Matthew Modine employs what my 99-year-old grandma would call “mamaloshen,” a Yiddish term for common sense. In his new, award-winning, mini-documentary Jesus was a Commie, Modine puts this logical thinking to work presenting a visually compelling and thought-provoking 15-minute short documentary. The film intends to put a sensible spin on the traditional idea and interpretation of Jesus Christ, and what were perhaps Christ’s own communist practices and philosophies.

“When words lose their meaning, people lose their freedom’ is a quote attributed to Confucius,” says Modine to EcoSalon in an exclusive interview.

“Liberal is one of those words that has been pushed into a political context. The root of the word is liber, meaning free, something we Americans believe we have a special dominion over. The word liberal has been transformed to mean, by conservatives and Republicans to mean communist, weak, homosexual, immoral, and just un-American. Jesus, depending on how you personally feel about him, is another word, or idea, belief, or ism that has been hijacked for political purpose. If you take the stories of Jesus and look at them without evangelical glasses, you see a man that questioned and challenged the conditions of life in his time. And it can be argued, and has been by a lot of incredible people, that Jesus was a Utopian Communist,” adds Modine.

Modine describes himself as a spiritual person who leans liberal with his thinking.

“We all want a bit more for ourselves and our families. Monastic life – living as nuns and priests, is rather communistic – and they make it work. But, I don’t want to live like a priest. I enjoy the liberal and progressive western way of life. I also understand that with these freedoms come responsibility, not just to other people but to all forms of life that I share this earth with,” he says.

Mixing in archival live action footage, the first scenes are of the Berlin Wall falling, followed by images of Gorbachev – both quintessential images of America’s idea of communism. Modine has got a good point to make and draws the audience in gently to hear it: “Last night I began reading about the fall of communism; the more I read, the less I believed it fell because it didn’t make sense or didn’t work. It was something simpler. It seems the most logical reason communism failed was because of greed. I’d say rock and roll being broadcast on Radio Free Europe had as much to do with the Berlin Wall coming down as Ronald Reagan demanding it so.”

That’s certainly a notion we’re not exactly taught in the American school system.

“In the early 1980’s, I met and spoke with people from East Berlin before the wall came down,” Modine explains.

“I was at the Berlin Film Festival and had the opportunity to cross Check Point Charlie and enter into East Berlin. It was from meeting Russian soldiers that I realized the lies and propaganda about Russian people that I had been taught. Like many Americans, I was taught to believe that this Evil Empire was prepared to take over the world and destroy life as we knew it. After actually seeing it and being there, I saw that these people were no different than my brothers and sisters at home. They shared the same fears and desires, and many of the same likes and dislikes as people at home.

Radio Free Europe was the tool that was educating the Eastern German and Russian soldiers I met about life in the west. Radio Free Europe had no borders. The music of the 1960s floated wirelessly, without borders, across the Iron Curtain and influenced a generation of people to want a change in their country. The Utopian Communism didn’t exist or work. The songs of protest, the songs of loving, the songs of rebellion that define 60s music opened the minds of those listening to it and it transformed their expectations of living. Ronald Reagan and the Cold War, and the Arms Race, coincided with this new generation of young people that were about to transform their homeland. The change in the Soviet Union happened from within. Not because of Ronald telling Russia to ‘take down the wall.’”

There are plenty of less liberal thinking critics who will check out early after the testimonies and references Modine pulls in linking Jesus to communism an contributing rock and roll as part of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

As crazy as it might seem, the film points out that Jesus and his posse were all dictionary definition communists hitting the streets like traveling salesmen to sell their goods. Then, they’d return and bring the money they’d earned back to be shared in common with others. Based on Jesus’ kind actions Modine points out, his followers never got to thrive and being in the minority in the midst of a confused and greedy government, only pushed them into exile.

“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist,” Modine quotes, Brazilian archbishop Dom Helder Camara from the book Peace Behind Bars: A Peacemaking Priest’s Journal from Jail.

While the combination of both “communism” and “Jesus” used at the same time most certainly create intense reaction by much of America, ultimately, Modine plays it safe and doesn’t turn his commentary into anything aggressive or offensive. His film has great timing to coincide with the Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Together movement growing across the United States and around the world.

“Occupy Wall Street doesn’t have a single voice, a leader,” Modine explains. “It is an extraordinary demonstration of civil liberty and democracy. I do think that if there were a bearded, barefoot man speaking about peace, liberty, love, and turning the tables of the Wall Street Money Changers over, he would be crucified by the news media. Mayor Bloomberg would demand his arrest. [Some media outlets] would call him hateful names and declare him a threat to capitalism,” says Modine.

When watching Jesus Was a Commie, the viewer realizes early that the movie is an extension of Modine’s own thoughtful and ongoing quest for answers to deep seated philosophical questions, and a ticket to opening conversation.

“I am troubled by the events taking place all over the world,” he says.

“The population [is] reaching 7 billion. Starvation exists globally. There’s a lack of drinkable water. Pollution threatens drinking water. The dangers of hydro-fracking. Nuclear waste. Environmental change. Dying coastlines. Over-fishing. Prescription drugs. There is so much confusion, blame and lack of responsibility in the world today. Finger pointing, murdering in the name, and justification for it, of a God.”

As we see even with the title Jesus Was a Commie, Modine likes words and the journey they can take us on. Challenging the meaning and the use of them is simply the American thing to do. Communism is merely a word – a word that Americans are overly-sensitive to. The conversations that the film will inspire after audiences view the film, in a way, are also an extension of his work.

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Writer Shira Levine goes in search of an active volcano.

It’s not every day you find yourself hiking a steep incline up to the rim of a previously erupted volcano crater unless, well, you live near a volcano. The closest volcanoes to my home in New York City are too far to consider for a Sunday hike and while there’s the still active Yellowstone volcano in Wyoming, it’s still about 1,890 miles away. A bit further still is Mount St. Helens in Washington State. Volcanoes in Iceland and Greenland are about the same distance. Much closer are some volcanoes located in the Connecticut River Valley, but unfortunately to satisfy my inner volcanophile, they’re now about a million years extinct which leaves me sort of hanging.

I was fired up to find something safely authentic, conical, and maybe offering a little smoke. I’d witnessed classic volcanoes like Arenal in Costa Rica, the Lake Atitlan volcanoes in Guatemala, Lake Ometepe’s volcanoes in Nicaragua, and the twin Pitons of St. Lucia from afar – just never navigated them. Finally, this summer I hiked up my first volcano. Mt. Liamuiga in St. Kitts, one of 18 volcanoes in the Caribbean, and one of the more challenging to ascend.

Liamuiga, which means “fertile land” in the Kalinago Caribbean language, is a precipitous hike. Our guide Oneal Mulraine, took us up something like 4,000 feet through rain and cloud forest replete with Banyan and Viper trees, Spanish Ash, Hearts of Palm, Mimosa, and Maho to reach the summit of the long-ago exploded crater. Really experienced, fit hikers can brave an additional hike down into the crater to explore the lush overgrown greenery and a glittering lake. But for me, the 2.5-hour hike up was just fine.

Hikers can go solo, but going with the guide is safer and more informative. Oneal is an herbalist and bush doctor, so shared with us some cool holistic remedies and fun facts. At the start of our hike, he picked one plant that he suggested wrapping around our neck to prevent neck and back pain. It worked well especially as my hotel, the St. Kitts Marriott Resort & Royal Beach Casino had kindly supplied us with cute but awkward bags full of food and drink. They were more for leisurely picnics, versus any hiking that required the deep lunging movements we used when straddling rocks and fallen trees.

Along the way we spotted a few notable birds that get birdwatchers in a tizzy. Terry, the token birdwatcher of the group was on a casual mission to spot three specific birds, and nailed sightings of: the Bridled Quail Dove, a Green-Throated Carib, and a Red-Tailed Hawk. Another hiker, Edith, brought her spiritual knowledge to the group and shared a collection of blessings and offerings. Without them, the 1,800-year dormant volcano might have exploded and killed us.

Since the volcano is indeed dormant, the main thing to be cautious of when hiking Liamuiga is the moldy mango. According to Oneal, they’re worse than banana peels when it comes to slipping and falling. Wiley French Vervet monkeys, the little dirty, littering suckers they are, are said to outnumber the 35,000 Kittitians on the island. They are to blame for the fruity booby traps. The monkeys take a few bites and then chuck the slimy remains along Liamuiga’s footpath.

If there’s anything sacred at Liamuiga, it is the majesty of the views from the top. The last bend requires a little rope action to help hikers cross over and around to the wide-open clearing. What is revealed is the soul of the crater in all its fertile grassy green glory. No photography does this kind of nature justice. I stop trying to capture and document the hindsight and just let go to be at one with the present.

Hindsight isn’t bad though, especially when back at the Marriott where I further beat away any possible muscle fatigue with a languid swim in the Caribbean Sea, followed by some lazy pool floating, and most importantly, that double shot of local rum at the swim-up bar.

If merely hiking a volcano is too tame for your adventurous side, there are in fact other ways like biking, surfing and skiing, to traverse both the active and dormant volcano.

You go have your own fun.

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Baltimore burns its gritty bra and embraces an eco-revolution.

The gut reaction to hearing that Baltimore’s tourism nickname is “charm city,” for many is “Really, hon?” Charming isn’t necessarily the first adjective used to describe the gritty hometown of Jada Pinkett Smith, Frank Zappa, the Orioles, and the Ravens.

Popular culture certainly has inspired some intrigue though. Credit goes to director John Waters and HBO’s “The Wire” for putting Baltimore on the quirky and fascinating map for me. Waters’ movies showed the oddball charm of the city’s “hon” happy inhabitants. “The Wire” contributed five seasons of deep story lines, featuring well-painted portraits of very real characters. Those characters forced us fans to look differently and more openly at urban, blue-collar cities, and see back-stories vs. weathered and cracked out anonymous faces.

After reading about how eco-revolutionized the Maryland city had developed into, I decided to come down to check out just how charming Baltimore had become for myself.

Never a fan of traveling by Megabus, or, any long distance bus in the United States, I took the Amtrak from New York’s Penn Station down to Baltimore’s Penn. From the train station I transferred onto the Charm City Circulator, the free and green hybrid bus shuttle, and made my way to the Baltimore Harbor. The Inner Harbor has transformed over the last decade. Now it’s shiny and new with a revamped glittering skyline.

Amongst all the development are green spots like the Inn at the Black Olive, a LEED Platinum building replete with gourmet market and green roof/herb garden restaurant. The hotel is credited as being one of the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly buildings in the world, with geothermal, photovoltaic and thermal solar, radiant heated floors, natural clay and limestone coatings, aerated autoclaved concrete, among other impressive innovations.

The eco love extends to the shopper with charming boutiques in the (sort of nearby) Hampden neighborhood. Earth Alley sells clothes crafted from recycled materials, garden sculptures made from old oil drums, and bowls made from telephone wires. Ma Petite Shoe carries an array of sustainable shoes like the ones made from repurposed tires.

Woodberry Kitchen, the popular, seasonal farm-to-table restaurant is quite possibly one the top restaurants I’ve eaten at anywhere in the world. A bit of a confusing drive from the Inner Harbor even with GPS, it’s best to take the light rail (another green transportation option). Dishes like the black rock peaches with cucumber, fennel radish, and quark, the Tilghman Island crab cakes and the 42-day, dry-aged liberty delight strip steak were epically epicurean. Dessert was beyond decadent with a raw rhubarb pie, and homemade ice creams with cool flavors like red-hot and basil. The mixologists behind-the-bar are fine artists. I had a Manhampden, a Maryland-style rye, with California sweet vermouth, old-fashioned bitters, Peychaud’s, and an orange twist that was so smooth; I ended up invincibly following that with a Sazerac. Everything was remarkable down to the coffee. I never drink coffee at night, but the waiter insisted. Those three little sips I took were so clean and not bitter, that my dedications for Manhattan’s Roasting Plant and Ninth Street Espresso cups of coffee maybe have been challenged.

If you bike, it’s easy to stay fit in Baltimore. The 3.2-mile Baltimore Heritage Walk is way more fun on wheels than simply hoofing it.  There are bike lanes all over the city and this particular trail is convenient—it connects the Inner Harbor, Little Italy, Jonestown and City Center neighborhoods, linking historic sites and museums. Rent with: Light Street Cycles.

And if there is but one museum of the almost two-dozen museums in Baltimore to devour, it is the American Visionary Art Museum, a cultural institution that absolutely can’t be missed. It featured one of the most creative and charming collections I’ve seen in a while. Labor Day marks the last weekend of the fantastic “What Makes Us Smile?” exhibit curated by “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening and “Pee Wee Herman’s Playhouse” artist, Gary Panter. Never have I been so thoroughly dazzled by every facet of a museum’s exhibit. Dubbed “the only museum in the country dedicated to works by untrained artists,” the said artists created fantastic displays like those in the “Toot Suite” a room that deconstructs the fart, with a collection of works by “fartistes.” There’s also an Alfred E. Neuman bedroom installation that gives tribute to Mad magazine, hilarious drawings by John Callahan, a quadriplegic humorist, and artist Gloria Garrett’s lipstick and eye shadow –painted pictures, among other seriously delightful gems.

Of course charm and appreciation can be fleeting. Baltimore is one of those towns that follows the one block is gentrified, fancy and clean, where the next is absolutely not rule. GPS was invented for cities like Baltimore. A wrong turn can result in witnessing a real life, in-person episode of “The Wire.”

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Sailing the Hudson with legendary views of Manhattan is a must-do even for Manhattanites.

As a Manhattan resident, the Hudson River is such a tease for me. Since being in Austin, where I tried stand-up paddle boarding in Lady Bird Lake, my summer obsession has been to float on water. Nothing biblical, just a little one-on-one with the Hudson. But like most New Yorkers, the idea of sewage river water even touching my toes makes me fear the toxic worst. I’ve watched the brave few – immune souls, who make the septic leap – but I’ve had yet to test the waters myself. Until now.

We Manhattanites often forget we reside on an island, yet as part of 72 islands spanning over 700 miles of coastline, New York is actually part of an archipelago.

With learning to sail my official summer 2011 mission, a little research revealed a few sailing schools in Manhattan including the close haul and beam reach of Atlantic Yachting. There are half a dozen sailing school options in the city – all roughly the same $400-$600 price. It was a chance invite to go on an evening sail as a friend’s +1 with Atlantic that sold me. A night zephyr sail is amazing with New York’s skyline lit up, the backdrop of moonlight and the only moving boat to be seen for miles.

Owned by the Pincus brothers: Alex and Miles, and managed by Alex’s fiancée, Gabrielle Cran, Atlantic is laid-back and warm, yet professional and replete with fully knowledgeable (witty and musically talented) captains and crew. At just six years old, Atlantic has a boutique feel, which is refreshing when attempting something new. It’s located at the 79th Street Boat Basin and cast against what looks like (from afar) to be a stunning and glittery Hudson River. Simply put, it’s a nice spot to learn to sail in a two-day weekend crash course.

Courtesy of Atlantic Yachting

I set out with three other novice sailors: Hannah, Tony and Rich, along with our instructor and sometimes captain, Spencer. (Sometimes, as in because this is immersion sailing, we quickly become the captain with the rudder left in our hands.) Together we cast off and raised our main and jib sail on our J/24 keelboat sailing at varying degrees toward the wind and trying our hands at trimming the sails.

During the two days at river, I never saw any seriously offensive or remotely terrifying sewage drifting by. Instead, with our sails full of wind we took ownership of our stressful week previous and just let go. We lucked out on Saturday with a perfect day of sailing with nice winds and current. On Sunday, however, it was a windless day so we learned some sea shanties from Spencer and Rich pulled out some Bob Seger sheet music and recorder and we turned the motor on.

With the Pincus crew we sailed beyond the George Washington Bridge. Under Spencer’s leadership we headed south of the Intrepid. Spencer doesn’t advise sailing on the East River because the current is very strong, and there’s a lot more shipping and cargo traffic. What you encounter on the Hudson are recreational boats and big luxury cruise ships. We quickly learned what happens when getting in the way of a backing up Norwegian Cruise Line – one very loud horn blast. (If we’d been really in their way, we’d have gotten five rapid blasts.)

Sailing isn’t exactly an inexpensive hobby, but at least it is kinder to the environment than most blasting over waves on Jet-Skis or super propelled by fuel injected, high-performance engines. Moving fast across water with the motor off, but going full throttle with wind power is a different kind of thrilling that flooring a jet ski or speedboat can never offer. Sailing au natural is to work with the wind and the water. To do that without leaving a carbon footprint (excluding any manufacturing process) – if you indeed sail as a purist along the New York waterways – is to channel your inner Magellan. With that satisfaction in tow and the wind blowing through my hair, I accepted that there might be something of an inner yuppie itching to emerge and pop my collar.

If you go: Basic Keelboat with ASA certification is $540. There’s also private chartering and a kids camp as well with Atlantic Yachting. Go to www.atlanticyachting.com for more information.

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Traveling by train is still one of the best ways to see the country.

Train travel is one of the cleanest, greenest, and often prettiest modes of transport for seeing the world. Less carbon is burned when riding the rails vs. flying or driving alone and thanks to technology, traveling by train has picked up speed over the last hundred or so years. Even train cars are being revamped into a comfortable, if not luxurious experiences, and a re-inspired interest in train travel by tourists has put the pressure on the old school classic train lines to renovate as engineers construct super trains to carry passengers through cleverly curated routes showcasing some visually stunning and historically epic landscape.

I recently boarded the Rocky Mountaineer train with my mother for a mother-daughter adventure. (Trains are low-key, yet still stimulating for that kind of cross-generational adventure.) Together we set out on a journey to conquer a chunk of Canada’s Rockies. We left from poetically rainy Vancouver (where we learned to embrace the constant drizzle), and took in some truly dramatic topography from within the Rocky Mountaineer’s two-level car.

Trekking with their GoldLeaf Service (there’s SilverLeaf and RedLeaf too), we were privy to an adjoining 180-degree glass viewing dome on the upper level, and a ground level dining car with an open-air observation car below. Our two-day passage from Vancouver to Banff, Alberta (with an overnight stop in the quiet and charming Kamloops), follows the original Canadian Pacific line.

What’s uniquely exclusive about the route is that it is inaccessible to cars. It’s just you and your fellow passengers (and the train), plus a collection of seen and unseen black bears, moose, elk, long horn sheep, and other wildlife hanging out trackside. Because of the seclusion, when chugging along the tempestuous Fraser River there’s plenty to see: lush rain forest, majestic mountains with serrated summits, red-rocked desert, and glacier-adorned lakes pass by all within a few hours.

What sets this kind of train travel apart from rail rides on Amtrak and Eurail is that there’s actually hot, gourmet food made-to-order onboard. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all local and seasonal. (Think: Sock-eye salmon, caribou and buffalo.)

Seduced? Here’s a few other interesting train trips to consider boarding around the world in an attempt to lessen your impact on the planet and commune with the beautiful country that surrounds you.

Alaska Railroad

Within Alaska is a half-day sojourn along 114-miles of jaw-dropping coast. The double-decker domed cars of the Alaska Railroad pamper with white tablecloth dining which pairs well with the vistas. Fjords, snow-tipped mountains and the requisite voyeuristic assortment of moose, bears and wolves never get old.

The Orient-Express’s Hiram Bingham Train

The Inca Trail by foot is exhausting just thinking about the 45km hike over four-days to Machu Picchu from Cusco, Peru. Aboard Orient-Express’s Hiram Bingham train, one of the shortest luxury trains in the world at just four hours, the locomotive does all the climbing – nearly 2,500 meters above sea level to reach the ancient Inca ruins. Food and cocktail party fun are background to the staggering views of the majestic Andes – a significantly more glamorous experience from the physically challenging Inca Trail hike.

Via Rail Canada

Finally a train with free onboard Wi-Fi! VIA Rail Canada trumps Amtrak with its technological connectivity. The amenity comes in handy for cross-country riders between Toronto and Vancouver who briefly tire of the dramatic Rocky Mountain landscape outside. Antsy passengers can also stop off at a variety of stops between Sudbury Junction and Lake Winnipeg and catch the return trip as VIA is loose with the whole hop-on-hop-off mentality. They cater to ultimate comfort too with sleeper berth and sleeper cabins complete with private bathrooms so passengers can catch sight of moonlit bears and whatever else creeps out in the night.

Amtrak

All I know of Amtrak is the Northeast Corridor line, which has left many a passenger unhappy. Out West, Amtrak’s lines seem to please more passengers – at least with views. (Tip: Always go for the larger sleeper cars.) There’s the California Zephyr, a long distance train traveling between Chicago, Illinois and Emeryville, California. Although not known for being perfectly pleasant on the inside, many consider the Zephyr to be impressively scenic and one of the best ways to see America. Then there’s the Empire Builder, which hits the northern states between Chicago and Seattle, passing through the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana along the way. The Coast Starlight also boasts impressive eye candy as it rides the West Coasts following beaches decorated with deer and other wildlife between Seattle and Los Angeles. www.amtrak.com

Africa’s Rovos Rail

If you can come to terms with the colonial feel of the Rovos Rail’s Pride of Africa while chugging up the continent from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt then this is a rail ride of a lifetime. There are suites vs. cabins so lounging in the room is comfortable. The suites come with a fully stocked bar fridge, en suite bathrooms and hair dryers. The 72-person cap is a nice touch and makes for a more intimate experience.

Sweden’s Green Machine or Gröna Tåget

This one’s about speed and green more than leisurely holiday travel. Appropriately called the Green Train, Sweden’s Gröna Tåget technologically dazzles with a magnetic motor that reaches up to 183 mph and boasts an improved energy consumption of up to 30 percent better than most trains.

Trans Siberian Railway

Russia’s Trans-Siberian Railway is massive, covering 9,000 kilometers. Most passengers ride the Russian rails leisurely to then wander through Moscow, along the Silk Road and explore the Russian Arctic. If time is of an essence, stay on board for the roughly ten days the entire trip takes.

The Maharajas Express

The Maharajas Express in India is ideal for voyeurs who still want a little distance from India’s intense reality and a great position to be in when overwhelmed by traveling through the oft visually assaulting country. Through the train’s gilded looking glass bubble are routes like the 8-day Princely India, which covers Western India from Mumbai and Delhi, to Ranthambore, Jaipur, Udaipur, and without a doubt, the Taj Mahal.

Images: Author Shira Levine, Rocky Mountaineer, Alaska Railroad, will54040404, Orient Express, Ahoy Cargo, flickriver

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As one of the most sustainable cities in the U.S., it’s not hard to fall in love with Austin.

There is one reason I’d consider leaving the Big Apple for the Lonestar State, and that reason is Austin.

Anyone who’s been to the state capital has experienced the progressive and liberal personality that juxtaposes much of the rest of the state and Austin is the inoffensive exception. While on a road trip through part of the former Mexican territory, I was able to glean just how much so. From San Antonio to Frisco, with stops in Fredericksburg, Austin, Round Rock, Parker and Dallas, I took on the wide, open Texas road and realized that it leads to both a delightfully charming and calorically appalling Texas.

Here’s a list of things about the capital city that in a small way might contribute to slowing down the global warming process.

People are active and always outside.
Austin is quite possibly a land of productive freelancers. Everyone and their dog seems to be out and about throughout the workday and doing exactly what they should be doing – relishing the great outdoors. I spent a late morning with Barton Springs bike-tour company where our guide, Kelly took us over pedestrian bridge extensions, through Zilker Park, past the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue, along Auditorium Shores, around Lady Bird Lake and past Barton Springs Pool. While riding I was joined by dozens and dozens of other bikers and as many runners. In the early afternoon I joined another few dozen locals on Lady Bird Lake where I walked across water stand-up paddle boating alongside kayakers, canoers and water bicyclists. Austin feels like everyone is outside living a well-balanced life where people can pay their bills and spend time outdoors.

Barton Springs Pool

Everyone is in it together.
One night a chatty pedi-cab driver told us we had to go to Lambert’s for fancy BBQ. While devouring some fennel and coriander rubbed pork ribs we saw Japanese female drummer Masumi Jones and the Gentlemen, and The Warm Guns tear things up on stage. Then the next day I saw the music stars casually frolicking with the rest of Austin in the swampy Barton Springs Pool.

Bicycles, motorcycles and cars coexist here in harmony.
Bicycle riders share the lanes with cars and drivers don’t even seem to blink an eye. Nary is there a horn honked at a bike rider slowing down traffic, and signs remind everyone to be mindful of fellow cyclists and motorcyclists. On some blocks its seems like the streets have more bikes than cars. Besides bike lanes there are bike paths too—which the latter is known as the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, named for the championship cyclist.

SXSW, Denise Chambers photo

Keep Austin Weird.
The slogan was dubbed to promote small businesses in town and so far considering the city is said to get 1,500 new residents a week, it’s doing a decent job. The famed SXSW festival has grown more corporate and less grassroots, whereas the Austin City Limits concert has retained local and less is more roots. And as for the truly weirdest thing about Austin (besides the lizard people), is that the closest thing to weird is that the city is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world. But until you’ve checked it out – be it on a cruise, kayak, canoe, paddle boat, boat bicycle, or, you’re just standing on the Congress Avenue Bridge, you can’t knock it until you see over a million Mexican free-tail bats take off a just as the sun is setting.

There are a lot of places to stay the night.
Besides hotels like the new W, there are also a lot of new condos and high-rises. Like many fast growing cities, a lot of new development has been hit hard by the struggling economy so there’s an inordinate number of luxury rentals lying around unused. Many of these rentals have side gigs in the short-term rental world and are listed on Roomarama and Airbnb. I booked with Roomarama and stayed two nights in downtown Austin in a balconied high-rise just a few blocks from the infamous Sixth Street.

Roomarama

The live music scene truly rocks.
It’s hard to find a joint that doesn’t have live music playing in it when walking through the warehouse district, along Sixth, Fifth, or Fourth, along South Congress, or, in the Warehouse District. What may look like a non-descript spot easily ends up the stage for the next Jeff Buckley or Elliot Smith. At The Red Fez, the band Atash played a mix of Persian and Indian music replete with a sitar that had a rock and roll backbone. In recent years, Austin has become world renowned thanks to it’s killer music festivals.

It’s the birthplace of Whole Foods.
The local, seasonal, organic corporate food chain, Whole Foods got its start here in Austin so it’s possible to keep it weird and still shop here. Plus, everyone’s so proud of Whole Foods that between the classes and samples inside the store, it’s actually pretty fun to tour for an afteroon.  And who can resist poking fun at the obsessive quinoa-loving, Kombucha-eating counter culture that’s emerged there?

The BBQ is damn good.
Sure there is excellent BBQ to eat within Austin’s city limits, but the real deal that locals and tourists alike consistently recommend is the Salt Lick. With locations in Round Rock, Driftwood and the Austin Airport, I headed north to Round Rock (less than an hour from Austin), and it was totally worth it. A dinner of smoky beef ribs, hot mashed potatoes and refried beans finished with a warm pecan pie is hard to pass up. Did I mention the horseradish-infused bloody Mary’s? Drinks pair nicely with the live music that plays for those enjoying the outdoor seating. Because it’s a popular spot, it’s advised to go early or late in the night to avoid the crowds.

Austin is near Texas wine country.
Yes, in Texas’ Hill country is the Texas wine country. Just 67 miles away is Fredericksburg a charming stretch with adorable boutiques, quaint restaurants and a healthy dose of vineyards a few miles away.  I stopped by the family-owned Grape Creek Vineyards and Torre di Pietna. The Becker Vineyards also have a lavender farm. For further exploring stop by the tourism office just across from the where Curly, the octogenarian on staff who will offer to leave work early and take you out for a drink or two over his old war stories.

Becker Vineyards

“Dallas” fans can geek out on the TV show’s old location.
I’ve actually never seen a single episode of the 13-year series and I still found the tour located 214 miles from Austin absolutely fun and engaging. Our guide Tim, a Texas local who has spent decades working with the J.R, Ewing Mansion on Southfork Ranch, has salacious stories that are more dramatic than the series. (He’s caught countless people sneaking off to have sex on various parts of the property.)

There’s an artist colony of Brooklyn hipsters in the middle of nowhere.
Marfa, 375 miles west of Austin is a high desert oasis of awesome, where modern art and expression thrive. The colony was founded by minimalist artist Donald Judd who moved from New York City to Texas to create a more affordable and spacious home for his art installations. After he died, the area transformed into a haven for two foundations that maintain Judd’s vision: The Chinati Foundation and the Judd Foundation. Other large scale projects have formed in Marfa in recent years too including the Marfa Film Festival, Lannan Foundation and Ballroom Marfa where art films, music shows and art installations are featured. Marfa is also known for its night skies and for being the location of the films There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, and Giant starring Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean and Dennis Hopper.

Ready for a road trip?

Image: StuSeeger, Austin Post

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