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sunday, march 10, 2013 EZ

SMART MOUTHTo market,to marketA Mexican mountaintown offers a plethoraof colors, textures andflavors. F5

The Navigator Think travelers are worried about the sequester? Bring it on! F2

Travel News The TSA clears some once-banned items for reboarding. F2

What’s the Deal? We scope out the week’s best travel bargains for you. F2

CHAT We answer reader questions Monday at 2 p.m. at live.washingtonpost.com.

ESCAPESWine journeyOn this tour, you canfollow the progress ofthe grape as it turnsinto the drink of thegods. F6

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Travel

Carlsbad? Killer, dude!Getting soaked — and stoked — riding the SoCal waves

BY BOB CARDENSpecial to The Washington Post

The monster wave approached. It hadto be 20 or 30 feet. Undaunted, I paddledforward. Well, all right, maybe it’s morelike 2 or 3 feet. But does size reallymatter?

I jumped onto the board, turned intothe crest and caught it. And for threemind-numbing seconds, I stood up —love handles dancing in the air.

Dude, I’m surfin’.There are worse places to be in the

summer than Carlsbad, Calif. About 35miles north of San Diego, the beach townhas bright sun, good bars and restau-rants and oh-so-tasty waves. It doesn’t

get much more SoCal than this. Theweather is about 75 degrees, the watertemperature about 70. If you want tolearn to surf, this is the place.

This was an end-of-summer vacationwith my wife and two teenagers. Afour-day surf camp promised goodweather, physical activity and maybeeven a remedy for a midlife crisis. Surfinglessons are cheaper than a Mercedesconvertible and safer than friending yourrecently divorced high school flame onFacebook. And it rocks. Just ask Rusty,Keenan or Evan.

They were our surfing instructors. Wemet them on the beach across from the

carlsbad continued on F3PHILLIP COLLA/OCEANLIGHT.COM

Surf city:Carlsbad, Calif.,has seven miles

of pristinecoastline, greatweather — andmonster waves.

rightup

A round ofboot-scootin’boogie nightsin the dancehalls of Texas

BY MELANIE D.G. KAPLANSpecial to The Washington Post

StepERICH SCHLEGEL FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

The swing of things: Gruene Hall,which was built in 1878 in New

Braunfels, Tex., is the oldestcontinuously operating dance hall

in the state.

On my ninth day in Texas,I learned my most impor-tant dancing lesson. It was awarm afternoon in January,and I had stopped at Riley’s

Tavern — a nearly empty music venue ona desolate road 40 miles south of Austin— to watch a Redskins game. I sat at thebar across from a TV and eventuallybegan talking to an off-duty cop. When hefound out that I was driving across thestate by myself, unarmed, he bequeathedme his pocket knife.

Toward the end of the game, he polite-ly took my hand. He led me past thebikers in chaps and toward the back ofthe building, to a small, deserted dancefloor beside a quiet stage. Before I knewit, he was facing me and placing his righthand on my shoulder. And then, we weretwo-stepping.

The movements weren’t unfamiliar.After all, in the preceding days I’d foundmyself on countless dance floors, danc-ing with strangers to live music, takinglessons and remembering to let my

partner lead. I just didn’t expect — on myday off from visiting dance halls — tofind my skills tested in a smoky saloonduring a playoff game. We shuffledaround the gritty floor for a couple ofjukebox songs before we returned to thebar for the fourth quarter.

After the game, I said goodbye andheaded to my hotel, uncertain exactlyhow I would protect myself with theknife, but with a deeper understanding ofhow people in this state roll. I realizedthat when it comes to the act of facing apartner and stepping in unison — whichTexans do so well — the venue, the musicand the atmosphere are all secondary.

In this state, people just dance.

texas continued on F4

F4 EZ EE KLMNO SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2013

Texas dance halls have all the right movesDancing breaks

Anyone who has driven across Texasknows that simply setting your sights onthe next state’s faraway border is a formof torture that could last for days. Sowhen I was offered a writing assignmentthat involved traveling to Big Bend Na-tional Park in West Texas, I decided tobreak up the long drive with some danc-ing. I knew that the dance halls in Texaswere like no others, and I love hearing thesweet croons of Western music enough totake on a few detours. I packed my bootsin Washington just before New Year’s andheaded west.

According to Stephen Dean, co-found-er of an organization called Texas DanceHall Preservation, most of the state’shistoric dance halls are in the central andcoastal regions. This is where German,Czech and Polish immigrants settled inthe mid- to late 1800s. They wouldpreserve their culture by gathering tocelebrate the harvest or a holiday, shar-ing food and dancing the polka. Thepolka evolved into one type of two-step(quick-quick-slow pattern), but the morepopular version — what’s known as Texastwo-step (quick-quick-slow-slow) —evolved from the fox trot and looks likedancers taking small walking steps to-gether.

The charm of these dance halls is thatthey’re very much the same today as theywere back when: You go for no-frillsfellowship, cheap beer, good music anddancing. “Some are nothing more than abarn with a dance floor,” said Dean, whohas been to more than 750 Texas dancehalls, most of which are rarely used.“There’s something special about it.You’re dancing, the outside is coming inthrough the windows, and you’re in ahistoric wood building.”

Of course, there are many other typesof places to two-step in Texas. As Deanexplained it: “A dance hall is where yougo and dance with your wife. The honky-tonk is where you go and dance withsomeone else’s wife.”

Boots on the floorMy first stop was in Houston, at

Goode’s Armadillo Palace — decidedlymore honky-tonk than dance hall (thegiant mirrored armadillo outside shouldhave been the first clue). But that’s atechnicality I chose to ignore; when thedance floor beckoned, I danced. It was agood opportunity to brush up on mytwo-step the night before I headed toAustin, where I bought another pair ofcowboy boots at Allens Boots and got towork.

My crash course in Texas music includ-ed such subgenre terms as redneck rockand red dirt, and I quickly learned thatBob Wills was the “king of Westernswing,” that everybody loves Asleep at theWheel and that Willie Nelson is nothingshort of divine.

I started hearing certain artists’ namesover and over — Dale Watson, BobbyFlores, Amber Digby, Jesse Dayton. Nomatter where these folks were playing,people would follow them. Mike Stinson,an artist fairly new on the Texas circuit,told me that people who love to danceoften split their time between two venuesin one night to catch certain bands. “Acommon topic of conversation,” he said,“is, ‘Where are we going to see live musicand dance tonight?’ ”

On a Sunday afternoon, I caught DaleWatson at Ginny’s Little Longhorn Sa-loon, on the north side of Austin, whichwas as crowded as a frat party, but peoplestill made room to dance. I showed up atthe Continental Club on funky SouthCongress Avenue on a Wednesday anddanced the jitterbug, only to find outlater that Sunday is the big country-and-western night, with live music by Hey-bale. I kept hearing about the WhiteHorse, a relatively new venue on the eastside, but on my last night in Austin, I hadto choose the Broken Spoke on the southside of the city.

Part dance hall, part honky-tonk, theBroken Spoke is legendary. Country mu-sic lover James White decided to open theplace after he got out of the Army in 1964,and he still shows up nightly. I paid for atwo-step class, got a wheel stamp on theback of my hand and walked onto a dancefloor surrounded by neon beer signs.

The owners’ daughter Terri, wearingripped jeans, a pixie haircut and a head-set, sprinkled dance floor wax on thecement floor like it was fairy dust. Shestarted her class with the guys lined upon one side, gals on the other. There werea lot of boots and cowboy hats, but there

texas from F1

that the music and the two-steppingwould always be with me. I told him thatI’d be back, and I knew that I would be.

The next day, I packed up my boots andmy pocket knife and headed east.

travel@washpost.com

Kaplan is a freelance writer in Washington.Her Web site is www.melaniedgkaplan.com.

DETAILS

GETTING THERESouthwest Airlines offers nonstop flightsfrom Reagan National to Austin; Unitedoffers nonstop flights from WashingtonDulles.

WHERE TO STAYHotel San Jose1316 S. Congress Ave., Austin512-444-7322www.sanjosehotel.comGuests can check out a manualRemington typewriter or a Polaroidcamera. Weekday rates start at $100 forshared bath or $195 for standard queen.

Full Moon Inn Bed & Breakfast3234 Luckenbach Rd., Fredericksburg800-997-1124fullmooninn.comJust around the bend from Luckenbach.Full country breakfast included. Roomsand suites from $150.

WHERE TO EATTorchy’s Tacos3005 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin512-614-1832www.torchystacos.comNext to the Broken Spoke. On the tacomenu: The Democrat/shredded beef $4;the Republican/grilled jalapeno sausage$3.25; the Independent/fried portobellostrips $3.50.

Huisache Grill303 W. San Antonio St., New Braunfels830-620-9001www.huisache.comThree and a half miles from Gruene Hall.Grilled salmon burger $9.95, blackenedfarm-raised catfish $13.95, fried oysters$9.50.

Twisted Root Burger Co.2615 Commerce St., Dallas214-741-7668www.twistedrootburgerco.comIn the Deep Ellum neighborhood, nearSons of Hermann Hall. Burgers madefrom beef, buffalo, turkey, elk, emu, boar,alligator and black bean start at $5.99.

WHERE TO DANCEThe Broken Spoke3201 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin512-442-6189www.brokenspokeaustintx.comAustin’s best-known dance venue, withlive music Tuesday-Saturday. Two-stepclasses Wednesday–Saturday, $8 plusthe night’s cover charge.

Gruene Hall1281 Gruene Rd., New Braunfels830-606-1281www.gruenehall.comLive music daily. Shows are free Mondaythrough Thursday evening and Saturdayand Sunday afternoon. Two Ton Tuesdays(swing lessons with the band Two Tons ofSteel) run June to mid-August.

Luckenbach412 Luckenbach Town Loop,Fredericksburg830-997-3224www.luckenbachtexas.comTen miles southeast of Fredericksburg.Live music daily and free Friday nightdances every month starting in March.

Sons of Hermann Hall3414 Elm St., Dallas214-747-4422www.sonsofhermann.comWestern Swing Sundays with the bandShoot Low Sheriff every third Sunday ofthe month; $10 at the door with barbecueavailable for purchase, beginner swinglesson at 6:30. Lessons also everyWednesday at 8 p.m., $5.

Day-Long Dance Hall Tour512-567-7570Texas Dance Hall Preservation co-founderStephen Dean takes small groups to visithistoric dance halls, leaving from Austin.Offered March 23 and monthly thereafterthrough the summer. $60; barbecuelunch extra. For reservations, call or e-mail sdean75@gmail.com.

INFORMATIONtexasdancehall.org

— M.D.G.K.

ERICH SCHLEGEL FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

that many halls — like Anhalt Hall(between Austin and San Antonio), thebeautifully restored Sengelmann Hall(between San Antonio and Houston) andFloore’s Country Store (outside San Anto-nio) — have dances only on the week-ends. So I hit the ones I could, makingnotes for a return trip one day.

One more for the roadI spent the next couple of weeks in

West Texas, and on my way home, I madea quick stop in Fort Worth to see what’sknown as the world’s largest honky-tonk:Billy Bob’s Texas. After the quiet of BigBend, I was a little traumatized by thesize and touristiness of the place, whichincludes real bull-riding, souvenir shops,several dance floors and even a saddle-shaped disco ball.

My last stop was Dallas. The cop I’dmet in Austin was in town for business,and we’d arranged to meet for a Westernswing class at Sons of Hermann Hall, anold fraternal organization known for itslive music and swing dances. The instruc-tor talked us through the steps and turns,and we rotated partners. The crowd wasmostly young, but I also danced with anolder man wearing a button-down shirtwith a gun pattern. By the time the copmade his way back to me, we had bothmastered the steps, and by the time theband played Frank Sinatra’s “South of theBorder,” we were feeling confident. Wewere even getting ourselves back intostep after a turn.

“Not bad,” he said of my dance skills, aswe left the hall. But he implied that Icould use some more practice. I laughed.I’d never be a Texan, but I had a feeling

ERICH SCHLEGEL FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Fancy footwork: Terri White, whose parents own the Broken Spoke, works with couples on the floor during her two-stepdance lessons. The venue, top, is Austin’s best-known dancing spot.

BEN NOEY JR./FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM THE DALLAS MORNING NEWSERICH SCHLEGEL FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

were also sneakers and sequins. Terriexplained that Western swing is justtwo-step with turns. “Quick quick, slowslow,” she said. “There is a follower. Thereis a leader. I don’t care who is who. Butgirls, if you’re following, don’t fight him.”

We paired up to practice, and I part-nered with a tall blond lead. Terri re-minded us not to lift our toes. “That song‘Boot Scootin’ Boogie’ is about keepingyour boots on the floor,” she said. Duringthe lesson, her dad stood in the back,wearing a white cowboy hat, a turquoisecowboy shirt with rhinestones and amatching handkerchief around his neck.After class, the dance floor was packedbefore the band even began.

Hill Country hallsThe next morning, I woke up with a

wagon wheel smudged on my cheek. Istopped for the Redskins game at Riley’sand spent the next day in New Braunfels,less than an hour south of Austin, homeof historic Gruene (pronounced “green”)Hall. Located on the banks of the Guadal-upe River, Gruene is the oldest continu-ously operating dance hall in the state. Itwas built in 1878 as a community centerfor cotton farmers. Back then, peoplewould go there to celebrate weddings,births, deaths, business deals or simplythe end of a workday, and — aside fromthe tourists — it’s not much differenttoday.

In front, there’s a cash bar where youcan buy a Shiner Bock or a Coke. Iscanned photos of the artists who haveplayed here — George Strait, Lyle Lovett,Garth Brooks, Jerry Jeff Walker.

The back looks essentially like a barn

with a stage. Long tables and bencheswith years of graffiti etched into the woodline up like picnic tables. Bands performdaily, and whether the lyrics are aboutlove, the moon or 18-wheelers, there’ssomething sweet about watching thedancers: Some looked as if they’d beenmoving together for generations; otherswere young enough to still be wearingpatent-leather Mary Janes.

En route to my next stop, driving overroller coasters of asphalt as far as I couldsee, I saw firsthand why this beautifularea of Central Texas is called Hill Coun-try. I arrived in Luckenbach, about 90minutes northwest of Gruene and out-side the town of Fredericksburg, whichstill maintains much of the Germanculture brought over by its original set-tlers. Luckenbach opened as a tradingpost in 1849, and it still sits more or lessin the middle of nowhere, with a generalstore, a dance hall and a tollbooth-sizetavern. The 1977 Waylon Jennings andWillie Nelson song, “Luckenbach, Texas,”made it famous.

I showed up on a weeknight for whatthey call a picker circle — a few guitaristssitting around, playing acoustically.Three musicians sat in the corner of thebar, where every square inch of wall wascovered with patches, stickers, dead ani-mals, signs and photos. I found myselfstanding around the wood-burning stovewith about a dozen locals, sipping LoneStars, listening to the tunes.

The dance hall was closed for thenight, but the bartender grabbed his keysand switched on the lights for me to peekin. I added that to my growing list ofplaces for my next visit. I was realizing

Texas-size fun: From left, tourists can take a picture on a fake bull at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, which calls itself the world’s largest honky-tonk; bands perform daily at Gruene Hall in NewBraunfels; Sons of Hermann Hall is an old fraternal organizaion in Dallas known for its live music and swing dances.