I've spent the past couple of days exploring the intoxicating city of Austin, Texas.
Seeing 1.5 million bats swarm from under the Congress bridge was intense, to say the least.
The music scene is beyond anything I have experienced.
Going out on the town, my eyes were opened to the liberal ways of a foreign town because of spending all of my life in Georgia and Alabama.
It's not that I have been sheltered, it's just the way of life is a little more conservative in the Bible Belt.
There is a law in Austin that says you can be topless at any time. Others have the choice to look away.
Could you imagine that law even peaking through the doors in the Alabama court system?
Walking around 6th Street Halloween night was an experience within itself.
The loin cloth costume on the men seemed to the popular pick this year.
Of course there was the Pringles can that aided as a cup with a string around the waist to hold it in place.
Coyote Ugly was already going at 11 a.m. with vulgarity ringing down the streets to wake up the morning crew.
My wide-eyed friends and myself were intrigued by the open nudity and acceptance of the community, including the common strollers being pushed around in the wee hours of the night.
Naturally, we were getting our photo taken with every nude nun and Andy Samberg impersonator we passed. We even saw a group of gentleman carrying a ladder and P.A. system.
Being the journalists we are, we followed them knowing it had to be something good. Everything had been in the night thus far.
Once the younger man climbed up his ladder the familiar words "You are all sinners" fell over the crowd.
A Bible was shook at passerbys while $1 million bills were handed out that had his picture in the center.
You do not reach people in this atmosphere forcing them to take on your beliefs.
One man walked by and tried to agree with the street preacher, but he brushed him off from atop his soap box.
I understand the meaning of evangelism and go forth and preach, but when does the public chastising become too much?
The evangelist continued with his yelling and, as was inevitable, another person came opposition.
It turned into a yelling match and really just a crowd-pleasing show.
"Salvation can be found here."
"$3 wells can be found here."
Ironically, Satan just happened to stroll by, and the crowd went wild.
It was an interesting way to end the Halloween night.
Austin is a weird city, and worth passing through.
I'll definitely be going back for more adventures.
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