Austin, Texas

Usually, I post a Halloween blog about my party. This year,  I wasn't in town to have a Halloween party because my script, Patchwork, was selected as a Second Rounder in the Comedy Screenplay Competition of the Austin Film Festival in Texas. The Austin Film Festival is a big festival in the screenwriting community.

I've never been to Austin, Texas before and was super excited to explore both the city and the festival. The only info I had about Austin was the film festival, football, and the famous phrase: Keep Austin Weird.

I stayed at the Driskill Hotel, famous for being haunted. Of course, I didn't know about this until I was already there. This is the second haunted hotel I've unintentionally stayed in.

The Entrance of the Driskill

I loved these bedside tables. They look like steamer trunks.

The infamous room: 525. Considered haunted. I was a few doors down...

The Painting of the little girl who died in the hotel. Her ghost is rumored to haunt the Driskilll.

Most of my time was spent at the conference (an amazing one for anyone wanting to be a screenwriter or filmmaker), but I did have time for a couple of excursions.

One of the excursions was the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library. After visiting the Ronald Reagan Library in California, I am determined to see all the Presidential Libraries. 

Johnson was a teacher before he pursued politics. When Kennedy was assassinated, as Vice President, he took over the presidential role.

As President, he created the Great Society Legislation that upheld civil rights, public broadcasting, Medicare, and Medicaid. It also provided aide to education, the arts, urban/ rural development, public services, and his war on poverty.

The Silver Star. Johnson received this medal for gallantry in action during an aerial mission in the Pacific (1942).

Campaign Poster 1960

Johnson was known for his sense of humor. 

Lady Bird Johnson (the first lady) was given her nickname by Alice Tittle. She took care of Claudia Johnson when she was a baby. She said that Claudia was as "pretty as a lady bird", and the nickname stuck. As First Lady, Lady Bird did an exceptional job. For example, she led a group of foreign journalist on a five day "Visit USA" Tour in April 1968. As a thank you, they sent her these demitasse cups and saucers from their respective countries.

Unfortunately for Johnson, the Vietnam War occurred. The damage from the war and public disent made Johnson decide not to run for re-election. 

Also at the library was a special exhibit for the Beatles. The British band became a cult phenomenon. 

A Beatle's Fan's Room

1965 Book tie-in. It was highly unusual for a band to have a book tie-in, especially a hardcover one.

An interactive drum set. You can learn to play the drums from Ringo Starr. I'm not going to lie, I tried it out.

The next time I was able to go on an excursion was on Halloween Night. Have you ever been to Sixth Street in Austin, Texas on Halloween? Let's just say that it beats most Halloween parties I've seen.

Just a sample of the craziness this night.

Seriously, they go all out. They're like a giant outdoor Comic Con. I wish I had taken more pictures of the costumes.

The next morning, I went to Stubb's BBQ for their Gospel Brunch. They are known for their "make your own" bloody marys, brunch, and live gospel music. It was fun.

 

The band for the gospel music. 

That night I went to see the Congress Avenue Bridge Bats. The world's largest colony of bats live there. Every night at sunset, 1.5 million bats leave the bridge to hunt for insects. 

My attempt at capturing the bats.

Truthfully, it's impossible to capture in the photo the amazingness of this event. Like giant black clouds, the sky literally darkens from the swarms of bats. It is definitely worth seeing. 

Austin is a unique city. I wish I had more time to explore it. 

 Fun Foods I Enjoyed:

Amazing Filet Mignon at the Driskill Grill

The Rainbow Chard side that I ordered at the Driskill Grill

Queso is popular in Austin. I made sure to take advantage of it at the Roaring Fork.

Delicious Rainbow Trout with Toasted Almonds at the Roaring Fork

My Brunch at Stubbs BBQ. Warning, it has some heat.

Nopalitos. It's a cactus dish cooked with onions, peppers, cilantro, and tomatoes. I was determined to try cactus at Stubb's BBQ. It reminded me of green beans. 

The Midnight Cowboy is a bar in Austin. It was a former brothel and speakeasy. As a bar, it still keeps some of its former speakeasy heritage. There is no signage. You have to find it yourself and ring a bell in order to enter. The drink I chose was the Gun Club Punch which contains: white rum, dark rum, pineapple, lime curaçao, grenadine, and crushed ice. A little warning: their drinks are good, but they are also strong.

So Voodoo Doughnuts... I had never heard of them when researching Austin. However, every time I went past the place, there was a huge line. Luckily, on my last night around 10 pm, there was no line. So, curious, I decided to try it. Their doughnuts are amazing. I had a simple cream-filled doughnut, but you'll enjoy any of their selections. 

~A.E. Keener

Want to know more about my adventure? Click the links below:

~Driskill Hotel/ Grill: http://www.driskillhotel.com

~LBJ Presidential Library: http://www.lbjlibrary.org

~Stubb's BBQ: http://www.stubbsaustin.com/gospel-brunch

~Congress Avenue Bridge Bats: http://www.batcon.org/index.php/our-work/regions/usa-canada/protect-mega-populations/cab-intro

~Roaring Fork: http://roaringfork.com/#

~Midnight Cowboy: http://midnightcowboymodeling.com

~Voodoo Doughnuts: http://voodoodoughnut.com

A new section I've added.

Books I Used for Research:

~100 Things to Do in Austin Before You Die by: Kristy Owen

Beverly Hills Adventures

This past April, I once again returned to California for a film festival. The festival was taking place in Beverly Hills. During free time, I focused on adventures in and around the area.

I was fortunate enough to stay at the Montage Hotel. The hotel was beautiful, and the service was amazing.

A complimentary champagne from the hotel

When they learned I was a finalist in the film festival, they left me a special surprise!

One of the first stops I made was the Paley Center for Media, the location for the film festival. The Paley houses a permanent collection of over 160,000 television and radio programs and advertisements. They also have theaters for screenings. 

The front of the Paley Center for Media

The lobby of the Paley Center for Media

I decided to explore some of the "hidden" spots in Beverly Hills. These are excursions/ restaurants that most tourists don't know much about.

My first stop was at 10 Pound Bar. They are an exclusive whiskey bar and have some of the rarest whiskies. 

This is one of their cocktails. So delicious!

One of their whiskies. If you look closely at the ice cube, you can see that their logo has been lasered in the ice. 

Another stop on my agenda was Edelweiss Chocolates.

Edelweiss inspired Lucille Ball's Job Switching Episode

Look at all the chocolates!

The decision was hard, but I loved the chocolates I took home with me.

Following Edelweiss, I went to Nic's. A great restaurant, it is known for its hand-crafted cocktails and the vodbox. The vodbox is a walk-in freezer where guests wear fake fur coats and sample unique and rare vodkas. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to experience the vodbox, but I am determined to try it the next time I go to California. I did enjoy their hand-crafted cocktails. So good! 

From Russia with Love: Vodka, Fresh Strawberries, and a Champagne Float. I'm determined to figure out how to make this.

Next up on the hidden gems list was the Beverly Hills Brownie Company. Specializing only in brownies, they have just about any combination of brownie you can think of.

The store front

So many brownies!!! I couldn't get them all in the picture.

My choices: Normal, extra nuts, and smores. 

I had time to visit one more on the list, so I went to Vosges Haut-Chocolate. They have unique chocolate blends such as dark chocolate with Sri Lankan curry.

Store front of Vosges

This mushroom is made out of chocolate.

This is considered one of the customer favorites. Milk Chocolate with Hickory Smoked Bacon. Personally, I'm not a fan; but it's definitely worth a try if you like salty chocolates.

I had one free day so I rented a car to visit two excursions outside of Beverly Hills. I decided to go to the California Science Center again because they were having an exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Scrolls have great historical, religious, and linguistic significance. They include the second oldest known surviving manuscripts. Unfortunately, they don't allow pictures; but the exhibit runs through September. If you're in the area, then I would recommend seeing it. 

The second excursion was the La Brea Tar Pits. Natural tar has seeped from this area for tens of thousands of years. Many animal bones have been preserved in the tar. They are still searching the pits for more unique finds. It smells like burning asphalt, however it was fascinating to see this natural phenomenon.

These statues are located in the same park as the tar pits. 

  

The Tar Pits

Methane gas bubbling at the surface.

The rest of my time was spent watching the many amazing films at the festival. I always love coming back to California. There's always something new to explore!

Other Fun Foods I enjoyed:

Black Cod from Scarpetta's

The staff at Scarpetta heard I was a finalist in the film festival and gave me this delicious dessert.

Arctic Char with Zucchini and Wild Rice Griddle Cake from Chateau Marmont.

La Mervetty is a French Patisserie in Beverly Hills. Their speciality is Le Merveilleux. They are light and taste amazing!!!

~A.E. Keener

Interested in my adventures? Click on the links below to learn more:

~Website for Hidden Gems in Beverly Hills: http://lovebeverlyhills.com/itineraries/view/hidden-gems-of-beverly-hills

~Montage Hotel: http://www.montagehotels.com/beverlyhills/

~Paley Center for Media: http://www.paleycenter.org

~10 Pound Bar: http://www.montagehotels.com/beverlyhills/dining/10-pound/

~Edelweiss Chocolates: http://www.edelweisschocolates.com

~Nic's Beverly Hills: http://nicsbeverlyhills.com

~Beverly Hills Brownie Company: http://beverlyhillsbrownie.com

~Vosges Haut-Chocolate: http://www.vosgeschocolate.com

~California Science Museum Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit: http://californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/dead-sea-scrolls-the-exhibition

~La Brea Tar Pits:  http://www.tarpits.org/la-brea-tar-pits

~Scarpetta: http://www.montagehotels.com/beverlyhills/dining/scarpetta/

~Chateau Marmont: http://www.chateaumarmont.com/therestaurant.php

~La Mervetty: http://www.lemervetty.com

St. Patrick's Day

This past Tuesday was St. Patrick's Day. In my family, we go all out for the holiday. We're even visited by the leprechaun who decorates our house in Irish-themed favors and even leaves us a small present or two.

The Leprechaun really outdid himself this year.

There's always an excuse for cake. 

For lunch, I went to Slainte's Irish Pub to try some Irish food and drink.

A Pickle Back. It consists of Jameson Whisky and Pickle Juice. Strangely, it's a good combination.

Poutine: Fries topped with cheese and Guinness Gravy

Country Style Steak with Guinness Gravy.

That night, I went to Duffer's Bar and Grill. They were having an Irish night with live music and food.   

Beef and Guinness Stew with Mashed Potatoes.

I had a lot of fun on St. Patrick's Day. An old Irish saying is: The Proof of the Pudding is in the eating. With great food and music, I think there's plenty of proof that we did just that. I hope everyone else had a great day as well.

~A.E. Keener