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.