Read about our music travels from Austin TX to San Francisco
The Austin Motel pool at 6am
The alarm was true. 5.15.
Jenny, Trish, Sandra and I are in the car by a little after 6 heading north on the I-35. It was dark, no hint that there would be a dawn. We had ahead of us a 3 hour plus journey to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
The traffic was surprisingly busy at that hour, particularly the south-bound to Austin. Trucks everywhere. A little intimidating. Most of the highway was under some sort of construction. There was a nasty truck accident going our way. Slowed to a crawl, we merged into one lane. Most of the large truck trailer had incinerated – I wonder what it had been carrying? There was a flotilla of flashing lights.
We sped on around Waco and near Hillsborough where we had our one stop – a Starbucks – the coffee is OK if you order a small and have an extra shot I have found. The croissant was a bad choice – particularly unappealing.
Back in the car – we arrived at the Alamo – not San Antonio, the car rental return area.
The usual rush to clear the car and check what you are being charged occurred. On the shuttle bus to the terminal, I realised that I left my Ray-Bans in the car. This really upset me, I have had those glasses a long time and we have well and truly bonded.
The check in turned into another fracas as to whether we should pay baggage fees, given that our domestic flights were linked to our International travel. We gave in and paid. Sandra stood her ground at another terminal and won (again).
The flight from Dallas to San Francisco is about 3.5 hours. It’ll be good to get there, hook up with Richard, find our apartment in Lower Haight and get our bearings ready for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival tomorrow.
And that is what happened. A look around our house – a cup of tea and a walk to Amoeba Records, pointing out Golden Gate Park to the gang where the festival will be held tomorrow.
A modest number of CDs were acquired. Jenny and I had a drink at Marker’s Mark. Followed by a Thai dinner – we needed the vegetables.
It’s good to have a house, rather than a hotel room.
Hardly Strictly tomorrow then a Calexico night gig.
Haight Ashbury
Read about our music travels from Austin TX to San Francisco
Read about our music travels from Austin TX to San Francisco
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