The Colonel would have approved

After checking out of the Austin Crowne Plaza, I hoped I'd find my luck improved at a different hotel. I checked into the Austin Town Lake Holiday Inn in Austin Texas, an interesting property with a round tower on the bank of Lady Bird Johnson Lake. I was offered a choice of an executive room or a room with a view of the lake. I decided on the room with a view, (mostly because it was on the side of the hotel away from the expressway) and I must admit the view was lovely at sunset. This hotel is an older property, but I can’t complain about it. It was quiet, clean, and comfortable.

I think I’ve mentioned before that I often choose to eat in the hotel bar when I’m on the road. It’s usually quicker, and more than likely has the same menu offered in the restaurant. It’s also a fun way to hear “traveler tales” from other road warriors who’ve had a little too much if you know what I mean. I’ve heard some wild stories, and while I’m sure that 98 percent of them are seriously embellished or completely fabricated, it certainly beats watching reruns of Desperate Housewives on TV. Plus, most bartenders are pretty good conversationalists which makes dinner time a little more interesting for those of us traveling alone. And I can get a pomegranate martini.

This time I ordered an appetizer - chicken strips. Down at the end of the bar were a couple of guys that had been talking to the bartender about being in town for a video game software developer’s conference. They looked like kids. Or maybe I just felt old? Anyway, when my plate arrived, I wondered if I had mistakenly ordered the Colonel’s family sized bucket of chicken with all the fixins. It was huge! I commented to the bartender that I thought I had been given the party platter, and said I’d be happy to share if anyone else at the bar would like some.

Video game software developers have good appetites.