Travel Austin City Limits Got my sweetie, my dog, my Indigo Girls CDs, I’m Austin-bound by Lauren Johnson

I like the Indigo Girls. I know they are at times sentimental and that they dress badly, but hey–they were an integral part of my early lesbian oat-sowing. And I admit it, it was that song of theirs about the cooler in the back and your hand upon my knee that inspired me to plan a surprise trip to Austin for myself and Sharon, my girlfriend of now five years.

Well, Sharon hates the Indigo Girls, and she hates surprises, but she does like Austin, or what she remembers of it. Turns out she hasn’t actually been on an Austin weekend since the forgotten years, which means pre-me (and pre some other things that best remain forgotten). This revelation–that she hasn’t been there in ages–makes me happy. I have been to Austin countless times, but not much since moving to Los Angeles in 1993, and never with Sharon.

My first, and fortunately only, mistake was letting Sharon drive. She got lost on the way from Houston to Austin, which, as many of you know, is next to impossible. You get on 290 and you go, with only one turn (that isn’t really a turn, but rather a veer) marked by a sign about 100 feet tall. Nevertheless, I woke up from my road nap and we were in Caldwell, about 40 miles east of Brenham, the definitive opposite direction. Uncharacteristically, I did not respond well, and we bickered all the way back to the highway. Not an auspicious beginning.

Fortunately, during the last 20 or so miles into the city I caught sight of half a dozen Gore/Lieberman bumper stickers, which cheered me considerably. Once we made the city limits, we spied several stickers that said simply "Keep Austin Weird." I was relieved. Many of my Austinite friends had of late been bemoaning the influx of yuppies and dot-com-ers into their fair city, and complaining of problems hitherto unknown in the overgrown college town–chiefly traffic, but also a loss of the liberal hippy element that has been Austin’s distinction among major Texas cities. But come on, I thought, it’s Austin. How bad can it be?

We hit town right around 5 p.m., and instantly, I understood. The traffic was heinous, aggravated by major construction on the 290/I-35 interchange. By the time we reached our destination, the Hotel San Jose, we were crabbier than ever.

Thank heavens for the Hotel San Jose. Located in the area of town known as South Congress, just a mile or two from the Capitol building, the place is truly an oasis.

Generally speaking, I hate hotels; I prefer bed-and-breakfasts in privately owned houses. But the Hotel San Jose is the best of both worlds. Imagine a Zen garden crossed with modern furniture design and add a dash of Texas friendliness. Owners Liz Lambert and Margaret Tucker are former New York City lawyers who moved back to Austin for what they describe as a "lifestyle change." They ran the San Jose in its original "motor hotel" condition for two years, then shut down for a year and did a complete remodel on the original building. Sparsely furnished in an almost Scandinavian modernism, each room boasts clean lines, comfortable furnishings, and extra touches such as high-speed Internet access and bottles of Evian water. But what I really needed was a beer, and the hotel provided. In the evening, the atrium area around the tiny, emerald-colored swimming pool serves as an open-air bar, and we did no more than dump our bags in our room (more on the room later) before racing back to the atrium for me to have an imported beer and Sharon to have a cup of much-needed coffee.

Refreshed and far less disagreeable, we made our way back to the room for a quick shower before heading out to dinner. Once we shut the door, however, we both agreed that maybe staying in and ordering food would be just as much fun. The room was ultra-cool; it would have been too much so for my tastes had it not been for the warm touches such as a soft patterned cover on the wood frame bed, lovely little bottles of Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap and herbal shampoo, and the oh-so-modern bathtub, with the shower head that protrudes, rather alarmingly, from the ceiling.

Neither Sharon nor I were willing to venture too far from our room, but we did wander over to the coffee house next door and grab a snack to eat out in the hotel’s courtyard. Right next door to the San Jose (and owned by the hotel) is Jo’s, a small coffee "stand" with a wooden patio area perfect for enjoying a morning cup. Jo’s also serves pastries and sandwiches, and bottled soft drinks and some local beers. Perched on metal patio chairs and munching our sandwiches, we watched the sun set and listened to the crowds showing up to hear the live music at the Continental Club, just across the street.

The next morning I listened to … you guessed it, Indigo Girls–"Swamp Ophelia," I think it was–while Sharon, happy with the deep bathtub, said nary a word of protest. Over fresh blueberries, yogurt, and toast, innkeepers Liz and Margaret took some time to chat with the visiting lesbians about where to go for eats. Las Manitas, in the downtown area and open for breakfast and lunch only, was one of their first suggestions. The simple, cheap, homey Mexican food that Austin locals and visitors have lined up for in this same downtown location for over 10 years was known even to Sharon, but we went there anyway. On the walls we found a collection of eclectic memorabilia, including my favorite, a wooden heart signed by none other than former Texas gov Ann Richards.

Liz and Margaret didn’t have to think long about a dinner recommendation. They dictated careful directions to Starlite, a gay-owned restaurant that opened last December. A newly renovated 1930s house with simple decor, Starlite serves innovative versions of dishes that have become California-cuisine standards. Try the spinach salad, a surprising, warm version that’s more like an entree than a starter, or the pan-fried snapper served with wasabi potatoes, perfectly cooked so that it was crispy on the surface and still pearly white inside–a sure sign of a kitchen that is watching its work carefully, even on a busy night. Also notable for a busy night was the friendliness of the staff, in particular the bartender, who, upon finding out I was going to do an article on Austin, wrote out on several bar napkins all the cool places to go, including other restaurants as well as coffee houses, bars, and stores.

One bar that didn’t turn up on his list, but that was a must on ours, was Gaby and Mo’s, away from the major gay bar scene down on Fourth Street, out on Manor Road, just one exit up I-35 from Sixth Street. I am probably going to date myself by confessing that I once roller-bladed to Gaby and Mo’s (then called Chances) to see Two Nice Girls play to an absolutely packed house. Gaby and Mo’s is the quintessential lesbian coffee house, serving up food as well as attitude, self-described on their website as a lesbian-owned coffeehouse /cafe /beerjoint /music & performance art venue. You go to Austin, you’re a lesbian, you’ve got to go to Gaby and Mo’s. Did I forget to mention Sharon hates bars? Even Sharon likes Gaby and Mo’s.

Sunday was bright, warm, and gorgeous, a perfect day to go to Zilker Park and lie on a blanket and snuggle with your girlfriend or your laptop, whichever one isn’t asleep. With Sharon and our dog Lee (yes, the wondrous Hotel San Jose even accepts dogs) snoozing beside me, I stamped out this missive on the Ibook by hanging a blanket over my head to keep the reflective Texas sun off my screen. While I don’t recommend this as a writing venue, I do recommend a visit to Zilker Park, although you will have to be a better woman than I to brave the screaming children and straight people who populate Barton Springs, a natural swimming hole located in the middle of the park and renowned for its waters that remain at 55 degrees year-round. Still, if you are willing to drive a bit out of town, it’s just a few miles to Lake Travis or Lake Austin. With their shale bottoms and clear water, the lakes are a welcome departure from the mud-bottomed bayous of my Houston childhood. You might actually want to swim in this water.

There are many other worthy destinations possible on a gay tour of Austin. The lesbian-owned Eastside Café boasts vegetables grown in its own garden and served up in daily blackboard specials. Bookwoman, the lesbian bookstore, is a great place for literature, videos, and leftist bumper stickers, like the one we purchased, which reads "George W. Bush is a punk-ass chump."

So just do it. Get in your jeep and take a road trip with your honey and your dog to Austin. Stay at the Hotel San Jose, eat yourself silly at Las Manitas, Starlite, or Eastside Café, and party at Gaby and Mo’s. Just leave your cats at home, get in a good mood, and remember to take the veer at Brenham. And oh yeah–bring those Indigo Girls CDs.

Lauren Johnson is a native Texan and freelance writer whose first film (made with partner Sharon Ferranti), A Thousand Miles, is making its way around the film festival circuit. She has contributed to magazines such as Film Threat, Curve, and Lesbian News, and to short story collections published by Alyson Books.

To Stay:

Hotel San Jose
1316 South Congress
800/574-8897
512/444-7322
http://www.sanjosehotel.com

To Eat:

Jo’s
1300 South Congress
512/444-7322

Las Manitas
211 Congress
512/472-9357

Starlite
624 West 34th Street
512/374-9012

To Go:

Bookwoman
918 W. 12th
512/472-2785

Uncommon Objects
1512 South Congress
512/442-4000

Rainbow Cattle Company
305 West 5th Street
512/472-5288

Oil Can Harry’s
211 West 4th Street
512/320-8823

Boyz Cellar
213 West 4th Street
512/479-8482

Gaby and Mo’s
1809 Manor Road
512/457-9027
http://www.gabynmos.com

To Surf:

Austin City Search
http://www.austincitysearch.com

Out in Austin
http://www.outinaustin.com