On the road again

Well we made it. After Covid thwarted our USA holiday twice, it finally went ahead. I was nervous up until we were checked in and sat in the departure lounge waiting to board. I had watched many TV reports showing chaotic scenes from Manchester airport over the summer months. I thought that as Schools had restarted after the summer break that things would have returned to something close to normal. Sadly, we were met by a five hundred yard long queue for security at 6.30 am!

I wasn’t sure what to expect. Since the last time we were in the USA, the country had been through Covid, seen the chaotic end to the Trump Presidency and was now suffering spiralling interest rates and facing the Global threat caused by war in Ukraine. I had heard from friends, from books and from media reports that Trump had polarised views among American people. I was nervous about engaging in political conversations for fear of inflaming prejudices. I have always enjoyed bellying up to bars in the States. Within minutes people start conversations with you and it feels like you have stumbled onto the set of Cheers. I wondered if things had changed.

We had a packed itinerary. We flew to Austin via Atlanta and didn’t arrive until around 9.0 pm. We had checked into an Airport hotel the first night so after a quick shower we headed for the bar and bellied up. There were a few others at the bar but little conversation. Still, it felt good to chug down a few Shiner Bock’s. It also gave us an insight into beer prices. It wasn’t going to be a cheap holiday!!

Our holiday really started on day 2 when we drove to San Antonio, a couple of hours South of Austin. We had been there before but it was over 25 years ago. San Antonio is famous for the Alamo. The legendary Mission and fortress was where a battle in 1836 was part of the Texas Revolution in which the Mexican state of Tejas won independence and became a self-governing republic: Texas. The story of The battle of the Alamo was made famous in a film starring John Wayne which I watched many times when I was young. The Alamo still dominates the city. The Fortress looks exactly the same as it did in 1836 with the modern city of San Antonio built around it. We stayed in the famous Menger Hotel which is adjacent to the Alamo. This iconic hotel built in 1859 was where Theodore Roosevelt gathered his Rough Riders in the  Bar. The Menger Bar is also where Carry Nation, the American Temperance crusader, struck the bar with her axe and shortened it by 3 feet. For those interested in the supernatural, The Menger is supposed to have as many as 30 ghosts. We didn’t see any! Our room was opulent with a balcony overlooking the pool. Pat was most impressed.

We headed for Market Square as Marko had recommended a restaurant there. The Square itself was not quite as good as I remembered it. It just seemed to be souvenir shops which held no interest. The restaurant however was excellent. We like Mexican food so it was good to drink a cold Dos Equis and enjoy a relaxing lunch.

We met Phil at 5.30 at a Sports bar on the Riverwalk. It was fantastic to see him. We have enjoyed many alcohol soaked nights with Phil all over the States, in Montreal and in England. We headed to the St Mary’s strip to see Johnny Marr. I have always found San Antonio nightlife anaemic, this neighbourhood changed my mind. The gig was at Paper Tiger, a great venue with a capacity of 1500. I must confess that I wasn’t a Smiths fan in the eighties and couldn’t understand what the fuss was about Johnny Marr’s guitar playing. My attitude has changed over the years. I really like the Smiths now. I listened to Johnny Marr’s listen solo album Fever Dreams parts 1-4 a good few times before we left England and it is growing on me. I’m pleased to say that from the moment he walked onstage I got exactly what the fuss is about! Johnny Marr is a great guitarist and he is also a great frontman. He looked like a Rock star, he exuded self-confidence even arrogance. I could see just how much he has influenced the Gallagher brothers. Without Johnny Marr, Oasis would never have become so good or so big.

Setlist

Armatopia

Panic

Sensory Street

Spirit Power and Soul

New Town Velocity

Night and Day

This Charming Man

Getting Away With It

Walk Into the Sea

The Headmaster Ritual

Hi Hello

I Feel You

Bigmouth Strikes Again

Easy Money

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

Encore:

Counter Clock World

How Soon Is Now?

(241) Johnny Marr – There Is A Light That Never Goes Out – Live At The Paper Tiger 10-8-2018 – YouTube

 After a cursory nostalgic stroll around the Riverwalk, we headed back to Austin. We were going to spend two nights at the Menger but due to an early flight on Thursday we decided that it was too risky to depend on good traffic conditions. I booked the Austin Motel. It has been a long held ambition of mine to stay at this iconic Austin landmark. We checked in as Austin was hit by torrential rain. Pat opened the door to our room, I shouted Yeah Baby ! It was totally Austin Powers. There was also a Roky Erikson poster above the bed, awesome. Pat was underwhelmed to say the least! Any brownie points accrued from me booking the Menger evaporated. Our room was smaller than the bathroom in our room at the Menger! The Austin Motel cost $50 more than The Menger!

We met Phil and Jenna for happy hour at Woodrow’s on West 6^th street. When we were last in Austin in 1999, all the action on 6^th street was on the two or three blocks East of South Congress. Phil told us that this is now a dirty, crappy area and the good stuff is now West. Woodrow’s is a great bar. We met friends of Phil and Jenna and had a good laugh. There was a huge thunderstorm which was a bummer as we had tickets to see Enter Shikari at Mohawk, an outdoor venue! We headed to the venue when the storm cleared. The support band Trash Boat, who were really good, had to leave the stage as the storm returned with a vengeance. Thunder, lightning and torrential rain. The weather  was back to normal for the Enter Shikari set. Caitlin had urged us to go the gig, she had seen them the previous weekend at the Leeds festival. It was only $20/ticket so a no brainer. We were the oldest people in the audience by many years but it was a great gig. No one batted an eyelid at us two ‘older people’. Not for the first time I thought God Bless America!!

Setlist

The great unknown

Juggernauts

modern living….

Anaesthetist

satellites* *

the pressure’s on.

Arguing with Thermometers

Rabble Rouser

Sorry, You’re Not a Winner

The Void Stares Back

Gandhi Mate, Gandhi

Mothership

Solidarity

Encore:

{ The Dreamer’s Hotel }

Live Outside

(241) Enter Shikari – The Void Stares Back (9/7/2022 Austin, Texas @ Mohawk) – YouTube

The next morning we flew to Albuquerque. New Mexico was a state we had never visited before, I was attracted by the promise of clean air and good beer and I wasn’t disappointed! First stop was Santa Fe. Santa Fe is the most popular tourist destination in New Mexico. It is a small city with a population of 85000. It’s renowned for its Pueblo-style architecture and as a creative arts hotbed. When we checked into the Inn of the Governors Plaza (I was back in favour with my hotel choice!) the guy on reception expressed his commiserations for the death of the Queen. He was sincere and, despite not being a royalist, it was appreciated. Our hotel was ideally located a block away from the Plaza. I found the area a little overwhelming. The galleries are fantastic but I had to stop going in them as I don’t have enough money to buy the many stunning pieces for sale. I particularly liked visiting the Indian vendors outside the Palace of the Governors on the Plaza. They are licensed to sell their own jewellery and handicrafts. The quality is superb and the people are lovely, Pat and I both bought products from them and really enjoyed talking to the friendly vendors. A highlight of our holiday.

There was a fiesta the weekend we were in town, sadly the first night was marred by torrential rain. We were lucky as we had gone out early to Tomasita’s, a New Mexican restaurant on Guadalupe street. The food and the Margaritas were superb. It was blazing hot when we got there but pissing it down when we left so we got an Uber back to our hotel and enjoyed drinks in the Del Charro bar. Earlier in the day, around the hotel pool, Pat had a conversation with a lady who was moving to New Mexico for the climate. She was older than us I think. It was interesting to hear her views on Trump (definitely not a fan) and on the NRA. She was not comfortable with gun culture in the USA. She was so friendly and reaffirmed my love of American people. Open, friendly and helpful.

On our last day in Santa Fe we went for a Hot air balloon ride. I had watched a programme about the Hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque and as a result wanted to try it out. Johnny, our pilot, picked us up at 5.30 am. He was the double of Willie Nelson. I rode upfront with him in his pickup. It was fascinating hearing his views on life. He was not a fan of the British Royal family and I think he was a little taken aback when I told him I was no fan of the Monarchy either. He was also very critical of the fact that Brits didn’t have guns. He was definitely a fan and told me he owned many. The pickup had  a 100 gallon tank which was expensive to fill as you can imagine (about $350 on Indian land where you pay no sales tax). I asked his views on Electric vehicles and he told me would like to shoot everyone who owned one! When we arrived at the balloon site we watched as Johnny and his crew inflated the balloon, checked air currents and weather forecasts. It was really interesting. The balloon ride was a great experience and I can see why it attracts thousands of visitors to New Mexico.

Next stop was Taos some 75 miles North of Santa Fe. Another place favoured by artists, this small town (population 5950) is an extremely relaxing place to stay. I booked the Dreamcatcher Bed and Breakfast which turned out to be an inspired choice. Good hotel Kharma was definitely kicking in!

We spent our first afternoon visiting Taos Pueblo, a world heritage site. The Pueblo was built over a 1000 years ago pre-dating Columbus and European settlers. There are still approximately 150 people living permanently in Taos Pueblo. It is a fantastic place to visit and the people are really friendly and interesting to talk to.

On our second day in Taos we drove over the Taos Gorge bridge, parked up and walked around taking in breath-taking views of the Gorge and Mountain backdrop. We had a great chat with a guy selling Indian Jewellery at the rest stop, a wise man that has seen many world leaders come and go. Churchill and Kennedy were his idea of great Leaders. I agree with his view that the current crop of politicians are self-serving and do not deserve to be considered leaders.

Our next stop was the reason that I wanted to visit Taos, Earthships.

 An Earthship is a style of architecture developed in the late 20th century to early 21st century by architect Michael Reynolds. Earthships are designed to behave as passive solar earth shelters made of both natural and upcycled materials such as earth-packed tires. Earthships may feature a variety of amenities and aesthetics, and are designed to withstand the extreme temperatures of a desert, managing to stay close to 70 °F (21 °C) regardless of outside weather conditions. Earthship communities were originally built in the desert of northern New Mexico, near the Rio Grande, and the style has spread to small pockets of communities around the globe, in some cases in spite of legal opposition to its construction and adoption.

Reynolds developed the Earthship design after moving to New Mexico and completing his degree in architecture, intending them to be “off-the-grid-ready” homes, with minimal reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels. They are constructed to use available natural resources, especially energy from the sun and rain water. They are designed with thermal mass construction and natural cross-ventilation to regulate indoor temperature, and the designs are intentionally uncomplicated and mainly single-story, so that people with little building knowledge can construct them. They can be perceived as a realization of the utopia of autonomous housing and sustainable living.(Wikipedia)

I had first heard of Earthships through reading Nomadland by Jessica Bruder. I was fascinated by the concept of off-grid living and relished the opportunity to see what I had read about. They are truly a triumph of human ingenuity and are now being built all over the world.

We realised that Colarado was only 60 miles away so drove across the State border, stopped and had a coffee at the Dutch Mill Café bar in Antonito. Another state ticked off!

I had many conversations with the good folk of New Mexico. I told them how much I loved the place. They all agreed it was a great place to live but were unanimous in saying that it was slowly being spoilt by an influx of Texans fleeing to avoid the heat and high prices. On our last morning at the Dreamcatcher B&B we had breakfast with a really nice couple from Austin. We were telling them that we were heading back to Austin and that we were last there in 1999. They were saying that the city was being spoilt by an influx of people from Los Angeles! The circle of life I guess.

We spent our last night in New Mexico in its biggest city Albuquerque. This is where the TV show Breaking Bad is set. We stayed in a fantastic B&B near the Old Town Plaza. I would like to spend more time there as we didn’t scratch the surface. One happy memory was stopping for a drink in a bar, and ordering a couple of Raspberry beers. When I got the check I had only been charged for one. I pointed this out to the waitress, she said it was her mistake and to have the drink on her!

We flew to Austin the next morning for the last leg of our trip. I had booked an Airbnb off South Congress. We were met by the owner Chris when we arrived. He introduced us to his dog Mokie and his Goat Pumpkin. Chris gave us a whistle stop tour of the house and gave us a quick orientation of the Neighbourhood. I had emailed him to say that our Niece Steph was coming over from Los Angeles. He was not only happy for us to have her stay , he provided a blow up bed. Top man.

We spent our first night back in Austin watching The Hot Club of Cowtown at the legendry Continental Club on South Congress. The couples dancing to the Western Swing music were brilliant and the atmosphere was so good.

We went to the G&S Lounge afterwards to meet Phil and Jenna. I must admit to feeling unnerved when the Uber Driver dropped us off as it was dark and there was nothing more than a door in the wall. No need to worry, it was a great place. Marko met us there and it was great to catch up in person rather than on a Zoom call! Phil and Jenna arrived with a bunch of their friends and we had a great night.

There were many, many highlights to our five nights in Austin. I will pick out some things made the biggest impression on me rather than a daily diary.

We wanted to see the Liquor store that Phil part owns. We had met his co-owner Debbie in 1999 on our last visit to Austin. She didn’t recognise us at first but once the connection was made it was fantastic to catch up. Debbie is a wonderful person and it was a pleasure to meet with her again. Old School Liquor is great so if you find yourself in Austin, stop by and say hello.

Marko and Jeanne’s daughter Liv was part of the Cheer leading team at her High School teams Football game. We went along and had a great time. The game was really good and played at a high standard by 14-16 year olds. There was a good sized crowd in a fantastic stadium. There was none of the unpleasant behaviour from parents that we see in England. Sure, the crowd is partisan but in a friendly way. The half time show was better than you see at any professional game in the UK. The standard of musicianship, dancing, Choreography was awesome. Another big thumbs up to the USA.

There is a statue of Stevie Ray Vaughan in Zilker Park by Lady bird lake. I wanted to see it again, hoping that some of Stevie’s guitar Mojo would rub off on me (spoiler alert, it didn’t). There was a guy sat by the statue. He was listening to music, Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin. I told him that this was a great example of the cover version being better than the original. He was surprised that I struck up a conversation (I guess some would say he was a bum). He told me he was of Scottish descent and hated the Royal family. When I told him that I too have Scottish ancestry and that Pat is of Irish descent he mellowed and we had a friendly conversation. Whilst we were we were talking he had a long Cigar in his mouth which he was moistening with his tongue. He carefully split it and removed the tobacco. He then pulled out a dime bag and refilled it with a sizeable stash. I left him and Stevie to get high together.

Guy Clark wrote a great song called Dublin Blues. I first heard it sung by Townes Van Zandt. The song begins;

I wish I was in Austin at the Chilli parlour bar

Drinking Mad Dog Margaritas not caring where you are.

Pat, Steph and I met Marko for lunch at  The Chilli parlour. The menu is just Chilli and it’s delicious. I recommend the Habenero Chilli

Steph and I drank Mad Dog Margaritas. A dream fulfilled.

Pat, Steph and I went to The Broken Spoke, an Austin institution. This great Honky Tonk bar has both kinds of music, Country and Western!

Marko and Jeanne took us to the Skylark Lounge. The clientele were all races, mixing together happily with no trouble or feeling of unease. This is how the world should be. People are just people, regardless of creed or colour. An Arsehole is an arsehole and a Saint is a Saint, regardless of race.

We went to the Little Longhorn saloon and played Chicken Shit bingo. Another ambition fulfilled.

We were both quiet on our flight back to England, we both could have happily stayed for longer. It was a fantastic trip. It reaffirmed my love for the USA and its people. I love music and most of the places that are iconic to me are in the USA.

 A massive thank you to Marko, Jeanne, Larson and Liv. Great people who we are proud to call friends. Your hospitality was a highlight of our trip.

Phil, it was great to see you again. It’s been 23 years since the last time we met on your turf. We have met all over the world since then and your friendship means a lot to both of us. You and Jenna make a great couple.

Debbie Mylius, it was great to catch up with you again. There are a small number of people on God’s great earth who it is a privilege to know, you are one of them.

Steph, thank you for coming to stay with us. It was great to see you and I enjoyed our in depth discussions on so many topics. Pat and I are so proud of you. Respect!!

Pat, thanks for being the perfect travel mate. You put up with my pursuit of music experiences without complaint although maybe the Austin Motel was a step too far!

It was embarrassing when we landed in Manchester. There was no stand available for our plane. It took 15 minutes to get steps to the plane.  There were long queues for passport control even at 6.0 am. When we finally arrived at baggage claim we were faceD with another fifteen minute wait. We didn’t have a single delay in the USA. Everyone was polite and helpful. England needs to learn lessons.

The Queen died on our third day of holiday. I’m no royalist but I had a massive respect for Elizabeth II. She ruled with dignity and set the standard for impeccable behaviour. I’m unsure if the Monarchy can survive in our media intrusive world. Young people seem much less enamoured of Royalty than mine or my parents’ generation. The breakup of the Commonwealth and the sadly inevitable breakup of Great Britain will surely put irrevocable strain on the Monarchy.

Liz Truss became Prime Minister on the day we left the UK. She is the fourth Prime Minister since the Conservatives took power in 2012. In less than four weeks, her government has announced a cruel budget that favours the wealthy and condemns the poor. This has crashed the economy and battered Sterling on the currency markets. I pray for an early end to this evil empire.

The aforementioned currency travails mean that a return to the USA is highly unlikely in 2023. Pat and I are planning to return in 2024 and we are already kicking around ideas for our next adventure. One thing for sure, it’ll be all about the music!!