I've Been Busy...

Up In The Guadalupe Mountains

 But, I hope to have more posts up soon.    

Pet CPR

 

Pet CPR Instructions

I found this earlier.  Source is the American Red Cross, which you can visit for more information on this topic.  

The Story of the Mad Max Interceptor (Documentary)

Floyd Real East Turns 8

 

This month Floyd Real Estate turns 8.  Happy birthday to the company!  It has been an exciting ride with residential and commercial transactions in the central Texas area.  We look forward to many more years of helping our clients.  Also... assuming we find a satisfactory venue, our trivia night series will return at some point in the future.  

Food: Stiles Switch and The 12 Days of Smoked Meats

It's back for 2022: The Stiles Switch 12 Days of Smoked Meats.  Take a look at the embedded post below to see what is in store...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew (@stilesswitchbbq)

Austin Runoffs: Early Voting

Austin residents:  early voting started today and will run through December 9th.  If you missing early voting (do yourself a favor and don't), then you can vote on December 13th.  

• Everyone in Austin can vote for mayor.  Austin has parts in Williamson and Hays counties, in addition to Travis.  
• If you live in City Council Districts 3, 5, or 9 then there is a runoff to determine your council member.  
• If you've followed this blog for a while, then you know I ran for D5 in 2014.  I now live in D9.  Same house, but the lines moved.  
• Link to District Maps
• Community Impact has links to polling locations in all three counties.  
• Realtors: ABOR has a list of endorsed candidates.

Maps: Texas and the British Isles

I went to London last month and I just completed a drive from Austin to Moab and back (which includes going from Austin to the Texas border just east of Clovis).  Ergo, when this map appeared sua sponte in a UK based WhatsApp chat I'm on I decided to share it.  Texans and residents of the British Isles: now you can judge the scale of a drive when contemplating visiting each other's respective homelands.  

Speaking of London and Moab, I do have a few travel observations/tips/etc I'll attempt to share by the end of the year.  Who knows... maybe I'll get around to my tips for backpacking in the Grand Canyon as well.  

Marriott Eat Around Town Bonus

 If you have one of your credit cards linked to the Marriott Eat Around Town program, you can get 8x points through the end of November (normally it's 4-6x points per dollar depending on Bonvoy status level).  Visit the website to search for restaurants in the program (and any special terms or restrictions).  

REI Gear Sale

Modeling a Nano-Puff Vest on the HMS Belfast

REI gear sale is November 11th-21st.  If you are an REI member, you'll get a coupon for 20% one regular item and one from the REI Outlet.  

If you are new to REI: they typically have three of these 20% coupon deals (one for the regular store and one for the outlet) per year.  The next one will come out in March when the dividends are issued.   Also, if you get the REI Mastercard you can get an additional 5% back on all REI purchases.

Why do I mention all of this?  I like hiking, camping, backpacking, bicycling, kayaking, traveling, going to the gym, the occasional ski trip, and good winter gear (for those couple of months it's chilly here in Austin).  If you like any of the aforementioned: REI sells good equipment for all of these activities.  Many things they sell are not cheap, but the membership + Mastercard setup means you can get up to 15% back in store credit to subsidize gear for your hobbies.  For example: with accumulated store credit from the Mastercard* defraying the retail cost, I recently picked up a Patagonia Nano-Puff vest for $17 (as opposed to paying the full $179).  

[note: the above photo is from the HMS Belfast in London.  I toured it last month and recommend a visit to anyone interested in naval history.]

*now that Capital One runs the REI Mastercard, you can use your card rewards at any time throughout the year.  When U.S. Bank ran the rewards program, you had to wait until March at which point your rewards were issued all at once in conjunction with the annual dividend.  I appreciate the anytime access Capital One provides (plus the much improved website and phone app experience), though I do miss U.S. Bank's 2% rewards from any non-REI purchase made with Apple Pay.  

Formula 1 Las Vegas Update

 

Per The Drive on Instagram, the cheapest tickets at the Las Vegas Grand Prix will be $500.  These are standing room only tickets.  In my experience with such tickets at Circuit of the Americas, you have to show up quite early to get a decent viewing spot.  I can only assume it will be like this in Las Vegas.  If you want an assigned seat in a grandstand, minimum cost is $2,000.  For reference to the USGP in Austin: our Turn 9 grandstand seats at COTA cost around $400 and came with a fantastic vantage point.  Of course, watching race cars blast down The Strip (at night!) may be worth the extra $$$ for a lot of people.

For fun I checked out race weekend hotel prices at Caesar's properties.   Here's an example: Planet Hollywood rooms are starting at $1,229/night (which I hear isn't far off from some of the better Austin hotels during F1 weekend), but a suite which comes with a guarantee of a Strip view is currently going for $4,439/night.  Planet Hollywood is at one of the turns, so the view should be great.  Follow the link above to peruse more expensive hotel options.  

American Express Card Members: early access tickets are on sale now

[Note: Amex for the win on this.  Capital One just announced early access to Taylor Swift concert tickets, but I'm more of an auto racing fan.  Ironically, the only time I've seen Taylor Swift live was at her COTA show after the USGP a few years ago.] 

South Lamar Corridor Project

If you are wondering what is going on with the South Lamar Improvements promised as part of the 2016 mobility bond, KXAN has an update.  The city says construction will start in 2023.  

There are links in the article to more information about the project.  You can also find out more here:

• Austin Mobility presentation on South Lamar Boulevard Corridor Improvement Project
• City of Austin Corridor Program Office's South Lamar Corridor page

Podcasts: The Night Owl

Upstairs at the Subject of My Favorite Night Owl Podcast

Happy Halloween Austin!  I'm not here to judge your Halloween related decisions from over the weekend, but I am here to remind you that The Night Owl podcast would be perfect for enjoying this evening.   There are new episodes, though my all-time favorites remain those from the series about The Tavern.  

Food: Tumble 22 Sold and Will Expand

Old School: When T22 was a Food Trailer Behind Star Bar

The headline says the spicy part: Tumble 22 has been sold to private equity firms which plan to expand the chain.  You can read more about it in Eater.  This is interesting news (at least to me) as Hattie B.'s prepares to enter the Austin hot chicken market after expanding into other Texas cities.  

Formula 1: Las Vegas 2023 Tickets About to Go on Sale

 Tickets for the 2023 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix are going on sale next week.  Estimated base price is $500 (which is a more than what you pay in Austin).   Tickets will be available to the general public on the 5th.   I don't know about all early access/presale options, but American Express members will be able to buy tickets during a November 1st-3rd presale period.  

Check out the track layout (with a straight shot down the Strip from The Venetian to Planet Hollywood/The Cosmopolitan).   A street course through Vegas at night should be quite the spectacle.   The race weekend will be November 16th-18th in 2023.  

Food: Prime Rib Friday Update

 

Prime Rib with Twice Baked Potato and Asparagus (for health)

I went to Lonesome Dove for Prime Rib Friday.  All of us agreed today's prime ribs were the best we've had since the new location (at 6th and Colorado) opened earlier this year.    Also, the PRF special is now $20 and crabs at $7 each.  1/2 price bottles of wine are still available.  You've been informed, so make a reservation and enjoy.

If you don't feel like eating beef on a PRF day, the trout is a good alternative.  I've had it and enjoyed.  A friend had it today and enjoyed it as well.

Food: ALC Steaks Wagyu Ribeye

16oz Wagyu Ribeye, with Asparagus for Health

 

As you may know, the Formula 1 was in Austin last weekend.  I have two friends with whom I attend the race every year, and part of our race weekend tradition is a visit to ALC Steaks.  Last time I had been to ALC was in June, and whilst there I enjoyed the 16oz wagyu steak (from Beeman Ranch) from the specials menu.  It was fantastic (the marbling in wagyu is intense); I liked it even better than the bone-in, dry-aged, grass-fed strip from 44 Farms.  Thus I was pleasantly surprised last Friday when the 16oz wagyu was still in the specials section.  Again I ordered it (see photo above) and again I was highly impressed.  

I don't know what the long term availability of this steak is, but if you are at ALC Steaks anytime soon I highly recommend that you try it.  It is every cent worth the $65.  

Also, I have a rule-of-thumb for steak: if they name the farm/ranch of origin on the menu, it is probably going to be good.  

View from the Turn 9 Grandstand

REI Mastercard

 If you have the REI Mastercard from Capital One, note that the 5% reward for buying from REI will be 10% during the period from November 1st-7th.  

Air Travel: Updates on International Non-Stops To/From Austin

 

Stock Photo from an SWA Flight to Denver... Pretend this the North Atlantic

Too much information on direct flights to list, so visit KXAN for more information.  As I've mentioned before, as a long-time resident of Austin I love seeing more direct flights to exciting places become available from AUS.  

Also, my PSA for those of you flying out of Austin: prices for airport cocktails can be quite steep at our airport as compared to many other airports I've visited in the past 18 months.  

Backpacking: Grand Canyon

 

I realize I'm a little overdue in writing my planned Grand Canyon guide, so I'll be brief with today's point.  If you have been preparing to hike in the Grand Canyon this Fall: prepare harder.  This advice is especially for people living in Texas or other places with landscapes lacking in verticality.   Hit the leg weights, hit the StairMaster (or as I call it, the "Stair Bastard"), and ride your bike.  If you are in Austin, load up a pack and hike up one of our larger hills multiple times multiple times per week.  Do this in the boots you plan to wear.  Trust me, you'll thank me for this later.  

Some examples of good hills in Austin are (included but not limited to): the Hill of Life (end of the Barton Creek Greenbelt trail), the hill on Mesa Dr. from 2222 up to the top, or Far West from Bull Creek up to Mesa.  

Food/Zilker Area News: Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken Coming to Austin

 

I'm fan of (reasonably) hot chicken, and whenever I visit Nashville I try to obtain some delicious Hattie B's.  Thus, I was pleased to learn they will be coming to Austin and opening a location on 2529 South Lamar (the site of the former Maria's Taco Xpress).  Hattie B's has a location in Dallas and plans to open one in Houston.  I do not yet know when the Austin location will open.  

You can read my thoughts on Hattie B's in a 2021 post about visiting Nashville.  

Chicago Cubs Drone Video

Watch this very cool drone fly-through: 

To the best fans in baseball,

You make Wrigley Field the Friendly Confines. pic.twitter.com/Gtdr3boTXH

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 30, 2022

Food: Pappas Bros. Steakhouse

 

I was recently in Fort Worth for the Texas Realtor's conference.  While in the DFW area, I decided to meet a steak-loving friend for dinner.  We chose Pappas Bros. Steakhouse and it was the right call.  

I'll say this upfront: being the steak enthusiast I am, I can't believe I waited until 2022 to visit this place.

Here's what I had:

• An excellent vodka martini, rivaling the one I had at the Four Seasons in New Orleans earlier this year.  I also had a local lager (unfortunately I can't recall the name, but I liked it).
• Poblano and corn chowder... with crab.  The ellipses capture how the waitress described it, with my interest spiking from low to high as the latter ingredient was mentioned.   The soup was delicious.
• Potatoes au gratin which were as excellent as the martini.
• An 18oz dry-aged prime ribeye served Oscar-style.  It was outstanding and probably the best steak I've had this year (a high bar, considering I've been to several excellent steakhouses in the past 12 months).  

Pappas Bros. Steakhouses have for years been featured in lists as a top places slinging high-end steaks in Texas and in my opinion the Dallas location lived up to the reputation.   Everything I had was great and the service matched the quality of the food.  The bill came out to around $270 for us both.  We were drinking lightly, though, so more cocktails and/or some good wine could easily have driven the bill north of $400.  The decor is is old-school (like Bob's or The Palm) as opposed to airy and trendy.  I prefer to eat expensive beef in a clubby setting so the setting was appreciated.   The verdict: if you like fine steaks then you should eat one at Pappas Bros.

Uber Rewards Ending

In case you missed it, Uber is shuttering its Uber Rewards program this fall.  You can earn points through the end of August, and you have through the end of October to use them.   If you want similar deals and status perks, you'll need to join the Uber One subscription program.  I'll have to order that free Jersey Mike's sub before Halloween.

I haven't read anything indicating Uber is changing it's arrangements with Marriott and American Express.  With Marriott, you can link your Uber account to earn Bonvoy points for ride (on Comfort level and above) similar to Lyft's deal with Hilton.  With American Express, you get monthly Uber Cash if you link a Gold ($10/month) or Platinum ($15/mo plus $20 bonus in December).  

Travel: Notes on Denver

Steak Frites, Crowned with Arugula 

 

My wife and I recently took a (too) short trip to Colorado.  By "too short", I mean we didn't ride out the rest of August thus avoiding the exceptionally unpleasant heat wave here in Austin.  

We wanted to stay in Denver for a couple of reasons.  First, we had tickets to see a game at Coors Field. Second, while I have been through Denver many times in the past few years (on the way to various Colorado locales) I hadn't actually stayed in Denver in quite a while.  

Here are a few notes on Denver:

• We stayed at The Magnolia on 17th Street in downtown Denver.  It's an older hotel with small rooms, but it's in the middle of downtown.  It's also one of Marriott's Tribute Portfolio hotels, so Bonvoy points can be used/earned.  
• Generally I liked the hotel.  Staff was friendly and the service was good.  I enjoy some of the decor and quirks of older hotels, and this one was no exception.  
• We thought proximity to the 16th Street pedestrian mall would be good; we did not realize it is currently under construction.
• You can walk to LoDo and Coors Field from the hotel, but hotel staff suggested taking a car after dark.
• This hotel is valet only, so bring some cash for tipping.  
• The steak frites at the hotel restaurant is tasty (see photo above).
• Coors Field is a great venue for watching baseball.   We're a Cubs household (with the Astros in second), but watching the Rockies play in their home field is a lot of fun.  We saw them beat the Dodgers.  
• Coors Light tastes inexplicably good at the stadium.  I'm not making this up.  I'm convinced they have a secret reserve of special Coors Light set aside for the stadium, but of course this is a crackpot theory of which I have no proof.
• If you have Clear, you can go into the stadium using a special line on the first base side.  
• We visited a friend staying at The Rally.  This hotel is awesome.  I can't tell you about the regular rooms, but the penthouse he rented was nicer than most condos I've showed.  Our room from The Magnolia would have fit in the one of the bedrooms.  I definitely had room envy. 
• You can't beat this location if you want to go to a Rockies game.  It is across the street from the stadium.  
• I try to stay in the Hilton Honors or Bonvoy systems, and this hotel isn't part of either.  
• There is a Star Bar in the LoDo area of Denver.   It is very different from the Star Bar in Austin. Also, they refuse to serve Fireball (which, in my opinion is a plus).
• The Denver Beer Company brews up some delicious products.   We visited some friends in at the Arvada location and had a delightful time.  
• Bars in Denver appear to close earlier than those in Austin.  
• We didn't make it to Meow Wolf's Convergence Station, but our friends who went loved it.  
• I went to Meow Wolf's Omega Mart in Las Vegas on a trip in May 2021.  I recommend going to it and enjoying the Area 15 facilities as well.  
• If you are flying through Denver International Airport, I highly recommend having at least TSA Pre-Check if not Clear.   The general security lines can be quite long.  

Giant Can of Unusually Good Coors Light

Zilker Area News: Cat Lounge Opens

Are you looking for a new cat or are you a catless person who just wants to play with some feline friends?  The Purr-Fecto Cat Lounge has just opened at 2300 South Lamar, Unit 104 (same building at the Batteries Plus).  

Austin Trash and Recycling Pickup Hours

 As you have undoubtedly noticed if you've spent any time in the Austin area lately, it's quite hot.  Accordingly, the city has asked residents to have trash/recycling/compost/etc pick-ups out on the curb (on your respective service days, of course) by 5:30a instead of the usual 6:30a.  Workers are coming by earlier in order to be finished before outside feels like a moderately humid blast furnace.  

Texas to Retain Honor of Largest Buc-ee's

 For while it seemed that Texas was poised lose its title as being home to the largest Buc-ee's; there are enormous Buc-ee's in the works for Sevierville, Tennessee, and Johnstown, Colorado.  While I greatly enjoy visiting Tennessee and Colorado, it did in principle seem wrong that any state but Texas be home to the largest Buc-ee's.  Fortunately, a 75,000 sq ft store is in the works for the Luling area (specifically, across the street from the current location at I-10 and Hwy 87).  

Movies: Top Gun Maverick

 This one exceeded my already high expectations.  Like Dune (the recent version) you should see Top Gun: Maverick on the largest screen with the loudest sound system you can find. 

Prime Rib Friday in Austin

Lonesome Dove is open in its new location (6th & Colorado) and Prime Rib Friday is back.   The new venue looks good.  Furthermore, bacon wrapped prawns have been added to the menu.  Inflation has struck though, as the prime rib special is now $20.  

Zilker Area News: Luke's Inside Out Closing

 Sad news: after an 11 year run Luke's Inside Out trailer on south Lamar (by Gibson) will be closing Sunday.   It will be replaced by ChoppdATX which will sell New York style chopped cheese sandwiches (they are described as a cross between a Philly cheesesteak and a burger).  Also, a friend who ate at Luke's recently told me that ChoppdATX will keep the Luke's burger on the menu.