The weather was a pleasant 75F to 80F so I spent my freetime on Sunday walking around the city, along 6th street and up to the Capital Building before walking back down Congress Avenue to the park next to Town Lake.

I then took the rental car a Hybrid Ford SUV over to Central Market, a supermarket with character, and did some shopping – including my lunch, they make the best Chicken Salad sandwich! Then on to more shopping in Best Buy, Barton Creek Square Mall and another supermarket, Randels before heading over to Zilker Park Botanical Gardens which is my favorite place in Austin to wander around and relax in or to just find a quiet spot and sit and chill out or think things through.

A short drive later and I was back at the hotel where I crossed the street to the O’Henry house and museum which tells the story of Austin’s famous writer. Then another walk over to the State Capital where I watched the locals and visitors enjoy the surrounding park as the sun started to set, bathing the Capital in a warm golden light.

I didn’t have much free time by myself in the evenings as I was traveling with a colleague but I did manage to visit both the old site of the Gingerman, now called the Ghost Room (apt considering we visited on Halloween) as well as the new Gingerman. Also had a pleasant meal in the the historic Driskill Hotel.

On Tuesday evening I walked over to Speakeasy which has changed a lot and now has the entrance on Congress Avenue. The bar is still very nice and similar to the old one, but it’s just not the same. Still I enjoyed watching the Salsa dancing and the live band whilst consuming a couple of Dos Equis.

Wednesday evening was by far the highlight of the trip, an evening at the Broken Spoke listening to Dale Watson sing to a crowded dance floor in this ledgendary Texas dance hall. Thanks to some really nice folks that I met I even got up and danced the Cotton Eyed Joe and the two step. Having only danced the two step once before, during my last visit, my dancing skills were not great but improved as the evening went on.

This visit still didn’t reawaken my old desire to move to the city. That phase of my life is definately over and these days my hopes and goals are considerably different. However my visit to the Broken Spoke did leave me wondering about how things would have been different if i had moved to Austin when i was younger. I will therefore be glad to get back home on Friday. Besides I have plans for the weekend that I’m looking forward to that outway anything Austin could offer.

The highlight of this year’s festival was Reba McIntire’s performance on 7th June at LP Field.  The new stage layout meant that my 4th row seat was right in front of the stage giving me some great views of the numerous acts that I saw during the four day event.  Other great acts included Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, Martina McBride and Alan Jackson to name but a few.

This was the first year that I didn’t visit the autograph booths, instead I spent each and every day down at the Riverfront Park, listening to lots of live music.  After the shows at LP Field there are lots of bars to choose from… but my favourite is Roberts Western World, made famous by the band BR-549.

Anyone considering visiting for the CMA Music Festival should also get tickets for Marty Stuart’s Late Night Party at the legendary Ryman Auditorium.  This show starts the day before the Festival and this year lasted a full 4 hours!  Ending at 2am in the morning.  Of the many acts Raul Marlo of Mavericks fame was especially good.

My visit to Nashville this year was preceeded by a few days down in Memphis.  I won’t be back at the Music Festival in 2008 but maybe in 2009… until then take a look at this selection of just a few of the artists I saw in 2007.  CMA Music Festival 2007 Photos

Prior to visiting Nashville I spent a few days in Memphis, TN, click here to read about Memphis.

Two of Memphis’ most famous landmarks amongst Rock n Roll fans are Sun Studios and Graceland.  Sun Studios has been remarkably well preserved and a short informative guided tour explains the history of the studio and the record label. A short drive outside of downtown Memphis is Elvis Presley’s Graceland.  The legendary Stax recording studios have been recreated and features an excellent museum charting the development of Soul music, the history of the recording studio and Memphis in general, as well as the artists made famous by Stax.

Beale Street, provides a lively mix of blues, soul, R&B, and even Jazz. Rum Boogie Café and Alfred’s were my two favourite hangouts. With the latter providing excellent views overlooking Beale Street from its 1st floor patio. Live music can be found in the numerous bars, as well as in the park and on the street everyday of the week, but Saturday night was busy but fun experience.

Mud Island with its scale model of the Mississippi River was a nice interesting and relaxing walk in the warm sun. The various parks and streets lined with historic building also made for pleasant walks.

The Rock & Soul museum is also worth a visit as it charts the development of Blues and Country music through Rock n Roll, Soul and R&B. Just over the road is the Gibson guitar factory which offers tours throughout the day, this experience inspired me to try and learn to play the guitar (again – last time was when I was still at school!).

The drive from Memphis to Nashville was pleasant, with a tree lined highway for most of the route. I took a brief stop for Lunch at Natchez Trace State Park, which was a nice scenic recreation area not far from the main highway.

I learnt to ride horses (western style) in Austin, thanks to colleague trying to teach me once.  I’ve seen more Country Music acts than anywhere else I’ve visited (with the exception of the Music Festival in Nashville).  For many years Austin was somewhere I wanted to move to, it’s still a great place and I love it but life moves on and goals change.

This trip was just for two weeks for work, however I did manage to get out to the Salt Lick and County Line and my favorite bar… the Broken Spoke on South Lamar.  More importantly I took two-step dance lessons – for the first time, and made a new friend.

I’m still dancing now that I’m back in the UK, but now it’s Rock ‘n’ Roll dancing… two-step is difficult to find in the UK

My free weekend in Austin was used to explore a little more of the Hill Country that surrounds Austin, including Enchanted Rock and Gruene.  I was lucky enough to see the Derailers play at Gruene Hall on the Saturday night.  On Sunday I decided to cool off from the Texas heat in Inner Space Caverns located just at the side of I-35 north of Austin.

A selection of photos from my most recent trip can be found in the Austin 2007 Photo Album.  A small selection of photos from my two month visit in 2003, including pictures of me learning to ride horses can be found here.  This site also includes a selection of other photos from my time in Texas.

We arrived in the afternoon and went to the Empire State Building where we spent late afternoon and early evening, watching the sun set and the city light up before heading back to the hotel.  Unfortunately that was about as much of NY as my sister got to see as she became ill after eating at the hotel.

The next couple of days were spent guiding my parents around the city. We went to the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, Central Park, Harlem, Times Square, and Rockefeller Centre to view the Christmas Tree & Ice Rink and to St Patrick’s Cathedral to see the nativity display.  Even Central Station was decorated, complete with a musical kaleidoscope show that played frequently throughout the day.

Most of the time we used the City Sightseeing busses to get around Manhattan Island.  However we did use the subway on one occasion, which was an experience for my parents, but as I’d used the subway a lot in 1999 I new what to expect…

During my previous visit in 1999 I used Taxis a lot to get around NYC, which is an experience in itself.   New York cab drivers have a somewhat unique driving style!

We didn’t spend much time shopping but did spend lots of time looking at the highly decorated shop windows of Macy’s and Lord & Taylor.  Some photos of which are included in the New York Photo Album.

Unfortunately we didn’t get chance to take a boat tour on Circle Line Cruises.  In 1999 I did take this tour and really enjoyed it the city skyline from the water is very impressive.

I’d arrived in Chicago following my vacation in Pigeon Forge & Nashville and a few days in Austin on business.

Armed with an out-of-date travel guide I picked up cheap in a discount bookshop I took the train from Naperville to Chicago (a bargain at $5 for a weekend rail card).  I arrived in Chicago just in time to watch the Adam Street bridge being raised. 

A short walk to the Sears tower and I was soon up on the viewing level looking out at the sunny Chicago.  This time I had a camera with me so was able to take a few snapshots, which can be found in the Photo Album.

Walking from Sears tower towards Lake Michigan I came upon Grant Park, where I sat and watched the world go by for a little while before walking to Navy Pier.  Navy Pier is an interesting recreational area which was extremely busy this sunny June Saturday. After getting something to eat I took a boat trip that provided a relaxing way of viewing some of the impressive skyscrapers that Chicago is famous for.

More walking, this time to the John Hancock tower for yet more views of the city from above.  After which I walked back to the train station to meet a colleague from Austin.  A short taxi ride later and we were at Giordano’s, a pizza restaurant renowned for its excellent stuffed Chicago style pizzas.

Sunday was slightly more leisurely with a late departure from Naperville, a walk around Grant Park, then a walk out to the Zoo (which is actually quite a long walk).  After lots more walking we ended up at the Taste of Randolph Street and saw a group my colleague recommended called “Toad the Wet Sprocket”.

A selection of photos can be found in the Chicago Photo Album

My hotel was located on the main street in Pigeon Forge which is lined by a mix of discount stores, outlet malls and various themed restaurants and attractions.  In short, not somewhere I would return to!  Next time I’d stay in nearby Gatlinburg.

Dollywood was not quite what I was expecting.  There were some good country themed shows and some good bluegrass musicians.  However, most of the theme park was aimed at very young children – so I didn’t really fit in.  There were however some very good Dolly Parton museums, that showed where and how she grew up as well as a collection of memorabilia and awards.

The Smoky Mountain National Park was much more interesting with some great scenery and nice leisurely drives including Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and Cades Cove Loop Road.  Roaring Fork was very quiet and peaceful with few visitors which made for a very relaxing Sunday morning visiting some of the old farm buildings left by early settlers to the area.

Cades Cove is one of the most popular tours so was a little busier but was still very good.  The highlight of the drive was seeing a bear with cubs in a field.  I only had a compact camera with me so the photos are not great but can be found in the gallery below:

I started Sunday morning with a drive to try and see the famous Hollywood sign, relying on the Hertz rental car’s GPS in order to get me there.  I ended up in Griffith Park, which provided pleasant walking trails in the hills overlooking the city as well as a good view of the “Hollywood” sign.  Unfortunately the Observatory at Griffith Park was undergoing renovations and was therefore closed to the public.

I left Griffith Park and headed over to Mann’s Chinese Theatre, where the stars hand and footprints can be found in the concrete forecourt. After taking a guided tour of the theatre (with just one other person) walked along the Walk of Fame, looking at the stars on the pavement. 

A quick stop for some lunch and then it was off to Beverley Hills, and Rodeo Drive.  Rodeo Drive was surprisingly busy for a Sunday and walking up and down this street lined with extremely expensive shops was interesting, but I only went into Brooks Brothers – everything else was outside of my price range.

A short drive away and I was at Santa Monica Beach, despite the time of year a walk along the seashore was very pleasant, with a light jacket on!  I spent a little while walking along the beach and the Santa Monica pier before heading over to the somewhat more eclectic Venice Beach (and wished I stayed at Santa Monica instead).

With this very hectic, but fun day coming to a close I drove back to my hotel, passing the famous Paramount Studios entrance on route.  Please visit my Photo Album.

Lazy F Ranch – Smiley, Texas

The Lazy F Ranch is a working cattle ranch located in Smiley, Texas which is near historic Gonzales. This is NOT a “Dude” ranch where you go on scheduled nose to tail horse rides  it is a real working ranch where you get to pitch in as much or as little as you like. The ranch only accepts a small number of guests at a time ensuring that you get a great experience and are able to participate in any and all of the activities on offer. Everyone at the Lazy F was very helpful and made you feel part of the family.

Even the cowboys who do this hard work daily in order to earn a living were more than happy to show guests the ropes, even though we were making there job more difficult than would normally be the case. As a result my riding ability and roping skills improved dramatically.

Photos of my visit to the Lazy F Ranch can be found in the Photo Album.

Seven Days of Hard Labour

My 7 day stay started on Saturday 27th March 2004 where I was given a horse that was used to being ridden by novice riders like me, Wizard. This time of year is the spring roundup, so my first afternoon was spent getting to know my fellow guests whilst trying to roundup (or more to the point find) the cattle within the brush. After a fairly unsuccessful roundup I took a scenic ride with the owner Clay around part of the ranch. This was the longest I’d ever been on horseback as my riding lessons had only been 1 hour at a time!!

Sunday I got up and saddled Wizard to go round up some more cattle. We managed to round up about 80 head in the morning and then spent the afternoon sorting the cattle in the pens and tagging the calves. This was an interesting experience as it involved being on foot in a confined space with a lot of very large cattle, and one bull. I had my first attempt at roping (after some tips from the cowboys).

Monday consisted of yet more riding, which was good as I was starting to get used to spending a lot of time in the saddle. Most of the day was spent working the cattle pens either on horseback or on foot. I was taught how to brand the cattle and was also taught, somewhat unsuccessfully, how to separate a calf from the herd.  My lack of ability in this area was not helped by Wizard’s nervousness around cattle in the pens. One of the cowboys lent me his spurs which with just a little gentle use helped to make Wizard pay attention to my instructions.

Trees can be Dangerous Things

Tuesday was spent looking for cattle amongst the brush again; I practiced loping across one of the pastures which was both exhilarating and somewhat scary as I’d never been at that speed outside of the practice pen!

In the afternoon I managed to dislocate my shoulder whilst riding between some heavy brush. I got my leg caught between a branch and the saddle. Wizard decided despite my best efforts that he didn’t want to back up and so as I carefully started to ease the branch over my trapped leg I must have slackened off the reins which allowed Wizard to walk quickly forwards. Leaving me holding a branch that was now behind me, end result I pulled my shoulder partly out of its socket. After yelling in pain I sat back up in the saddle and grabbed my left shoulder with my right hand. This pushed the shoulder back into its socket which hurt more than when it came out. I again yelled and then had a few choice words for Wizard.

Riding was somewhat painful for the rest of the day as every movement of the horse jarred my shoulder. Mounting and dismounting also became difficult as I could not use my left arm to take any weight. Thankfully I was riding western style with the reins in one hand so my left hand held my belt buckle in order to minimise movement.

Is Trust Me Someone’s Idea of a Sense of Humour?

With Wizard still objecting to back up for anyone who tried to ride him I rode a horse called “Trust Me” on Wednesday, although I had to have help saddling him as I could no longer lift the saddle onto his back, I tried and found out the hard way that I needed help, everyone was great and made sure I got the assistance I needed. Trust Me was a great smooth ride and much more cooperative than Wizard.

Myself and a couple of the other guests went for a short all be it very fast gallop across one of the pastures. This was the fastest I’d ever been on horseback and was great, I even managed to keep my hat on.  Working the pens with Trust Me was an absolute pleasure, he stood his ground when kicked several times by one of the cattle, I was expecting him to get nervous and ditch me in panic but he just stood and took it. On one occasion the hoof narrowly missed my right leg which had it of hit me and not Trust Me would have certainly left a greater impact on me than it did this great horse.

Texas Hospitality

The other guests & I spent the evening at the Long Branch Saloon and met up with one of the cowboys who had been showing us around for the last couple of days. We were introduced to many of the locals and the owners of the bar even came over to talk to us, it was a really friendly place.

Thursday was taken up with more riding, which was thankfully less eventful.  Friday was spent working the pens roping and tagging the calves.  With only one good arm I could only rope from the ground and not horse back as I couldn’t hold the lasso and the reins at the same time!

I got the opportunity to take a brief sightseeing tour of Gonzales late Friday afternoon, which was nice and relaxing after all the self inflicted exercise I’d been getting all week.

Tired and exhausted I was sad to leave on Saturday, but I could not have worked much more and really needed to rest my arm.  So after a pleasant morning ride on Dollar I headed back to the airport for my flight back home. Despite my injury and various aches and pains this was an excellent trip that I hope to repeat some day, preferably with less pain.

Two pieces of advice if you’re thinking of going on a ranching holiday. 1) Visit the Lazy F Ranch and 2) never hold a stationary object whist on horseback!