Sept 30th, 2013

A recent business trip took me to Austin Texas. A few months later, a family wedding brought me to Calgary, Alberta. While both these cities may not have much in common, the states they belong to, do shared  some interesting similarities.

How could a state in the South-Central United Stetes have similarities with a state in Western Canada? Let’s begin with size. Texas has an estimated size of 268,820 square miles. It is the second largest state in the United States with an estimated population of 26.1 Million.  Alberta is comparatively sized, estimated at 255,541 square miles and with a population of 3,645,257 and is the most populated province in Canada.

Here are more similarities. Both are rich in oil. Texas has petroleum deposits of about 5 billion barrels. Calgary has oil reserves estimated a 1.6 trillion barrels. With an abundance of cattle, agriculture is a significant facet the economy in both these states. Yes, both have Native Indians and everything that goes with the cowboy lifestyle including  rodeos, ranches and people who wear hats.

The Calgary Stampede held in July every year brings in more than a million visitors and is considered the world’s largest Rodeo.  Now, let’s look at the cities. Both cities are radically different, but are notable tourist attractions.

Austin TX

This capital of Texas is the 11^th largest city in the US. I landed in Austin on a weekday.  Austin is considered the live music capital of the world, a statement it loudly proclaims, in its airport to all its visitors, with giant guitars, decorating the baggage claim area.

As I drove to my hotel, in the early hours of the evening, and then stepped out into town, the center of the city presented itself as quiet tourist town, filled with tourists, souvenir shops and restaurants.  

Then at almost exactly at 10 PM, Austin changed its entire persona. Live music flooded the streets. Live bands played inside bars, and on rooftops and students from its famous University flooded its streets.  The whole city was now a party of rock, country and reggae, showcasing its talented performers. 

One noteworthy bar is the Trophy room on 6t Street.  Even from the street, the merriment is visible, as many try to tame the ‘mechanical bull’ by trying to ride it. Most fail, falling off its back as it violently shakes off most of those who try to prove their might, before a cheering crowd.

Other attractions of Austin include steak ribs(Of course!) and the bridge of bats. 

The latter is a bridge close to Austin’s downtown.  The bottom of the bridge is the home to a million bats.  At 6 PM, on summer evenings, crowds gather on the bridge to watch a spectacular display put on by the bats as they fly out in unison, appearing as fireflies at night.

For breakfast, there are a deluge of choices in Austin, many of them, family owned restaurants, sprinkled around the city. Most of them serve breakfast sandwiches and Tex-Mex offerings like burritos and tacos, with spicy homemade sauces. Food patrons will love Austin for its abundant Mexican and barbeque offerings.

A great restaurant I visited was the East Side Showroom, a small well-kept secret among some Texas residents. The Showroom does not have a large menu or a cocktail list. However each of its offerings are spectacular and unique. 

Calgary Alberta

I visited Calgary to attend a wedding. The city by itself is not much to write about. It resembles cities in Texas, spread out, with shopping areas and large roadways.  However, its proximity from the Canadian Rockies makes it scenic and within driving distance to beautiful mountain towns and lakes.

Situated close to Calgary is the resort town of Banff. Banff is a beautiful town in the Canadian Rockies, with a bustling main street full of souvenir shops and restaurants. The mountains give the city a spectacular backdrop. To the fit traveler, Banff offers hiking, biking and skiing trails.   Within a short driving distance of Banff is the most scenic lake I have ever seen, Lake Louise.

With mountains in the background, the turquoise color of its water, and the surrounding greenery, Lake Louise is an attraction of a surreal aura.  Right on its banks is the Fairmont Chateau, a resort hotel to those blessed to afford its services.  The surroundings offer visitors a deluge of options including fishing, hiking, horseback riding and canoeing.

In my case, I just walked by the lake, mesmerized by its color, the kind of which, I had never seen before. Both Austin and Calgary are excellent choices for a vacation, but given the choice, I’d pick the latter.