Archive for the 'Be My Guide' Category
Be my guide: Sledding at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico
July 15, 2009 12:04pm
I had avoided many of the obvious tourist traps during my two-week cross-country road trip that concluded last week. When reader Dinh Lu suggested White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, I considered skipping it because of its touristy connotation — mainly because it has the words “national” and “monument” in its name.
But the tip came up again and again, with later suggestions from Rafael Delgado and @EvanWarner. So, on my drive from El Paso to Albuquerque, I decided to take the detour.
Be my guide: Social media travel tips are valuable but limited by the crowd
July 9, 2009 10:10am
View Be My Guide: Cross-country road trip in a larger map
When it comes to collecting travel tips, there’s strength in numbers. For the last two weeks, I have been traveling across the country in my 1999 Pontiac Grand Am and using the collective knowledge of readers and online social-media wanderers to lead the way.
The response was overwhelming —literally, my e-mail in-box could barely hold it all. But the tips were invaluable and led me to hidden gems that AAA or most other travel agencies would never have listed. I’ve put a lot of them on the Google map above.
For many of the 14 cities I visited, locals whispered to me via the Web, pointing me to the underground hot spots. Some of the best suggestions popped up in Chicago, Nashville, Austin and Albuquerque. The pearls in those cities were mostly small, unassuming places outside the usual downtown bar scenes. They’re hidden from the public eye.
Be my guide: Final landing at Spaceland in Los Angeles
July 7, 2009 11:12am
After two weeks, more than 4,000 miles and countless live songs, I finally made it to Los Angeles Monday night — the final destination on my reader-driven road trip. Having collected more than 100 restaurant and venue picks covering the country’s largest cities, it was time to see what the entertainment capital of the world had to offer in terms of reader tips.
Surprisingly, not much.
Readers had pointed me to few places in L.A. Perhaps being a Monday night was an obstacle, or maybe travel folks are more interested in dreaming about other places rather than concerts in their own city. Luckily, good music isn’t hard to find in L.A.
Be my guide: Las Vegas dance clubs don’t stray from pop
July 5, 2009 5:17pm
I’ve covered many types of music in my two-week, reader-driven road trip across the country. There was soul in New York, rock in Washington, D.C., blues in Chicago, folk-country in Nashville, jazz in New Orleans, weird dance rock in Austin, Texas, and weird circus music in Albuquerque.
One genre I have avoided like a pounding jackhammer to the chest is techno. I managed to dodge the hyper dance scene in El Paso, Texas, but in the Las Vegas Strip area, there’s nowhere to run. I would have to face my fear and fist-pump my way through the crowds.
Having received no reader tips for spots to go in Las Vegas, I took a shot in the dark. A single cover fee gains you entry to four large clubs at the Palms Casino Resort, just off the Strip. So I decided that’s where I would spend my night. Let the smoky, sweaty dancing ensue.
Be my guide: Eclectic duo on Albuquerque streets really clowns around
July 4, 2009 1:25pm
For my second-to-last stop before arriving in Los Angeles on my two-week, reader-driven road trip, I was in search of something different. I had hoped to find some traditional Spanish- or Mexican-inspired music or a country and western group — anything besides the usual cover bands and interchangeable rock acts.
Based on bars that readers had recommended in Albuquerque, I stumbled over the same old stuff. Just as I was about to give up hope, I came across two wonderfully eclectic guys performing in an unlikely venue.
Singing unusual tunes about clowns with a gruff yet compassionate voice, John Keith fingered the keys of his accordion in the doorway of an unoccupied office building. His partner in crime — well, it looked like you may not need a permit to play on the streets of Albuquerque, so what they were doing may not have been illegal— was Zoltan Szekely, a Hungarian musician who plays the Frankenstein of instruments.
Be my guide: Crowded El Paso bars can make you loco
July 3, 2009 10:46am
Some of you warned me about El Paso, the latest stop on my two-week, reader-driven road trip. Reader Daniel Anaya e-mailed to say that the city “has little to redeem it in general.” Based on what I saw, I wouldn’t come to that harsh a judgment, but it’s certainly not the most lively city on a weeknight.
El Paso is very rich in its culture collision. Since it’s right on the border with Mexico, many immigrants find themselves in the city either temporarily or permanently. For some perspective on how densely populated the area is with Spanish-speaking people, 11 of its 26 FM radio stations are broadcast in Spanish.
Readers offered few picks for El Paso, and most of them were restaurants. Anaya mentioned two bars: King’s X and the Garage Tequila Bar, which I had trouble finding. Eventually giving up, I stopped at Club Dedo, where a few patrons were congregating outside for a smoke.
Be my guide: Austin, Texas, music scene is packed with good, bad and weird bands [Updated]
July 2, 2009 2:12pm
Readers seemed to have endless suggestions for my stop in Austin on my two-week, music-driven trip. No wonder. This city lives and breathes music. I tried to hit as many spots as I could, which made for a long night of good, bad and just plain weird performances.
The weirdest was Patrick Wolf at Antone’s. A slender man wearing a black, S&M-type get-up, he played guitar, pounded on keyboards and even whipped out a violin for a couple of songs. The blond-haired, glitter-covered British chap removed his chain accessories and rolled around in the mosh pit (see photo at the top) while the band performed very catchy dance-rock tunes.
His drummer was phenomenal, and the band’s violinist was a master of catchy riffs. Wolf, too, was talented and eccentric, with a voice similar to the lead singer from the Darkness and a demeanor on par with Kevin Barnes, the sexually ambiguous front man for the rock group Of Montreal. And the sizable young crowd joined in step, putting together a conga line at Wolf’s request.
Be my guide: Star or Brother’s? Pizza showdown in Houston
July 1, 2009 11:02am
I thought I’d do something different for my stop in Houston on this two-week road trip. Readers gave conflicting picks for the undisputed champion of pizza in the city. The doughy delicacy being one of my favorite foods, I put them to the test.
On the blog post announcing the reader-driven road trip, Beth wrote, “Go to Star Pizza for some amazing pizza and great atmosphere.” Later, Jeff Flowers (@Bukowsky on Twitter) wrote, “I heart Brother’s Pizza in Houston.”
The Texas city may not be known for its pizza, as New York or Chicago are, but if pizza joints garnered nearly half of reader suggestions (and dozens of user reviews on Google Maps), I figured the Italian pie must be a popular meal here. With the challenge set, I hopped in my car and headed to Star Pizza on Harvard Street to grab a couple of slices.
Be my guide: Hand Grenades, Hurricanes and jazz music in New Orleans
June 30, 2009 11:50am
Leading up to my stop in New Orleans on this two-week road trip, I kept hearing from readers about how great the city used to be, before Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, and they wondered what it’s like now.
I hadn’t been to the Big Easy before. But I’m going to assume the nightlife hasn’t gotten any less crazy. Because if you turned up the notch any more, no one would survive— especially their livers. Locals confirm that the French Quarter bar scene hasn’t lost a step.
At lunchtime, a guy who runs a bar near my hotel stands in the doorway heckling people through a loudspeaker in between announcing drink specials. I dodge him to slip out of the rain and into Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar, a place recommended by reader Kirby Warnock.
With a bowl of seafood gumbo, I order my first beer, a local brew called Abita, because why not? There are people already red-eyed and poorly balanced carrying drinks around city streets. The gumbo is excellent and the beer cold.
Be my guide: Following Elvis Presley’s ghost around Memphis
June 29, 2009 10:18am
Responding to reader demand, I added Memphis to my two-week, music-inspired road trip. No one objected to nixing Montgomery, Ala., from my travels — except for Janis Ian, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter I wrote about after seeing her perform at Bluebird Cafe on Saturday night in Nashville.
Ian, who e-mailed travel suggestions after seeing my blog post, said Alabama had good food and music. Following a slight berating for the itinerary change, she recommended B.B. King’s Blues Club in downtown Memphis for ribs and live music.
Sadly, I missed out on what seems like all the choice places to eat. By 8:30 on a Sunday, B.B. King’s kitchen was closed (except for burgers). Interstate Bar-B-Cue, which was recommended by Neal Kaskel and Karen Sheeler, isn’t open on Sundays, and Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous, also recommended by Sheeler as well as Adam Stue and @larasweetworld, fell victim to the dreaded “private party.” I discovered, though, that Pigs on Beale has some pretty good ribs, making me realize why Elvis Presley loved Memphis so much. Great food!
