Keep Austin Stellar

I broke the cardinal rule of everything, and I went to Austin, TX with the highest of hopes. Thankfully, I was far from disappointed. Granted, I thought the hipsters would be a little more abundant, but as we are currently living in a time where being unconventional is conventional, I didn't really notice any more than any other city. What Austin lacks in overt hipsterdom, it makes up for in true to the core culture. Every restaurant, every store, every area is its own entity, not to be confused with the guy next door.

WHERE I STAYED: Omni Hotel by Southpark. The hotel was nice enough, but it wasn't where I would have chosen to stay if work wasn't paying for it. It was clean, the pool was amazing, and the pillows were the stuff of legend. I was about 10 minutes from downtown and South Congress, but next time, I want to stay at either Austin Motel or the Hotel San Jose

WHAT I DID: As this was my first time in this mystical city, my list of what I wanted to do was vast, and I only grazed the surface. The first thing I did after landing was trek to Mount Bonnell, which offers a fresh view of the city, as well as the Lake Austin part of the Colorado River. 

I had drinks with my friend AJ at Spider House one night. 

We also decided to go play mini golf at Peter Pan Mini Golf, which also happens to be BYOB. To me, it was the epitome of the spirit of Austin: unconventional, non-judgmental, and just plain bizarre. Of course, I packed a cooler with local brews and we putted our way through the first 18 holes, (which only cost us $6, by the way). I will conquer the remaining holes on my next trip. And if you were wondering who won, we all did, because we forgot to keep score.

            

Though I did not get to experience 6th Street, I did manage to explore South Congress by night and by day. I bought random pictures of strangers from Uncommon Objects, (which may just be the most interesting store I've ever been in), and browsed all of the other shops on both sides of the streets.

 

We also went to Rainey Street, which is a thing I am going to need Memphis to copy. I've seen a similar street in Phoenix, and it's just the coolest concept: It's all of these houses they've converted into bars, complete with awesome porches. If you don't know my thoughts on porch/patio drinking, let me tell you a thing: IT'S MY FAVORITE. After hitting up the food truck haven, we popped into Craft Pride, where they only sell local beers. And from what I could tell, they were all draft as well. Color me in love. I had a Cedar Creek Dankosaurus. Yes, it's a local, dino-themed IPA on draft that contains the word dank. I'd consider moving to Texas just for the beer.

I also managed to do something boring and historical and visited the Texas Capitol. What? It's so gorgeous and so large and so Texas.

WHAT I ATE: I had the pleasure of experiencing Trudy's the first night, which also happened to be top shelf Tuesday, so that was a win-win. The next night we had the intention of going to Hopdoddy's, but the line was around the building, so we made the mistake of going to the super pretentious and only some-what filling Perla's. For dessert after our lack-luster dinner, we made the excellent call of going to Amy's Ice Creams. I tried the Mexican Vanilla, but ended up getting the Dark Chocolate. Both are good choices. Thursday night I had a gyro from a food truck on Rainey Street. It was scrumptious, as is all Greek food from a truck. I ended my trip with two slices from Home Slice Pizza and half of a chocolate covered S'more from Big Top Candy Shop. I honestly didn't have enough meals to experience the food explosion of Austin, but when I return, I plan on tasting Hopdoddy's and this grilled cheese truck I saw on South Congress.

TRIP THEME: Unconventional IS Conventional

TRIP SONG: "Weigh of Love"--Black Keys

FAVORITE MOMENT: Walking down Rainey Street Thursday night. Nothing of significance happened, but it was the first moment I really felt like I was experiencing Austin.

WHAT I DRANK: Ceder Creek Dankosaurus; Austin Beerworks' Fire Eagle, Black Thunder and Pearl-Snap; and Thirsty Planet's Thirsty Goat and Buckethead IPA.

So, despite its aura of coolness, Austin does have its flaws. It's approximately the temperature of Satan's armpits, the traffic is just completely ignorant, and there is no professional basketball team there. If it weren't for these small issues, I could really see myself in this city, but alas I will have to settle for visiting. Often.

That's it, but I'll be back in Texas after a weekend at home. See you in a few, Dallas.

Wander On,
Melanie

Big (Rainy) Easy

Greetings from the Delta Terminal of MSY, (or the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport). I have decided to use my delay to blog, (instead of expensing my trip like I should, oops).

I'm no stranger to NOLA, and I have found that I have a soft spot for the city after I ran through 13.1 miles of it in February. It's so vibrant and rich in culture, and not unlike my sweet Memphis, there is always something delicious to devour every other block. When I visit somewhere, I like to do touristy things, as well as submerse myself in the local culture, find something off the beaten path. I feel I accomplished both this trip, thanks to my high school friend, Mary.

So, I'm not sure how I want to do this, week to week, but I guess I'll give this format a go:

WHERE I STAYED: Hotel St. Helene--Located Chartres St. in the French Quarter, and let me tell you a thing: It was phenomenal. It was clean, simple, cozy and incredibly affordable. It had a court yard (that I could walk out to from my room), and a continental breakfast that actually tasted fresh for once. I will definitely stay there again on a future trip.

WHAT I DID (TOURIST): New Orleans Pharmacy Museum was literally next door to my hotel, and I had no idea until I got there. I nerded out a solid amount there, and I know it's probably pretty low on non-pharmacists' lists,  (or even pharmacists' lists), but I loved it. It smelled like history in there, and as you probably didn't know, it's my third favorite smell, (After pizza and Main Street at the Magic Kingdom). After the museum tour, I wandered around the French Quarter, re-visiting old sites and taking in the wonder that is New Orleans.

WHAT I DID (LOCAL): I grabbed drinks with Mary and her friends, then we trekked for late night karaoke. It was so late by the time we got there that I can't even remember the name, but I had a great time anyway, (I sang 'I Want You Back' by NSYNC, if you were wondering).

WHAT I ATE: Mostly small snacks, but my biggest, (and best), meal was The Court of Two Sisters on Royal St. I had the Jazz Brunch, of course, and it was phenomenal. I only wish I could have sat outside, but the rain won.

TRIP THEME: rain, rain rain.

TRIP SONG: "Time Stops"--Explosions in the Sky

FAVORITE MOMENT: I went to a movie, (as it was pouring out), and when I walked out of the theater, you could tell the rain had just stopped, as the smell of it was still lingering. Walking back to the hotel, I noticed how quiet this huge and normally rambunctious city was. It was almost eerie. The people that normally crowd the streets hadn't found their way back out yet, and the stench of debauchery with them. It smelled clean, like somehow the rain had allowed for a new start, almost as if it was completely different city. I didn't last long, and by the time I got into my car, the same old New Orleans was back. I don't know why, but I can't stop thinking about that walk back, the awe I experienced thinking about how much of a force nature is. It's so surreal sometimes.

Okay, that's wrap. It's back to Memphis for the weekend! Then it's off to Austin, TX!

Wander on,
Melanie

Bucket List

Seeing as I can't consistently post on one blog, it makes the most sense for me to start a second one.

No matter, I have always thought of myself as someone who "loves to travel," but I found myself not really doing much traveling. With only two weekends off a month, and living in a city that I genuinely love with every fiber of my being, I was finding excuses to stay and postpone adventures in other cities. Then work threw me a curveball, and now here I am, in a new city every week. And guys, I really do love to travel. I love everything about it, (except maybe flight delays when I'm missing home), but the thing I love the most is that with every city, every experience, every sunset, I yearn for the next place. 

I'm ready to get started on this travel bucket list I started my freshman year of college, of which I've completed very little. I've been dragging my feet, but now I'm getting serious. This world is vast and magical, and I'm ready to see what it has to offer. Obviously I want to see the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, (especially the Lighthouse of Alexandria), and the New Seven as well, (hello Petra), but there's still so much more I want need to see. This blog is going to serve as a journal of my smaller journeys, as well as the major ones (i.e., bucket listed places). 

1. First and foremost, I need to step foot on every continent, including our icy friend Antarctica.  I'm three for seven currently, (North and South Americas and Europe). 

2. See the city of temples at Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

3. Watch riders finish the Tour de France with my dad (Champs Elysees, Paris)

4. Go skydiving in New Zealand

5. Snorkeling in The Great Barrier Reef 

6. Spend a week soaking up the beauty of Seychelles

7. Run a half marathon anywhere in Western Europe

8. Stay at Tswalu Kalahari (South Africa)**

9. Attend Oktoberfest in Germany (coming Fall 2015)**

10. Die from sheer happiness at Patara Elephant Farm (Thailand)**

11. Attend Carnaval (Rio de Janeiro) 

12. Polar Bear Tour (Churchill, Manitoba)

13. Ski the Swiss Alps

14. Attend a winter or summer Olympics

15. Attend a World Cup game

16. Eat at Alinea (Chicago)

17. See the Grand Canyon, (still on the fence about camping there)

18. Play with a panda in China (or Atlanta at the very least)

19. Tour the Warner Bros. Harry Potter studios and go to Platform 9 & 3/4

20. Cry at the absolute beauty of the Andes Mountains, specifically Machu Picchu** 

21. Lose myself in Marrakech and Casablanca (Morocco)**

22. Watch the horses at Piazza del Campo during the Palio di Siena (Italy)

23. Island hop via a cruise in Greece

24. Visit all Disney Parks 

25. Survive Mardi Gras in New Orleans (coming February 2015)

26. A Grand Tour of Europe 

27. See the hometown of my grandmother (Bordeaux) 

28. Attend the Cannes Film Festival

29. Gamble in Monte Carlo 

30. Stroll the beaches of Normandy

31. Alaskan cruise (WHALE WATCHING)

32. Visit every US State 

33. See the Russian Ballet

34. White water rafting on the Chattanooga River

35. Catch one of my favorite bands in their hometown/country

36. See the Northern Lights, (Aurora Borealis) in Finland**

37. Castle tour of the UK

38. See the cherry blossoms in Japan

39. Hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia (Turkey)

40. Hang out with turtles in the Galapagos Islands 

This is an ever-evolving list, but I feel like it's a great place to start. See anything you've done? See anything you want to do? Suggestions? Want to tag along? Let's make it happen folks; ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE!

**denotes top priorities