Prince Edward Island

There are two methods of taking a vehicle to Prince Edward Island (PEI). The first is across the Confederation Bridge which is around 8 miles long with great views. The second is via a ferry that runs to Nova Scotia (will talk more on the ferry later).

After crossing the Confederation Bridge, my first stop on the Island was the Cedar Dunes Provincial Park. I camped at the park for one night before moving to Prince Edward Island National Park. Cedar Dunes is located on the south west point of the island. The main highlight from Cedar Dunes is the West Point Lighthouse which is pictured above.

The lighthouse was built in 1875 to warn mariners away from the nearby 5-mile-long reef. In 1987, guest rooms were added to the side of the lighthouse. These rooms along with the Light-keeper’s original suite (renovated) are available for rent. The lighthouse also serves as a museum and offers self-guided tours. The view from the top is outstanding.

The campground sits pretty much on the beach. The Catch restaurant came highly recommended from a number of individuals and I can now include myself in doing such. The bacon wrapped scallop tacos were suggested and proved to be so Yummy.

The next stop was Prince Edward Island National Park. I spent four nights at Stanhope Campground. I could have easily spent two weeks camped in the Park.

The park sits on the north shore of the Island and is broken into 3 sections, Cavendish – North Rustico; Brackley – Dalvay; and Greenwich. Camping is available at Cavendish – North Rustico (Cavendish Campground) and Brackley – Dalvay (Stanhope Campground).

The sections sit far enough apart from each other that I spent most of my time in / or near the Brackley – Dalvay section. I did not visit the Cavendish – North Rustico section and only spent a morning at the Greenwich section.

My routine in the park was up in the morning, a nice long bike ride, stop at Covehead Harbor for lunch and brews, head to the Stanhope beach, dinner at camp, campfire, and bed. A very enjoyable four days.

One thing to note is that bugs (primarily mosquitos) are prevalent. Each morning, I would lay my cycling clothes on the picnic table and do total spray down with Deep Woods Off. Next on the spray down list was any exposed skin.

I really enjoyed riding to Robinson Island (joined to mainland by a causeway). Mountain bike and hiking trails take you along the perimeter of the Island. For cycling, you can stay on the hiking trails or veer off to technical obstacles set parallel to the trails. I also found that the locals used the beach area near Robinson Island to get away from the tourist, so when in Rome ……

Some pics:

Camp – That’s me way down at the end of the first pic:

Cycling Pics:

Covehead Harbor: Active fishing village providing fresh catch, including lobster.

Beach Pics:

Sunset pics – I was able to catch a few nice sunsets

On departure day I spent the morning at the Greenwich section of the park located on the north east part of the island.. This is a day use area with beaches, observation tower and hiking / cycling trails. I arrived early and had the beach to myself, making for a peaceful morning. By mid-morning, more people were arriving.

Some pics from Greenwich –

As there was a drizzle and overcast sky on my arrival to the Island, my plan was to get pictures of the Confederation Bridge when leaving. Being a savvy / hardened traveler, I set the navigation app for my destination and started my way to Nova Scotia. It was such a nice day that I was enjoying the scenery and looking forward to getting some great pics of the bridge with a lighthouse in the background.

To my surprise, I found this sitting at the end of the road:

Well good golly miss molly!! This vision quickly altered my travel plans and also highlighted that you can take a ferry to Nova Scotia. So, Let’s take a ferry ride!!!!!

One travel story before we leave for Nova Scotia. At Richards restaurant in Covehead Harbor, I shared seating / lunch / brews with a couple from British Columbia. As happens when travelers meet, we shared stories of our adventures and life. What a great couple.

They told me they drove from British Columbia to Newfoundland in their pickup truck with a camper insert set up in the truck bed. In Newfoundland, they mentioned they had a little situation with the camper insert but moved on to other accounts of their adventures. Before we parted ways, they told me I should stop by that night to continue our conversations.

That evening, I loaded a six pack into a small cooler and walked to their campsite. Since I was out of my cycling clothes, they did not recognize me as I approached them. I held out the cooler and asked if they had lost some beer? They looked puzzled and said no. Then quickly, the lady said “Mark! is that you? We had a good laugh.

While having our first round of brew, they showed me pictures of the little situation they had with the camper insert. The insert was designed to slide up and down. While driving, half of the insert would slide down for better aerodynamics / gas savings. At a campsite, the insert would slide up, making more room.

While driving in Newfoundland, the top slide had come separated from the bottom and blown all over the road. They showed me pictures of the aftermath. Wow, debris everywhere. The husband noted rather sheepishly that he had forgot to engage the latches (which hold and secure the top into the bottom).

They were working to gather items and clean up the mess when Provincial Road workers stopped to help. The road workers called other workers. The other workers brought out what was needed to take the top roof section of the camper insert and permanently attach it to the lower section. In other words, they now lost half of the camper space.

They opened the back and showed me the inside. Wow, they had to crawl / duck to get to anything, including the beds.

They were leaving Prince Edward Island the next day. I asked if they were going to make a bee line for British Columbia given their situation. They seemed surprised with my question and noted that they were continuing on with their original travel plans.

This provides a small view into the window of life on the road. You can either take things as they come or not. I liked their choice.

New Brunswick, Canada

After an eventful trip through the US, I made it to Canada. I have always wanted to travel through the Canadian Maritime Provinces and now I am here. My travels will take me through 7 Canadian Provinces, 8 Canadian National Parks and a slew of Provincial Parks.

In New Brunswick (NB), I focused my time on three areas. These were the Promenade Du Sentier Fundy Trail Parkway, Fundy National Park, and Hopewell Rocks. The backdrop for all three areas is the Bay of Fundy.

On my way to the Fundy Trail Parkway, I stopped in the city of St. John for gas, groceries, and maps / information at the local visitor center. The city is known for Reversing Falls Rapid, a daily phenomenon created by the collision of the Bay of Fundy tide and the Saint John River. The east side of NB sits against the Bay of Fundy which is know for its tides which rise up to 13 vertical feet per hour and reach heights of up to 46 feet.

While heading to Promenade Du Sentier Fundy Trail Parkway, I saw signs that looked like a light house. As I am a “sucker” for lighthouses, I followed the signs. After driving quite a ways and seeing no lighthouse, I stopped at an arts and crafts store (May Moores Specialties). The store is adjoined to a bed and breakfast.

I talked with May for awhile (many good stories) and she informed me that the lighthouse looking signs indicate scenic drives. May is quite an artist. She walked me through her work on display. Sometimes you meet the most interesting people when just wander.

Fundy Trail Parkway

The Parkway is a 38 mile round trip drive with stunning views in every direction. It is part of two UNESCO designated areas (Stonehammer Global Geopark and the Fundy Biosphere Reserve). I would recommend spending a full day on the parkway and bringing a picnic lunch. There was a slight drizzle during my visit but I still really enjoyed the area.

While the route currently dead-ends, there is a plan to extend the road into Fundy National Park. This will save some driving time for those interested in both the Parkway and the National Park.

You can seek out pristine beaches, waterfalls, and cliffs with great views. The sites from the parkway are generally just a short walking distance, providing great rewards with minimal effort.

Some pictures:

The entrance to the parkway is just outside St. Martins. The Caves Restaurant has great seafood and is a convenient stop. From the restaurant, you can also walk out to the Sea Caves (during low tide).

Fundy National Park :

This Park has something for everyone – Mountain Biking, Road Riding, Golfing, Solar Heated Saltwater Pool, Fishing, Paddling, Hiking, and Beaches.

Four campgrounds are located in the park. In general, each campground centers on different experiences.

Wolfe Lake Campground – lake water activities
Chignecto Campground – mountain biking and hiking activities
Point Wolfe Campground- Beach (on Bay of Fundy) and coastal hiking activities
Headquarters Campground – Golf, Pool, Family activities

I camped for three days at Point Wolfe Campground. I spent my time hiking, hanging at the beach, mountain biking, road cycling, and sitting around the campfire.

Some pics from the park:

High Tide versus Low Tide –

Mountain Biking on Goose River Trail – So much fun, smile from ear to ear. The trail is on the cliffs overlooking the Bay.

Road Ride From Campground to Herring Cove Beach: The road crosses over a covered bridge with scenic views. The National Parks in Canada places two red Adirondack chairs in scenic areas for visitors to sit and enjoy.

Herring Cove Beach:

Dickson Falls: Stopped to hike the falls trail on my drive out.

The Hopewell Rocks:

The Hopewell Rocks are located on the Bay of Fundy and allow you to experience the world’s highest tides in a dramatic way. The Lovers Arch formation is a focus area. At high tides, people kayak at the top of the Arch. Then only hours later, you can walk under the Arch. Pretty amazing!

More pics of the area:

Hopewell Rocks is a popular tourist area, so prepare to share your experience.

As usual, their never seems to be enough time to see and do everything but New Brunswick treated me well. Now, off to Prince Edward Island!

Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire

Franconia Notch is located in the heart of the New Hampshire White Mountains. I have visited here before and really enjoy this area. My first visit was in the 1970’s for a backpacking trip along the Appalachia Trail, which runs along the mountain ridge tops. The infrastructure surrounding the park has changed significantly since the 1970’s but the beauty of the park remains.

I spent two wonderful nights camped in the park. My first day included hiking the Flume Gorge area and then finding / setting up a campsite . The second day, I cycled on the bike paths that run along the Notch.

THE FLUME:

The Flume is a natural gorge with walls that rise perpendicularly to heights of 70 to 90 feet with widths as tight as 12 to 20 feet. The trail through the Flume is two miles long and starts and ends at the Visitor Center (ticket needed). The trails crosses over the Pemigewasset River via a covered bridge on the way to the gorge and then circles back toward the Visitor center on the Ridge Path.

Flume Visitor Center:

Items of interest along the trail include:

Covered Bridge:

Table Rock:

The Flume Gorge and Avalanche Falls :

The Pool and Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge (a second bridge located on the loop back to visitor center):

The Flume Gorge area is worth a visit. The two mile hike is loaded with natural beauty and the state has done a great job of maintaining the area.

CAMP SET UP:

There were a few camping sites available at the Lafayette Place Campground. I came without reservations, so I got lucky. The campground has a store and showers. The campground map highlights a washer and dryer location. I thought I would do some laundry but I found only a dryer. I stopped by the store and asked about a washer. The store attendant smiled and pointed to the river. He then said “welcome to Franconia Notch”. I smiled back thinking “this is my kind of place” and we proceeded to talk about things to do in the area.

Day 2:

I cycled the bike paths from the campground which take you to various areas with the Notch.

My first stop was the Old Man of the Mountain Historic Site. A rock formation of granite blocks formed the profile of a man’s face when viewed from the correct angle. In 2003, the Old Man of the Mountain collapsed. After the collapse, funds were raised to build the Old Man of the Mountain Memorial and Profiler Plaza. Using one of the seven “profilers” allows visitors to re-image the profile. You pick which profiler to use based on your height.

In some ways pretty cool and other ways kind of nuts!

My second stop was the New England Ski Museum which is located at the base of the Cannon Mountain Ski Area. The Museum has free admission and has a great display.

Bode Miller grew up in the area and skied Cannon Mountain. Many of his Olympic and World Cup medals are displayed in the museum. Many people say that if you can ski this mountain, you can ski anywhere. It is know for icy conditions.

Often people ask about the term “skins” in relation to skiing. The museum had background information on this.

Today back country skiers still use skins made of synthetic materials for climbing hills. The skins are them removed before skiing down. Yahoo!

I loved the collection of old telemark ski boots. My originals would fit right into the collection.

It was a fun visit. The lady running the museum was very knowledgeable about the displays and the area in general.

Some more pictures from the day which include Echo lake and the Basin West:

These pictures brought back memories of backpacking trips in the White Mountains:

I need to give a shout out to Jim B., a good friend who lives in Connecticut. I was able to spend an evening (dinner and brews) with Jim and his family on the way to New Hampshire. It was great seeing him. Some pics from Jim’s hometown. Neat area for cycling, which I did before meeting up with Jim.

Next stop New Brunswick, Canada!

Ohio – Family Wedding

It is always great to make my way back to Ohio to visit family and friends. Weddings are extra special as it gives me a chance to see many of in one location. The wedding took place near Mohican State Park. The majority of the attendees stayed at the State Park Lodge or at the wedding site (which offered cabins and tree houses).

Most people came days prior to the wedding and we mainly gathered around the Lodge swimming pool. We used this time for drinks and conversing. Around 25 people, hit the golf course for a tournament one morning, which was quite an event.

Pics from the wedding:

Some pictures taken around Ohio prior to the wedding:

I was able to meet up with some old friends from the Sydney, Ohio area.

Speaking of family and friends, this is a good time to “plug” some pictures taken during my Spring time in Colorado. These include many events – cycling, camping, Meadow Grass Music Festival, Avatar Concert at Black Sheep, step-son’s graduation, Grandparents day, meet up of friends from work days, Rockies game with my buddy Roger. etc.

Next, I am off to visit the Eastern Canadian Provinces!

Springfield, Illinois: Land of Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky in 1809. His family moved to Indiana in 1816 and then to Illinois in 1830. While all three states lay a claim to Lincoln, the City of Springfield is the home to the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library, as well his tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Springfield is also the Illinois State capital.

My plan called for one full day to check out Springfield. I found that a person could easily spend three or more days to gather all the sites. Downtown Springfield is not real bicycle friendly, so I parked in a lot near the Presidential Museum and then walked about from there.

First stop was the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. This a top notch operation and one could spend a full day here. I highly recommend a visit!!!! On my journeys, people have often told me – you need to go to here or there. Once, I remember asking “why?’ and was told, just go. That recommendation led to a very special experience. So, versus laying out all the reasons why, let me say, just go.

Some pics from the Museum:

The downtown area is within a reasonable walking distance. Some pics:

Old Train station:

Capital Building:

Old Capital Building:

Other downtown building, including Governors Mansion:

My next stop was Lincoln’s home. He was sitting in this house when he received a visitor telling him that he won the presidency.

A very nice home for the time, as evidenced by the three “seater” in the back yard.

By the time I circled back toward the parking area, the Presidential Library was closing in 10 minutes. A short visit! The Library is across the road from the Presidential Museum.

The reason I was a little late for the Library is that a very nice brewery is situated close to the Lincoln home. Silly me. However, a few beers did taste well after walking all day.

Next stop Ohio, for a family wedding.

Jefferson City, Missouri

In 1821, Jefferson City was chosen as the site for the capital of Missouri. It is located on the tree lined bluffs of the Missouri River. Rand McNally named the city as “Americas Most Beautiful Small Town. The Governors Mansion is shown in the above picture.

Given the small town size, my goal was to bicycle to see the sites. I parked the van at the Red Wheel Bike Shop which is located near the downtown area. The shop is housed in a restored red brick building near the river. I would recommend the shop as they were very friendly, provided maps and information, a derailleur adjustment, and allowed free parking for the day.

The shop staff noted that the Missouri River had recently overflowed it’s banks and flooded the store. When it was safe to return, they found catfish swimming inside. Making the best of the situation, they made up T-shirts for memories.

The Missouri River was still high at the time of my visit:

As a start to the day, the bicycle staff recommended a ride on a green way trail along Wears Creek. This is approximately a 15 mile round trip from the bike shop. Next, I rode into the downtown area. The city has many historic buildings and special landmarks.

The capital building dome is under restoration and expected to open in early 2020.

Post Office Building – Sure makes a statement!

Old State Penitentiary

Lewis and Clark Monument at the Lewis and Clark Trail head Plaza:

Other sites:

Jefferson City had a couple of natural disasters right before my visit. Along with the flooding, a tornado had recently hit the town. It was sad to see the damage and repairs were underway:

Jefferson City is worth a visit. The town is very bicycle friendly and a person could easily spend a couple days exploring the city.

Now off to Springfield, Illinois and the land of Lincoln. By the way, still on goal for no interstate highway travel until Ohio. Traveling the back roads tells a tale of how many small towns are “drying” up. When Kansas and Missouri were first settled, people did not have today’s infrastructure and means to travel distances. Towns sprung up to provide local needs. Many of these towns did not thrive / survive into the changes of the 21’st century.

Kansas – Minus I-70

Heading east from Colorado, I normally “speed” through Kansas on I-70, stopping only for gas and eats. While heading to Ohio for a family wedding, I decided to add some travel time, allowing me to see Kansas via it’s back roads.

Most people think of Kansas as miles of flat land filled with fields of various crops. While this is generally an accurate picture, Kansas does offer some surprises.

A) Lake Scott State Park and Wildlife Area

First stop was Lake Scott State Park which provides easy access to a number of areas of interest. The park has natural springs, deep wooded canyons and craggy bluffs. A 100 acre lake created by dam construction provides a great setting for boating, swimming, camping, fishing, and hiking /cycling.

Within (or near) the park are the Steele Homestead Museum, El Cuartelejo Indian Pueblo, and the Battle Site of Punished Woman’s Fork.

Steele Homestead Museum: Herbert Steele homesteaded the area in 1888 and the Steele home is preserved as a museum.

El Cuartelejo Indian Pueblo: In the 1600’s, A group of Taos Indians fled from Spanish rule and migrated to the park area. They constructed pueblos and lived in the area for around 20 years before returning to New Mexico. They settled with a band of Plains Apache. This is the the northernmost known pueblo in the United States.

The pueblos were abandoned and then later excavated, investigated and reconstructed by the Kansas State Historical Society. The present site allows a visitor to see the Pueblo’s reconstructed foundation.

The El Quartelejo Museum is located in Scott City, not far from the State Park. It offers many exhibits and artifacts that provide a glimpse of early Native American and Pioneer life.

The Battle of Punished Woman’s Fork: This battle was the last encounter of Native Americans with the U.S. Calvary in Kansas. A sad time in U.S. history. The Northern Cheyenne were sent to Oklahoma were there was little food and no buffalo and at the same time malaria ravaged the the tribe.

In 1878, a number of Northern Cheyenne escaped from the Oklahoma reservation with the goal of returning to their original home in Yellowstone Territory. They were led by Chief Dull Knife. The Calvary pursued and Dull knife picked a place called Punished Woman Fork to make a stand, as it offered a remote canyon with a natural cave at the end. The cave provided a sanctuary for the women and children. The battle was a stand-off with the Cheyenne slipping away during the darkness of night to resume their way toward the Yellowstone.

View of the Canyon:

Entry to the battle area and a monument highlighting the battle:

Cave at end of canyon:

Cheyenne Rifle Pits locations are still visible:

B) Monument Rocks:

Monument Rocks is the site of the first Natural Landmark in Kansas as designated by the Department of Interior. The limestone formations rise 50 feet above the prairie and are one of the 8 wonders of Kansas. Note, the rocks are reached via dirt roads. I recommend taking the roads when they are dry. Keystone Gallery near the rocks is worth a stop.

The pictures speak for themselves:

C: Cheyenne Bottoms:

Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area is one of the Continent’s busiest flyways for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds, with 357 species.

D: Mushroom Rock State Park:

This park is tucked into the Smokey Hills Region of North-Central Kansas. It is one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Geography. It is a 5 acre park for day-use only. It is a satellite of Kanopolis State Park.

I had reservations to camp at Kanopolis State Park but the park was flooded out during my visit and was closed. The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers were in flood stage. As the Kansas rivers feed into these to drainage’s, the State was holding back as much water as possible via dammed controlled lakes. I ended up staying at Pomona State Park which was open but also flooded.

State Park Flooding:

My back road Kansas visit provided a different perspective to the State. On to Missouri!!

Colorado Rockies 2019 Season Openers – Miami and Tampa, FL

My friend Roger and I made plans to attend the 2019 Colorado Rockies season opener in Miami as well as some of the following games in Miami and Tampa. Roger lives on the east coast so I flew in and we then used his camper as our base for the excursion.

Roger, camper and nice socks:

On the way to Miami, we stopped for a night at Salt Springs Recreation Area. Beautiful area for camping and water activities.

The second day we set up camp at a KOA in Davie, FL, near Miami. This gave us easy access to the Miami Marlin’s Stadium as well as Florida beaches.

The Miami Marlin Stadium is located on 17 acres in Little Havana, about 2 miles west of downtown. The stadium construction was completed in March 2012.

We saw two games in Miami. The Rockies played well and won the games we attended. We had a good time.

The stadium has some neat features including:

Retractable roof and outfield glass panels. The glass panels provide unobstructed views of the downtown Miami sky line. Pics of stadium with roof open and closed as well as the structure used for sliding roof.

Aquatic home plate backstop

Clevelander Bar and swimming pool, a South Beach-themed nightclub located in the stadium at the left field wall.

Bobblehead museum:

Roger has attended the Rockies Fantasy Camp in Arizona a number of times. As such, we met up with some of his Rockies friends and acquaintances for pre-game warm ups as well as at the games. It was surprising how many Rockies fans attended.

Some pics of Roger and I as well as “Q” (a Denver friend of Roger’s from fantasy camp) and Raquel (whose nickname is “Mayor”, of downtown Denver).

Pre-game warm up sites, located in little Havana:

While in the Miami area, we wanted to hit a beach one day. Hollywood Beach was recommended by a number of the locals. A great recommendation. We spent time walking the boardwalk as well as drinks and music at a number of the spots on the beach.

Margaritaville – was the first stop. Sculpture of a busted flip flop and surfing pool.

We then found great music and good times at the Rip Tide and Grumpy Gary’s. Early morning walk back to Roger’s truck in beach parking lot at 3 am.

The next morning was moving day. We folded up camp and moved to Lake Manatee State Park, which served as a base to attend two baseball games in Tampa.

The Rockies went 1 and 1 for the games we attended. We met “Q” for the games and also pre-game activities.

The Tampa Bay Rays Stadium has a cool walkway from the parking lot to entry. Some pics of the stadium, stadium area and pre-game sites.

While in the area, we visited a number of beach areas and caught some nice sunsets.

Siesta Beach: Plenty of free parking and white sand beaches.

Shepards Tiki Bar at Clearwater Beach: A great place for live music, a chill vibe and great sunsets:

Bradenton Beach and the Drift In: A place where a good mix of locals, visitors, and a bit of criminal element hang out. Fun place!

Some additional pics from the area:

On the way back to Rogers abode, we camped one night outside of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. I would like to come back and spend more time here for kayaking. They have platforms in the back country areas which you can paddle to and then camp.

Back to Roger’s place, the airport, and Colorado! What a great trip with a mix of baseball, beaches and hanging out.

South by South West (SXSW) Festival Guide – Austin

Having attended SXSW for the first time, I wanted to share some thoughts on how to approach the festival. Hope this helps anyone planning to attend in the future.

Festival Structure

While I attended the festival for the music, SXSW offers an array of event types. These are Interactive, Film, Gaming, Comedy and Music. The festival in total takes place over two weeks. In general, the music event occurs during the last 6 days of the festival. The other event types typically happen prior to the start of music window. However, there is event overlap across the whole festival.

The events take place in approximately a 3 mile radius of downtown Austin, with venues at any available location, from parking lots to churches. The Austin convention Center is the hub for information and some event activity.

SXSW has an official website that provides a lot of worthwhile information about the festival and the activity within each event type. The venue names and locations for each event type continue to fill in as the festival time gets closer. For example, the music event had close to 2,000 “official” bands. Some of the bands were announced months ahead of the festival while others were announced within a month of the festival. Even though some bands were announced early, the venues and times were filled in closer to the start of the festival.

Purchase Entry or Attend for Free

My experience was with the music portion of the festival, so I will address that first and then give my thoughts on other festival events.

Music event attendance purchases include badges, wristbands, guest pass, pay at the door and free.

BADGES: Badges are the most expensive option. You can purchase a Platinum Badge which provides primary access for any type of event or you can purchase a more focused “event” badge. For example, I purchased a music badge. Badges are available from the SXSW website. Many hotels also included badges as part of the total purchase package.

When lining up for an event, there are two lines “in theory”. One line is for those that have a Platinum Badge or a badge focused for the type of event. The second line is for those with a badge focused on a different event or a wristband. The first line will enter the event before the second line.

For example, if you are attending a music event, the first line will include those with a Platinum Badge or a Music badge. The second line will include those with a music wristband or any other type of badge. Badges go on sale many months before the festival.

Another advantage of the badge is that each day you can request an “express” entry to two events. A platinum badge can request this for any event, while a focused badge can only do this for the area of focus. For example, if you have a music badge, you can request “express” entry for two music events each day. You can request the express entry starting at 9 am. the day before the event. This is done on-line. The express entry allows you entry to the event before the two above mentioned lines. A limited number of slots are designated as express entry, so you need to book these early as they go fast for events of major interest.

WRISTBANDS: Wristbands go on sale closer to the festival date and are about a quarter of the price of a badge. Wristbands are sold with an event focus (i.e., a music wrist band, a film wristband and so forth). To purchase directly from the SXSW website, you must have a credit card associated with a zip code near Austin. The idea is to make the festival more economical for local residents. There may be other options for obtaining wristbands (for example as part of a hotel package) but I am not sure.

GUEST PASS: There are certain events that allow a person to attend with a guest pass. The guest pass is obtained for free from the SXSW web site. For example, a guest pass will let you into the 3 evenings of outdoor music at Lady Bird Lake.

PAY AT DOOR: I am guessing that this only works for certain music venues. Some of the venues are a distance from the downtown area and do not fill up. In many of these cases, the venue lets badge and wristband holders in for free but also have a cover charge for others. This is hit and miss depending on the day and time. I will talk more about this in the below sections.

ATTEND FOR FREE: Again, I am guessing this only work for some music events. The other types of events have fewer venues and therefore more attendance by badge and wristband holders.

The music side of the festival has official SXSW showcases and also unofficial events. As noted on the SXSW website “Showcases are curated by SXSW in collaboration with record labels, booking agencies, management and PR firms, export offices, publishers, media outlets, lifestyle brands, festivals, and more. Performances take place in bars, clubs, parks, churches, and hotels around downtown Austin”.

The music showcases typically start around 6 in the evening and last until 2:00 a.m Many of the venues will have unofficial events earlier in the day, typically starting around noon.. By unofficial, I mean the venue works directly with the artists to book versus SXSW. These unofficial events start earlier in the day and go until the showcases start.

Some venues charge a cover for the unofficial events and some are free. At many venues, they do not clear the crowd between the end of the unofficial and the start of the showcases. If you are in such a situation, you are getting into the showcases for free or for the price of the cover charge. This is less expensive than buying the badge or wristband but is a very hit or miss situation.

Many of the unofficial events require a RSVP / VIP set (all free). Not sure how this works but if you are looking to attend events for free, you will want to investigate this option.

Where to Stay

The question here is how much are you willing to pay. Obviously, the closer to downtown, the higher the price. If you can afford staying within walking, cycling, scooter distance from the center of town, I recommend you go for it. There are cycling and scooter rental stands throughout Austin.

I talked with a number of people who stayed a distance from downtown and regretted doing so. Some had a rental car and planned on driving to activities. In other cases, they took Uber. However, finding parking is hard and expensive and driving is a real mess. You may find options (such as Air BB) south of Lady Bird Lake a little less expensive and still within walking distance. SXSW does run a shuttle service during the festival that has stops south of the lake. Later in the evening the shuttle is not always reliable.

How to Prepare

Regardless of how you plan to attend the festival, you will need a place to stay. The sooner you book the better. Again, some hotels include badges as part of the stay package.

Next is how you plan to attend. Do you want to pay for entry or attend for free. The badge prices increase in price each month until the start of the festival. So the earlier you purchase the better. Wristbands are way more economical but you will need to have a “local Austin” friend purchase for you or make part of your package with hotel. If you plan to attend for free / pay cover charges, know that attendance is hit or miss and you will want to investigate the unofficial event RSVP / VIP set-up.

If you have a badge, the SWSW site allows you to have on-line connection to a listing of different event types, artists, venues and times. You can highlight favorites, which then show as an on-line personal schedule. Spending time before the festival to pick favorites is a great idea as it will provide some focus for each day of attendance. The online schedule will highlight your favorites for each day, showing times and venue locations.

How to spend the day

In general, two options exist for attending events. The first option is to move around between venues in order to see your favorite picks. The second option is to determine where a number of your favorites appear at the same venue and then focus on that venue for the day. With a few exceptions, I chose the second option. I attended the venue early (at least by the first official act of the day and in some cases for the unofficial acts) which allowed securing a good spot and then seeing many acts. The music acts go for 45 minutes with a 15 minute stage change. This means you will see a round 7 acts, give or take.

The move around option allows you to potentially see more of your favorite artists but less artists in total.

Flexibility is the key. Some of my outstanding artists from the festival were not on my favorite list. However, in most cases, the artists scheduled at a venue for a given day are from a similar genre. If you like one artist, you will probably like the others at the venue for the day.

Key to success

When asked about the festival, my reply was often “Total Chaos, yet Totally Perfect“. Staying flexible and adaptive is the key. Have fun!!!

Entry to some venues go smooth. Others are a mad house. Lines at some venues are well organized at others a cluster. Shuttles are nice after standing for 8 / 10 hours. However, after midnight they are often a no-show. People working the event are mainly volunteers and do their best but often provide dis-information. An on and on ………..

Non-Music events

There are less venues for the Interactive, Film, Gaming, and Comedy Events. For the well know activity within each event area, you will have more people trying to attend. For example, for one of the more publicized movies, a couple told me that even with a Platinum Badge they were worried that they might not get in.

My advice is to use the “express pass” and / or get to the event line early for the well know non-music events.

Recommendation

If you have the time and money, grab a platinum badge, stay in close to the city center, and attend the whole two weeks of the festival, trying a sample of all event types.

South by Southwest Festival 2019- Austin

During my past travels, the South by Southwest (SXSW) experience was recommended by many. I am glad I took their advice. What a great time! I would describe it as “Total Chaos, Yet Totally Perfect”.

I am doing two posts on SXSW. The first highlights my experience and the second is my take on a beginners guide to the Festival. The guide will discuss things like official and unofficial SXSW music.

I spent 8 nights in Austin, focusing on the music portion of the festival. I stayed at the Pecan Grove RV Park, which is a gem located less than a mile from downtown Austin. A friend (Paul) from Ohio flew into Austin to join me for 3 nights. Paul and I were able to meet up with my friends from Austin (Brian and Summer) for music, drinks and conversation.

Pics of friends:

MUSIC:

Highlights:

Many have asked who was the best musician / band that I saw. This is a hard question to answer. So much good music. However, here are my picks broken down into 3 categories.

Best up and coming act: Angie McMahon, a singer songwriter from Melboune, Australia. You can find some of her songs on you tube. She is set to release her first album sometime in 2019. I found out later that she received the SXSW Grulke Prize winner for Developing Non-U.S. Act is Angie McMahon. Well deserved. In my research on SXSW, it was often noted that you would just run across a great act by accident and that is what happened in this case. I arrived early at the Continental Club to see a different band and Angie played before them.

2. Best Established Acts: I have always wanted to see Edie Brickell play. I was not disappointed. She played at St. Davids Historic Sanctuary. What a great venue for her. A number of bands played before her and some people (mostly younger) left before she was ready to play. A lady next to me asked “where is everybody going”? I noted that given their age, they probably never heard of Edie.

A second favorite was the Iguanas. I have seen them a number of times in the past. Really like their music.

3. I am going to call this category “The Best Been around for a little while act“. Pat Byrne is from Ireland. He has a music history there, winning the Irish version of “The Voice”. He recently moved to Austin and his band has members from the Austin area as well as from Ireland. Paul and I had a chance to talk with them after their set. Really neat bunch.

Music – Day by Day Breakdown:

Day 1:

After setting up camp, I walked downtown to the Convention Center to pick up my badge and get my festival “bearings”. My focus for the evening was the Mohawk venue. That afternoon, I walked to check out the location for later but plans changed. Excellent music was already playing at 3:30 p.m. So, inside I went and remained until after midnight. I meet a couple from Iowa and we exchanged travel stories in-between sets. Cool people. We had a nice balcony view of the stage.

The band line-up was Deerhunter, Priests, The Beths, Sweet Spirit, Fontaines DC, Black Midi, Dramatic Lovers, Combo Chimbita, and Murray Lightburn. My favorites from the night were The Beths and Deehunter. Each band played around 45 minutes with a quick 10 to 15 minute stage change. It was a long / excellent day on the feet and a pleasant late night walk back to camp.

Some pics:

Day 2:

Paul flew into Austin and joined me at camp. He got settled, we walked downtown to get his badge, and then had lunch at Coopers BBQ. Back at camp, we had our usual drink of choice – Crown and Coke. We had not seen each other for a year and a half, so we had a lot of catching up to do. When we are on the road together, we usually “light it up” one night. Well this was the day / night.

We headed to the Saxon Pub for music and sat at the bar for the duration. Sitting at the bar has pros and cons. Both of which are – you get served quickly.

The official SXSW music started at 9 pm but unofficial music started at 6 pm. The photo below shows the official music list.

Each of the bands posed for pictures on the patio after their set, which allowed us to take pics and meet with the band members. Pretty cool. A Pat Byrne CD was the only one I bought during the festival. It was close to 3:30 a.m. when we called it a night.

Day 3:

Breakfast at Uncle Billies which is next to Pecan Grove. Good breakfast at a decent price. We hung around camp and explored some of the trails around Lady Bird Lake. Our music venue for the day was St. David’s Historic Sanctuary. The bands were City of the Sun, J.S. Ondara, Madison Cunningham, Sweet Crude, The Comet is Coming and Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians.

My favorites were Madison Cunningham and Edie Brickell. The original members of the New Bohemians came to play with Edie, pretty cool. Awesome venue!

Edie finished at midnight, another late night walk back to campground.

Day 4:

Brian and Summer rode their bikes to the campground for a visit. We had a good time catching up . They headed back to their place via Uber and we locked their bikes up at camp. Yes, we had a good afternoon.

Our Day 4 venue was the Continental Club. We saw FIX8, Kalu and the Electric Joint, Lisa Morales, Cure for Paranola, Walker Lukens and Los Coast. My favorite was Lisa Morales from San Antonio, TX. What a voice! And the lead guitar player, wow!

A long night and next day for Paul as he left the campground around 4 a.m. in the morning to get back for a family event. Good times were had with Paul!!!!!!!

Day 5:

Brian and Summer stopped by camp and we then rode bikes around the south side of Austin. We stopped by to check on the status of their new home in progress and I got to meet some of their future neighbors. Fun afternoon.

Saxon Pub was my venue of choice for the day. I arrived around 6 p.m. and caught some unofficial music (Denny Freeman). Then the official SXSW acts started at 8 p.m. and included Nobody’s girl, Jared Deck, Charlie Faye and the Fayettes, Bonnie Whitmore, Karen Jonas, and Boketto the Wolf. My favorites were Nobody’s Girl and Bonnie Whitmore.

Nobody’s Girl is a new trio formed by award-winning songwriters Betty Soo, Grace Pettis and Rebecca Loebe. Such great harmony singers and effortless instrumentalists. Bonnie Whitmore is a singer – songwriter with a powerful voice.

The food truck outside of Saxon that night was awesome. Veggies were grown in her garden. Yummy.

Music ended at 2 a.m. and another late night walk back to camp.

Day 6:

Three venues for day 6. I met up with Brian and Summer and we started the day at the British Music Embassy. The British Embassy rents out the Latitude 30 club during the SWSX festival (I wonder how much that costs?). The bands coming from Great Britain will play here at least once during the festival. It collects a pretty “fired up crowd”.

The Bands playing the afternoon “unofficial SXSW” set are shown in the background of the below picture.

My favorites were Island and the Snuts. More pics from the British Music Embassy:

After a few drinks at a hotel lounge near the British Music Embassy, we headed to the Victoria Room at the Driskill Hotel. We saw an International mix of musicians, Susan Kocher (Germany), La Terza Classe (Italy), Jackie Bristow (New Zeland), and Quivers (Australia). My favorite was Jackie Bristow, very good songwriter – singer!

I parted company with Brain and Summer and headed to the Continental club where I heard Hayes Carll, Angie McMahon, and the Iguanas. As described above, Angie was a standout and the Iguanas is on of my favorite New Orleans bands.

Music ended at 2 a.m., so the usual late night walking back to camp.

Day 7:

Slept in, took a nice bike ride (around Lady Bird Lake, up Shoal Creel a ways and then into town for a coffee and pastry) and then headed to the Saxon Pub for more music. SXSW had pretty much ended (there was a closing party at one venue downtown Sunday night). However, a camping neighbor had mentioned that the Lost Austin Band was playing at the Saxon that afternoon. The band leader is Bob Livingston. His on-line bio says it best:

” As a member of Austin’s legendary Lost Gonzo Band, Livingston toured and recorded with such musical visionaries as Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Martin Murphey, Ray Wylie Hubbard and many more. Livingston played an integral role in helping to create the music that first earned Austin the designation of “Live Music Capital of the World” and helps explain why he was inducted in to “Texas Music Legends Hall of Fame” in 2016 and the West Texas Walk of Fame in 2018. ”

This was a must for me. I sat at the bar conversing with locals and was now also getting the “local beer price”. Austin music community is pretty tight and many were at the Saxon to see the Lost Austin Band.

It was St. Paddy’s day and their was a pretty good party going at an Irish Bar close to Pecan Grove. However, once I returned from the Saxon Pub, it was lights out.

Day 8: Pack up camp and head toward Colorado. WHAT A GREAT TIME!!!!!!!!!!

Some more pics from my festival and my ride back to Colorado: