replica of the train, including the Steam Engine and the carriages.  Having seen the rest of the story come to life, I should have expected this, but was still amazed by the attention to detail.  I was shown inside a cabin with some other folks and the sliding door was shut.  Both, the door and the windows, are in fact projection screens and for the next 5 minutes or so, we were shown the entire travel from “London” to the ‘Village of Hogsmead’, with flying cars, the “Scottish Countryside”, “The Aqueduct” that shows up in all the movies, and even the “Forbidden Forest” as you pull into the station, with “Hagrid” waiting for you.  While this was going on, “Dementors” were trying to get into our cabin from the other side and we saw their creepy hands and shapes, till they were driven away by a “spell”.  But we arrived at our destination safe and sound.

The castle

As we emerged out of the station, the entire feel of this area was different, being more festive.  Just at the entrance of the “village”, you are met by a choir of kids dressed as the school students and complete with the “Toads” used as musical accompaniment in the movies.  In the distance the giant castle looms, but between that and the station is the main street of ‘Hogsmead’.  Just as ‘Diagon Alley’, no detail had been overlooked and all the typical shops mentioned in the book were present, including ‘Zonko’s Joke Shop’ and ‘Honeydukes’.  I walked through the main street, stopping for pictures at various establishments, including a books store which had a growling “Monster Book of Monsters” on display.  I learned that the interior of the castle was in reality a big ride and the warning signs on the outside all but assured the scariest thrill ride experience out there, prompting thousands to stand in the line for what promised to be over a 2 hour wait.  That was enough for me and I exited the ‘Harry Potter’ world and into ‘Jurassic Park’.

The "Sinbad" show

It is amazing that ever since the original ‘Jurassic Park’ movie came out over 20 years ago, people’s fascination with ‘Dinosaurs’ has grown and this exhibit in ‘Islands of Adventure’ park remains one of the fan favorites.  As I walked through the jungle, “Dinosaurs” kept popping out at various places and looking at the way people were enjoying getting soaked at the end of the ride – which ends with a big splash in the pond – this fascination will continue for at least 20 more years.  I visited an area which looked like something from the “Arabian Nights” and even attended a swashbuckling show on “Sindbad”.  After walking about a bit and attending another show, it was now time to return back to ‘Universal’, meaning I had to go back for the train.  I stopped at another “Butterbeer” and some food at ‘Hogsmead’s’ premier establishment, ‘The Three Broomsticks’ – with ‘Hogshead’ pub next door.  After lunch I hopped on the train and this time the visuals on the screen were reversed, with travel from ‘Hogwarts’ to “London”. 

The best part of 'Universal'

I had beginnings of a headache and so went to a Starbucks’ to get some coffee.  What this place has was a back porch, which was perfect place to watch the daily “Universal Parade”, which includes most characters from ‘Universal’s’ animation films.  It seemed like a popular attraction for kids, though I enjoyed it as well.  Dusk was setting in as I walked through the park and attended a “Beetlejuice Reverie” and later a demonstration on how special effects are created for ‘Horror’ movies.  I even took a ride on the bike from ‘E.T.’, which was a lot of fun in the way the ride was designed as it gives on a feeling of flying over a city and all the way to a distant planet.  It was dark now and I was struggling with my headache.  But there was one more thing I wanted to see – a performance by pets.  It was probably the cutest thing that ‘Universal’ does where pets – mostly dogs, but there was a cat and a bird – do cute things that dogs usually do.  The trainers were friendly and it was one of the trainers last day and so the show was made more special by everyone.  This was a temporary antidote for my headache, though I was ready to leave just as darkness set it.  I had spent over 10 hours here, though fireworks and other festivities were yet to come, I just couldn't wait.  As I walked towards the exit, I passed the promenade and as I thought, it was bustling with nightlife activities and I would have loved to have stayed.  But instead I returned to my room and did something that I never ever do.  I ordered room service.

  

I had come to Orlando a bit jaded with some aspects of life, one of them being the fact that I had to spend the holidays alone.  Christmas is an important time of the year and I had not done anything this year.  So coming to Orlando had been a nice distraction, but the excursions of the last 2 days had now caught up with me.  I had a splitting headache and was tired.  As I reflected on the day, the quote by ‘Dumbledore’ came to me.  I know now that most of my life has been about my choices that I have made, more than anything else.  So with the beginning of a new year, as much as I would like to make the right choices, I do have a track record of making the wrong ones.  I had loved visiting the park today, I truly had.  But I was exhausted, physically and mentally…so much so that I wished I was leaving tomorrow.  For as long as I live, I’m glad I did not. 

To Be Concluded…

16. Florida – Part 1

Month: January 2016

Location: Orlando

“We make people happy” – Walt Disney

One of my earliest memories in life is my dad getting me a ‘Walt Disney’ comic book.  I had never seen a comic before and from that day onward; I fell in love with the world of ‘Disney’.  Over the years as I followed the exploits of “Mickey & Donald” in comics and TV shows, I learnt about the magical place called ‘Disneyworld’.  I quickly put that on my list of places that I wanted to visit, but it never quite happened.  I came close though a few years ago.  I had gone to Orlando with some buddies, but while we visited Universal Studios’ and ‘Epcot Center’, ‘Disneyworld’ did not make the cut.  As my involvement with ‘Make-A-Wish’ started, as a ‘Wish Granter’ it became apparent that ‘Disneyworld’ was by far the most popular destination for the kids.  “I am going to Disneyworld”, has become one of the more iconic statements and I have even had the privilege of having heard it in person.  But even then my turn never came; until now, since I had decided to make Florida my destination for January.

Well, technically I landed here on December 31^st.  But I am sure we can overlook that.  I took a cab to my hotel and as soon as I entered inside, I was greeted by a huge sea of Blue and Gold.  "Michigan Football Team" was playing a ‘Bowl’ game in Orlando this weekend and their fans had taken over the hotel.  I dropped off my stuff and then asked the concierge for some lunch ideas.  He dispatched me to an area that was 5 minutes away, and to a Cuban place called ‘Cuba Libre’. When I arrived there, I learnt that it was only open for dinner and so I made a reservation for my last night in town.  Around me there were several choices and I went to a British pub called, well, “The Pub”.

My first stop before visiting the parks

After lunch I had some time to spare before my evening plans and decided to go to the nearby ‘Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Museum’.  Now, there are several such museums across the country, but I doubt if they are inside a building that looks like it is sinking in the ground, because that’s how the exterior of this one appears.  The museum itself is as quirky as you can expect, and full of trivia around every corner.  I spent a little over an hour here and was thoroughly entertained in doing so.  I called an ‘Uber’ to head to my next destination, which was ‘Epcot Center’.  On a December 31^st in another lifetime I had come here, and the “New Year’s” celebration had been spectacular.  Around a central pond of ‘Epcot’ are arranged zones celebrating different Nations of the world.  Each section has been setup according to the prevailing customs of the region, its food and drinks and of course a shopping area.  I remember that at midnight there had been spectacular fireworks, starting near the region that was furthest East, since they welcomed the ‘New Year’ first and working all the way West towards the US.  It had been fantastic and one of the reasons why I had chosen tonight as a time to be at ‘Epcot’. 

The signature globe of 'Epcot'

My ‘Uber’ driver was a friendly chap and we chatted about being here for the ‘New Year’s’.  He dropped me off at the entrance, just as twilight was beginning to set in, and I could already see a lot of people starting to come in.  Whenever one see’s a picture of ‘Epcot’, what stands out is the giant globe, which has become a signature landmark for the park.  Inside the orb is actually a ride called “Spaceship Earth” and while there was a line to get in, it wasn’t too bad.  Soon I was inside the building an onto a moving car which takes one on a spiral journey all the way through the inside of the globe, climbing up to the apex and then back down.  As one goes on this travel, the sides have displays of the history of civilization, all the way from the “Stone Age”, through the “Renaissance” and “Industrial Revolution”, to the present “Tech Era”  complete with mannequins and sound effects.  It was dark when I emerged from the globe and the number of people had also doubled.  After a couple of other rides which moving cars as well, I was ready for the ‘World Showcase’ section.

It was still early, but people had already started assembling around the central pond in preparation for the fireworks that were still hours away.  I started at the ‘Canadian’ area and their famous 360 degree “Circle Vision”.  We were taken to a room with screens all around us and a Canadian tourism film was shown using all those screens disparately, giving one a truly immersive experience.  After the film, my next goal was to find some food.  As I passed the ‘British’ zone, I saw a line which seemed like it was a mile long, and it was for the only true cuisine of England – “Fish and Chips”.  The ‘French’ area looked charming as one would expect from a place in France.  What it did have was a long line for food…a really long line.  However, looking at the goodies inside, I decided to wait and after a good 20-30 minutes I reached the counter, where I proceeded to order the classics like “Lobster Bisque”, “Croque Monsieur”, “Crème Brule” and a glass of Champagne of course.  This I proceeded to eat standing next to a garbage can since that was the only open spot.  I could feel the weight of disappointing all the French Chefs whose food I have enjoyed over the years!

Personalized Calligraphy at 'Mitsukoshi'

I continued making my way around the pond and stopped at a store called ‘Mitsukoshi’ in the ‘Japanese’ section.  They advertised as being in business since 1673, though I’m sure they meant in Japan, not here.  It is an all-purpose General store with lot of traditional Japanese gift items and when I purchased a fan, the lady even inscribed it in Japanese calligraphy.  I continued making my way through the ever growing crowd and there was a party going on at every station, with music and lasers.  I saw a unique concept where people had been handed headphones of 2 different colors and they were listening to one of 2 ‘DJ's’ who was wearing their particular color.  The interesting thing was that only they could hear the music and the rest of the folks watching them had no idea why they were dancing wildly.  Plus, because there were 2 different beats, people were going into their frenzy at different moments and it was fun to watch.  I wanted to try it out, but there was a huge line for one of these headphones and I would have had to wait till dawn for my turn.  It was coming up to 11 pm and I made a decision.

 

The "Silent DJ" party

I had come here tonight for the fireworks, but many other people had a similar idea. It was going to be a big party, meaning exiting the park afterwards would take hours.  Furthermore, finding a cab and getting back to the room would be another few hours, leaving me a couple of hours to sleep before my big day tomorrow.  So I decided to leave.  I asked for directions to get out of the park without going back the same way that I had come, and I was guided down a path which took me around the back of all the rides where every few hundred feet or a so, a poor employee had been stationed to give directions.  A lonely job if there ever was one.  It took me over 30 minutes to get out and find a cab.  As we drove away I saw hundreds of cars on the expressway on their way to downtown.  There was no way these people would make it there in time.  I arrived at my hotel at the stroke of midnight, just as the first wave of fireworks would have commenced at ‘Epcot’.  Would I have loved to have stayed - of course.  But not at the expense of what I had planned for tomorrow. 

To Be Continued…

15. Texas

Month: December 2015

Location: Austin

When one thinks about Texas, images of oil rigs and cattle and cowboys pop into one’s head.  So it’s ironic that the city which is the State’s capital is as close to a “hipster town” as one can find in the Deep South.  I had been to Austin twice before; but those had either been work related visits or I was just passing through.  I had missed out on all the things the city is knows for – its vibrant lifestyle, incredible cuisine and of course, the music scene.  So, picking Austin as my Texas destination was a no-brainer idea.  Plus December seemed like an ideal time of the year to go there.

"Gingerbread Houses" in the hotel lobby

I arrived in Austin without much in terms of planning, besides a couple of activities for Saturday.  It was early evening and as I checked into my hotel, I was told that I was being upgraded to the “Executive Floor”, and one of the perks of that was an entry to their lounge where some sort of “Happy Hour” was already in progress.  I dropped off my stuff in the room and arrived at this lounge, which was an extremely respectable place, with a nice view of the city.  Plus it had a good spread of cheese and a delicious dip.  After sampling a few goodies, I hit the town.  My destination was…a Garage.

Yes, this is a Garage...and a bar

Being the city it is, Austin has some very interesting spots, one of them being a cocktail lounge called the ‘Garage Cocktail Bar’.  The reason it is called so is because it is inside a Parking Garage…a fully functional Parking Garage.  Even with a ‘GPS’ in my hand, I missed the entrance couple of times and no wonder why.  It looks like any other Parking Garage and only close examination of a sign points you to the bar inside.  Even as you walk towards the bar, it seems like a normal garage.  Only when I entered inside, was I greeted by the buzz of a typical “Happy Hour” crowd and the revelry was truly underway.  I had to wait for a bit till I could secure a seat at the bar and I proceeded to order a drink called “The Indian Paintbrush”, voted as the “Best Cocktail in Austin”; and it truly was.  I spent some time in there and truly enjoyed the ambiance that can only be found in a craft cocktail lounge.  It was a great start to my trip.

Austin music scene

Next, I walked over to another busy part of town and a place called ‘Péché’, where I just had to order a drink called “Absinthe God”.  As I sat at the bar – which looked like something out of a movie – I was able to observe the bartenders make their drinks.  None looked better than a liqueur based whipped cream which was hand shaken and was meant to go on top of an alcoholic coffee. I almost ordered that one for myself, but I was headed for dinner.  My destination was a place called ‘Barley Swine’, which for the lack of a better word is fine dining done in a “hipster” – there’s that word again – way.  After dinner my night wasn’t yet done, for if there is one thing that is an absolutely must in Austin, it is to go and see ‘Live Music’.  I went to a place called ‘Brass House’ and for the next few hours enjoyed some really good jazz music.  As I had a cocktail called “The Great Fire of 1776”, I saw a group of people who looked like they had stepped off the set of “The Great Gatsby”.  Every now and then, a few of them would disappear in the back and I could only imagine what was going on over there.  But I was more concerned with what was on the stage and it was really good.  It was well past midnight before I returned back to my room, happy with the way the evening had gone.

Morning view from the "Executive Lounge"

I started the next day with a complimentary breakfast at the “Executive Lounge” and boy was that upgrade paying off.  This morning I had signed up for a guided tour called “Austin Detours”.  The departure was from “Austin Visitor’s Center”, which was right next door to my hotel.  I arrived to see that people had started assembling, though many were on a different tour.  Soon our guide, Sonny, arrived and there were just 4 others on the tour besides me.  As we did introductions, I learned that a young couple on the tour was not only from Chicago, they lived a block away from me!  Sonny was a…you know, the “H-word” and a very cool guy. He guided us to a van, which would be our vehicle for this tour.

'Graffiti Park'

As I took my seat up front, Sonny passed us a laminated sheet which had some interesting facts about Austin and we learnt that it is one of the fastest growing cities, and a popular destination for young professionals.  We started with a drive around the main street and then our first stop was the ‘Capitol Building’.  We parked and walked over to the building which looked majestic.  All though this, Sonny was regaling us with tales regarding history of Austin, especially the “Independence War” and Austin’s struggle to stay as the capital of Texas.  We walked about a bit inside the building and then continued on towards the ‘University of Texas’ campus.  We did not get off there, but we did so at the fantastic ‘Graffiti Park at Castle Hill’.

Postcard from Austin

Back in the day someone bought a lot of property for real estate development and that never quite made it.  As it was lying abandoned, someone started doing graffiti work on the walls and the city rather than pay for security or cleanup, opened this place up for public art.  Now, it’s an arena for artist’s to express themselves and a popular tourist destination.  We got off the van and posed for a few pictures, before proceeding for a drive through of some of the more expensive residential properties, and a photograph at the famous  “Austin Postcard”.  Sonny also showed us the location of the very first ‘Whole Foods’ and told us how the small property had been destroyed in a flood.  The owners thought that it was it for the business, till hundreds of their neighbors stopped by to help clean-up and save “their store”.  Well, the rest as they say is history.

Some of the sights

One of the other things that Austin is renowned for is “Food Trucks” and it is a part of the city’s culture.  Sonny drove us around some areas with these trucks and we even stopped at one location where he treated us to a “Cake Pop” at a place called ‘Holy Cacao’.  We drove on one of the more “trendier” streets of Austin, where people come for food, shopping and music, and in another of his great stories, he pointed out the famous “I love you so much” wall, which was a heartfelt message on the side of a Café and has now become an Austin landmark. Our tour was almost at an end, but not before we drove over the famous “Bat Bridge” of Austin, where millions of bats come to nest and then we were done.  I asked Sonny for some barbeque recommendations and he referred me to a place called ‘Ironworks’.  It wasn’t too far from my hotel and after I had demolished a sampler platter, there was only one thing left to do that afternoon – take a nap.

Being locked up with 8 teenage girls felt like this!

It was a lovely evening as I headed to what is becoming a regular activity during my travels – “Escape The Room” game.  As I waited in the reception area, I saw a group of teenagers come in and the noise level immediately went up a few decibels.  Soon, my worst fears were realized - this would be my team for the evening.  It was one of the girl's 16^th birthday and she had invited 20 of her friends for this activity – something that I commend since they could easily have gone to some arcade.  They split the groups in 2 teams and I was assigned 8 teenagers, including the birthday girl.  Before I was locked in with them, I got a sympathetic “Good luck” from the girl’s mother and I knew it was not for the game itself.  For the next hour I endured non-stop screaming for every clue that we uncovered, every object that we found and for all other reasons.  At one stage, we were watching a surveillance footage on a computer and as a person appeared on camera, all of them screamed in unison and I thought this is how it must have been at a ‘Beatles’ concert back in the day.  There was, however, one of them who would seek out my counsel and I had a good working rapport with her.  With some help from me and a whole lot of dumb luck, we managed to escape in 57 odd minutes.  After a team picture, I saw a group of 3 moms who had been waiting and they seemed to be enjoying my harrowed appearance.  I said that next time I expected them to be in there, though to be fair, the girls had done a good job.

'Texas History Museum'

Since it was a pleasant evening, I decided to walk back to downtown and passed through a crowd who had assembled for some sort of street music festival.  My destination was one of the historic hotels in Austin, called ‘The Driskill’ and especially their bar.  I had to wait for a bit, before having “Batini”, named the “official drink of Austin”.  Now, as far as Austin drinks go, I still preferred the “Indian Paintbrush”.  I walked over to my dinner destination at a dimly lit and overpriced place called ‘Congress’, which certainly wasn’t one of the better meals that I have had during my travels.  Just as last night, I was going to stop by for some music, this time at a place called ‘Elephant Room’.  I had to wait for a bit before I could get into something like a “Dive Bar”, with $1 bills stapled to the walls as its main décor.  While the music was decent, it wasn’t as good as before and even the people weren’t as friendly.  I didn’t stay as long as I would typically have and headed back to my hotel. 

The next morning I did not need an early start since my first stop was at a brunch place called ‘Lambert’s Downtown Barbeque’ where fortunately, the meal was much better than last night’s.  There was some time before my departure, and so I took advantage of the good weather to walk to the ‘Texas History Museum’.  It is one of the better museums that I have seen and they had some terrific exhibits as relates to the ‘Independence War’, ‘Civil War’, the Texas Oil Industry as well as the Space Program in Houston.  It was a great way to end my trip, which had been memorable to say the least.  I collected my stuff and headed back to the airport in the late afternoon, thinking that there is so much more to Austin than I had experienced in this short visit.  It is a fascinating place and truly a cultural oasis in the otherwise stoic Texas. I for one, will certainly be back.

14. Georgia

Month: November 2015

Location: Atlanta

I had first heard of Atlanta as a kid, because my Dad had once visited his cousin who lived there.  The cousin was a “legendary” figure, being the first in the family to travel to the US and as such, Atlanta had achieved a “mythical” status as well.  Then came the ‘Olympics’ in 1996 and all the prestige that accompanies that honor.  So when my friends suggested that I go to Savannah as my Georgia destination, I said no.  There was no doubt that I wanted to go to an “Olympic City”, the very first that I would visit.

My first view of downtown

I arrived in the early evening and made my way to the airport train station, which deposited me in downtown within 20 minutes.  The escalator to get from the subway to the street level is one of the steepest that I have seen and it seemed much lower than the subway of Chicago.  Emerging from the station, I looked for my Hotel and it wasn’t that far.  I had been able to secure a great deal at the ‘Ritz Carlton’ and it was as grand of a venue as I had imagined.  I had dinner reservations, but enough time to grab a drink in the Hotel restaurant.  I was an elegant place with a gentleman bartender and a relaxed start to the evening.  I took an ‘Uber’ to a restaurant called ‘Aria’ and was shown to a bar area where I ordered a cocktail named “The Stray Cat”!  Following this I went to an exquisite dining area where for the next couple of hours I was able to enjoy some excellent food in a nice ambience.  I returned back to the hotel and called it a night, having a big day ahead of me.

The 'Olympic Park'

The next morning had a nice autumn chill in the air and I took the train to a charming neighborhood.  My destination was a local breakfast spot called ‘Flying Biscuit Café’.  It was a typical neighborhood café with some amazing ‘Southern’ breakfast fare and well worth the detour.  I came back to downtown and walked over to the ‘Centennial Olympic Park’, which is at the heart of all the tourist attractions in Atlanta.  Built for ‘Olympics’, currently it acts as a site for general enjoyment of the public, including hosting concerts and fireworks.  Presently it had been decorated for the holidays and I could see a giant ‘Christmas Tree’, as well as other lights streaming the trees.

My first stop was ‘World of Coca Cola’, which is ‘Coca Cola Museum’ and one of the more popular destinations in the city.  I had purchased something called ‘VIP Tour’ which came with a guide I suppose.  As soon as you approach the building, you are greeted by giant bottles, a theme which continues in the lobby.  Our tour guide gathered all the folks in my party and asked what our favorite beverage was.  Now, I should have guessed that she was referring to a ‘Coca Cola’ product, but I said “Champagne”, at which she responded “Oh, we don’t make that”.  Nice start to the tour.

With the 'Coca Cola Bear'

We were taken to a room where another gentleman came over to talk about the history of the company.  Then we walked into an auditorium and for the next 4 minutes, saw an outstanding film which signifies ‘Coca Cola’s’ philosophy towards the product and the marketing campaign that they have always run – one that taps into on the “human” element rather than a “commercial” one.  Equal parts touching, funny and inspirational, it is perhaps the best film that I have ever seen for a product and at the end, when the screen went up for all of us to walk into the central atrium, we did so with our spirits lifted and excited for the remainder of the experience.  I recommend this to anyone who visits Atlanta, whether they like soda or not.

The famous vault

The big hall that we were in opens up to the various other parts of the museum, but I could not proceed unless I had taken a picture with everyone’s favorite ‘Polar Bear’.  Many others had the same idea and once all the pictures had been taken, we were taken through another hallway, which went further into the history on how the recipe was developed, the espionage behind it and how that has led to an empire.  Finally, we were shown the world-famous vault, behind which lies this coveted recipe from over 100 years ago.  The tour continued with a story and exhibits on ‘Coca Cola’s’ involvement in pop-culture, especially sports; and being in an “Olympic City”, they showed us the various torches that have lit the “Olympic Flame” and I even got to pose with the 1996 torch.  The final stop was in their huge “tasting room”, where there are hundreds of ‘Coca Cola’ products from all over the world and you can have as much as you want.  Well, after a few sips I knew that I would not last long, since most of the world prefers their drinks sweet…way to sweet.  Of all the things that I tasted there, the best was ‘Thums Up’, the brand I grew up drinking in India.  Before I left the facility, I was given a commemorative ‘Coca Cola’ bottle as a souvenir.

Looking down at the 'CNN' newsfloor

I had tickets to some known as “Imagination Nights” at the nearby ‘Georgia Aquarium’, but that wasn’t till 4 pm and I had a few hours to kill.  So I crossed the park to enter the ‘CNN’ building – another Atlanta institution – and got tickets for a tour of the studios.  The tour started at the top level, meaning I boarded another one of Atlanta’s steep escalators.  The tour itself was an inside look at how news broadcast is produced and showed us some of the tricks that they use, such as the “Green Screens” for weather.  We also took a look at some of their studios and I definitely left with a deeper appreciation of the skill that is required to produce a good news broadcast.

Under the giant tank

I waited in the food court of the building, until it was time to go to the Aquarium.  The light was starting to fade and the holiday lights in the park were being turned on.  I walked past an ice rink and saw a demonstration of a ‘Keurig’ machine for ‘Coca Cola’ products…because that’s what we need more of in our households!  I entered the aquarium and was just in time for the “Dolphin Show” which was in an arena consisting of a huge pool.  The show was amazing, as was the rest of my stay at the aquarium, the highlight of which was a moving walkway that takes visitors underneath a giant tank, with aquatic creatures literally swimming above you.

I emerged from the aquarium to see that the park was now full of visitors and the holiday lights were looking spectacular, especially the 'Christmas Tree'.  The evening was pleasant, as was the walk back to my hotel.  After a quick change and a cocktail in the same restaurant as before, I took an ‘Uber’ to a restaurant names ‘Bacchanalia’, which is comfortable hidden at the back of a store.  Anyone passing by would have no idea that there was a restaurant here unless they were looking for it.  After another exciting meal, I came back to my room and retired.

The park under the holiday lights

Inside 'Georgia Dome'

Month’s ago, when I had decided to come to Atlanta, I was debating between 2 weekends that I could have picked.  I chose this one because that allowed me to attend a ‘NFL’ game between the ‘Atlanta Falcons’ and the visiting ‘Indianapolis Colts’.  I checked out  of my hotel and after a breakfast at a Southern establishment called ‘Juke Joint’, walked over to the ‘Georgia Dome’ stadium amidst thousands of other fans.  While they were in a higher section, I had great seats, since they were on the 50 yard line.  I had arrived early enough and stadium was quite empty.  But it soon filled up and for the next 3 hours, as the game ebbed and flowed, I was caught between the constant chatter of the fans of both teams.  While the home team lost, it had been a great experience, but now it was time to head back.  I returned to the hotel – passing by an established which had the minimalist but brilliant name of ‘Coffee & Cocktails’.  Before catching the train to the airport there was one last thing to do.  I asked the barman at the lobby bar for an opener and drank from the souvenir bottle that I had received yesterday.  I would not have been able to take it with me in the carry-on luggage.  I took the subway to the airport and the unique way that the terminals are designed in Atlanta meant that I had to walk almost a mile to get to my gate.  It is so long that the walk actually takes you through some museum exhibits.  It had been a short, but productive visit.  I had now visited an “Olympic City” and at ‘Coca Cola’, had seen a film to cherish. That's a win for sure.

13. Nevada

Month: October 2015

Location: Las Vegas

Yeah.  I went to Vegas and you know “What happens in Vegas…”

Well, ok I suppose I must document, since this is after all a part of my travels.  But we must first go back a few years.  When I was in graduate school, I made lifelong friends.  People who are my closest family and over the years there have been several occasions where we have gotten together for parties, birthday’s and have even gone on vacations together.  Recently those trips have included families and as can be expected, most of the activities were geared towards kids.  But now it was my buddy Som’s birthday and all the guys had received permission to travel for a “boys only” weekend in Vegas.  After months of planning – well, the talking took months, actual planning much less - we were on our way.

Vegas!

Som, who lives in Connecticut, and I had planned our travel such that his flight from Hartford would connect at Chicago, where I would join him and then we could fly out to Vegas together.  I arrived at the gate to see that my buddy was already there and he suggested that we start our expedition at the airport bar.  Why not?  After all we were headed to Vegas!  That which started at the airport, continued on the plane and about 4 hours later, we found ourselves staring down at the bright neon light of the Las Vegas strip.  As soon as you exit the plane, you are greeted by ‘Slot Machines’ right at the gate area.  I do not know what compels someone to start gambling as soon as they get off a plane or right up to when they get on one, but whatever.  It is Vegas after all.

Our hotel lobby

The ride from the airport to the strip isn’t long and our cab driver made it shorter with his maniacal driving.  We were headed towards ‘Aria Resorts’, which would be our hotel for the next 3 days.  Now, this is a huge place.  It took us the same time to get around the property to the drop-off point, as it took to get there and once off the cab, the valet whisked our luggage away, saying that it will be delivered to our room.  We checked-in and met up with our 2 other buddies who had arrived earlier that day.  I have had my share of travels and hotels, but nothing compared to this one in size.  The walk from the elevators to our room was a hike and our room itself was more modern than any other that I have been in, complete with remote controlled drapes and other such devices.  But if there one place in Vegas that people spend least time in, it is the hotel room. We would not be too different.

It was close to 11 pm local time – 1 pm my time – when we went to one of the dozen restaurants in our hotel for dinner and it was well past midnight when we hit the strip.  I have always imagined that being on the Las Vegas strip is like being at a 24 hour carnival.  There are flashing lights all around – no matter whether day or night – and sidewalks are crowded at all hours.  Plus there is “stuff” happening everywhere – at minimum street performers and the famous “Vegas Showgirls”.  One definitely loses a sense of time and so did we.  It was almost 5 am when we got back and we capped off the night by having breakfast before bed.  Yeah, it can only happen in Vegas.

The Chocolate Fountain...

As expected, we got a late start the next day and after some much needed coffee, we found the hotel buffet.  Now, visiting the buffet in Vegas is some sort of “rite of passage”, though for the life of me I don’t know why.  People overeat for the sake of doing it and the inevitable lethargy sets in. That’s exactly what happened to us and we found ourselves spending better part of the afternoon in our room.  We had been joined by another one of our buddies and in the early evening the 5 of us took the shuttle train from our hotel to one of the crown jewels of Las Vegas strip, ‘Bellagio’.  Our hotel, ‘Aria’ was very modern and as good as it gets.  But walking down the hallways of 'Bellagio', one of my buddies pointed out how this place just screams of old world opulence. We came across a big area which had been decorated in Fall colors, with giant Pumpkins and all things that make Autumn great.  However, I was soon distracted when I saw a pastry shop with “Chocolate Fountains” in the display window.  The place was called ‘Jean-Philippe Patisserie’ and over there, I had what in my opinion, is one of the best ‘Crème Brule’ that I have ever tasted.  Now, I have had a lot of those in my time and this one could handily beat many of the restaurant made versions of the dessert.

...and the real one

No trip to the ‘Bellagio’ is complete without a stop to watch the magnificent fountains at the front of the hotel.  This is a world-renowned attraction that draws millions to see the spectacular show every 30 minutes or so.  We found a good spot and thoroughly enjoyed a rendition of Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas” set to the dancing fountains and light show.  The evening had just set in and the strip was coming alive.  While a few of my buddies went over to some other attractions, Som and I made our way back to our hotel since the final member of our squad had arrived.  We met him in the lobby and for the next couple of hours he introduced me to new flavors of ‘Whiskey’ and ways of tasting it!  He also proposed that we try and get into one of the exclusive Vegas clubs, which is much easier said than done; but he asked us to leave it to him.

We were headed to a club in "Paris'...hotel that is

After a Chinese dinner, which was way too expensive than it should have been, we went over to ‘Chateau’, a nightclub in 'Paris’ hotel.  Our buddy’s idea of getting us in was ordering an outrageously expensive bottle service and I was reminded of the famous saying that if you are ever paying for bottle service, then you probably do not deserve it.  It was a decent club and we got good seats, but after a couple of hours I was ready to leave…as were a few others.  We still had a better part of the bottle to get through and thankfully no one proposed that we finish it in the next 5 minutes, though someone did try!  We took a cab back to our hotel and after a night cap, grabbed another breakfast before bed.  These outings were wearing me down.

The next day all of us lined up for another round of buffet – this time at a different hotel.  There was a big line to get in and we amused ourselves by wagering on how long our wait would entail…a bit sad really, when you consider that we were losing precious minutes of our lives, that we would never get back.  After lunch we split into different groups and 3 of us went over to ‘Caesar’s Palace’ hotel and found a cocktail lounge to spend the rest of our afternoon.  In all of my travels, I have never considered visiting different restaurants, hotels and bars as “sightseeing”, but I suppose Vegas is an exception.

The magnificent 'Cirque du Soleil' 

We came back to the hotel to get ready for our main attraction of the evening – a visit to see ‘Cirque du Soleil – Zarkana’.  If anyone knows how to put on a show, it is these guys and this was spectacular.  I have seen several of their shows and they continue to amaze.  After the show the boys wanted to go back to the buffet, but by now I had enough of it.  Plus I was running on fumes.  So after a relaxing dinner at a French restaurant named ‘Bardot Brasserie’, I called it a night and went straight back to the room for my first decent night’s sleep since arriving here.  The next day folks had their flights starting early in the morning and a couple of them had already left before breakfast.  The rest of us departed around lunch time and Som and I found ourselves back at the airport amongst slot machines.  He asked me what the best part of the trip had been and while I could have said being with my boys, there was something better than that.  Vegas is a unique place, unlike any other in the world.  It is an unwavering spotlight on decadence and even though I had not spent a single dollar on gambling, I felt that I had been complacent in contributing towards that.  Vegas is as artificial a life as can be imagined and nothing seems real, even a smile.  I was the only person of the 6 who did not have a family to go back to.  But without a doubt I knew what the best part of being in Vegas had been.  I looked at Som and replied, “Leaving for home”.