Bye for now, Austin

August 30, 2014

Bye for now, Austin

Reporting from lobby of The Driskill Hotel. I arrived in Austin last night to drive with David to his new home in El Paso today. Shrewd maneuvering on my part allowed me to hang out at the hotel rather than load his car in the Texas heat. Or, maybe David maneuvered me into leaving him to load the car without me hovering around with suggestions on how to improve his packing technique.

Mrs. Bridges - former hotel secretary often seen walking from the vault in the middle of the lobby and tending to the flower arrangements.

The Driskill is said to be haunted by the cattle baron who built the place, then lost it in a poker game; a two suicidal brides; and the four year old daughter of a U. S. Senator who fell down the stairs while bouncing a ball, among others. Besides the named spirits, there are some unidentified spirits that push people out of bed, move things around, leave trails of cigar smoke, tamper with the elevators.

While I was there, a member of the staff gave me a print out about their different ghost sightings. I just read the sheet of paper and noticed this.: One of the phenomenon guests and staff report is that spirits mess with the elevators and, in particular, that a Mr. Peter J. Lawless lived in The Driskill from 1886-1916, even during periods in which the hotel was not operating. He had his own keys and came and went at his leisure. This is Texas. Things are done differently. Mr. Lawless (love the name) is often seen, checking his pocket watch, when the 5th floor elevator doors open. So, get this... Saturday morning, I couldn't get the fifth floor elevator doors to open. I could hear sounds from inside, but the doors wouldn't open. I finally called the front desk and they sent someone up after a bit. Mr. Lawless didn't materialize, but there were definitely noises coming from inside the elevator.

Maybe the hotel just scrimps on maintenance and uses ghosts as a cover for a shoddy elevator system. The haunted hotel angle is probably a profitable marketing tool. I'd always choose the possibility of ghosts over the alternative.

the bar area

I listened to this guy in the bar and developed, as Bridget Jones would say, a bit of a crush. Not really, but I did like his Willie Nelson sounding voice and the way he used the heel of his boot on the wooden floor as an instrument every so often.