24 hours in Austin, Texas

Are you planning a holiday to Texas? Are you driving through Austin? Do you have a short layover in Austin and looking to explore the city while waiting for your connecting flight? Are you on a business trip to Austin and have some spare time to explore the city?



Well, if you have answered ‘YES’ to any of the questions above, you might be interested in this article about some of the top attractions and experiences to be had in the super cool city of Austin.



Austin, the capital of Texas is a happening city. Be it live music shows, nightlife, bars and pubs, art and culture or outdoor life, Austin has it all. Nestled by the Colorado river, this city with its universities and business district has a young and energetic appeal to it. This is in addition to its Texan character of living life king size and always enjoying oneself. 



If you have 24 hours to spend in Austin, here’s what all you can do. And since Austin is a moderately sized city, you can get to all these places fairly quickly. 

1) Music Festivals


Austin is home to the famous South by SouthWest music festival. While, this is the biggest music festival of this city, Austin hosts many other music festivals, live music shows and attracts artists from all over the country. If you are in town and there is a music festival happening, you have to attend it. If there is no big music festival taking place, you can check out for the live music shows happening at the various bars and clubs in town. Basically, you will find good music all round the year in this city.

2) Micro Breweries and Bourbon Tasting



Kentucky might be the home of bourbon, but Austin isn’t far away. If you are a bourbon lover, you will get to taste a great set of bourbon or rye whiskeys at any of the bars in the city. There are also many micro breweries where you can taste some fine brew and some amazing bourbon whiskey. My favorite is the Harrison Brothers micro brewery on the outskirts of the city.



Lager, micro and all kinds of beer flow in the different taps of the city. If you feel adventurous, you could indulge in a pub crawl. If not, you could find a classic bar and sip your favorite drink.

3) 6th Street and Historic District

6th Street is like the center of all action in Austin. Coyote Ugly to street art, tattoo shops to roof top bars, beautiful architecture to great shopping, Austin’s 6th street is where it is all. Pick yourself a cowboy hat here and soak in all the energy of this street in true Texan style.



Be it day or night, this street is always buzzing with insane amounts of energy. This is the place you want to hang out at if you are looking for great music, food and nightlife.

4) Lady Bird Lake Hiking Trail



If you are an outdoor person, you will absolutely love the pristineness of Lady Bird Lake’s hiking trail. It is even better if you love the water. This lake formed by the Colorado river is at one end of downtown Austin. It is an ideal place for running, cycling, skating, kayaking, rafting, skate boarding, relaxed walks, walks with pets and much more. It is the place I would go to in the early morning and late evening hours.



And while you are here, don’t miss the sunset from over the bridge. This has to be possibly one of the best views of Austin.

5) Congress Avenue and Texas State Capitol



The Texas State Capitol is a national historic landmark and is one that towers the Austin landscape as soon as you reach the historic quarter of Congress Avenue. This monument built in Italian Renaissance Revival architecture is taller than the Capitol building in Washtington DC and at the time of its construction was one of the largest buildings in the world. It is a great place to learn some history about Texas. If you are not into history or monuments, I am sure that you would definitely like to take a #selfie in front of this Austin icon.



Have a great time in Austin! Keep Austin Weird!
After some Texan character, if you wish for some beach, sand, sun and umbrella drinks, head to Florida’s Orlando, which offers great value for package deals.

Trip Courtesy: Discover America, the tourism board of the United States of America.

Trip Hashtags: #DiscoverAmerica #RoadTripUSA 

Austin

Hashtags: #trueaustin #visitaustintx | Facebook: @visitaustintexas and @texastourism | Twitter: @VisitAustinTX and @texastourism | Instagram: @visitaustintx

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San Antonio: Home to Festive Riverside Texan Culture

When we think of Texas, we think of the Lone Star, it being oil rich, longhorns, cowboys, cowgirls, guns, motorcycles, choppers and wide open spaces. And with this thinking I was in for a serious surprise when I arrived at San Antonio in Central Texas.  This city has so much character. It has a big heart. The people are nice. And it has great whiskey bars. And it also has the Texan charm. In simple terms, it is my kind of city.

 

Once my train landed here, I was all excited to explore this city. Through the maps, I found out that the city was of petite size and hence decided to explore it by foot.



Started off with the visitor center to get my bearings right and to get a street level map so that I could afford to get lost. My first stop was the San Antonio river walk, which is like the heart of the city and where all the action is.



I took a 30 minute boat cruise to give me a good idea of the river, the city’s history, its founding people, its character, its top sights and much more.



It was during this boat ride that I found out that in its past, this city of San Antonio used to be affected by a lot of floods, but with a lot of local help and some good architectural planning, it got itself a flood system that prevented it from flooding and a riverside atmosphere that makes this city really special.


Most of the city weaves its way in and out of these various canals and flood channels. The nature around these water channels adorns itself with night herons, pigeons and ducks on 300 year old trees. Amidst all this nature lies the Alamo, one of San Antonio’s iconic landmarks, a Baroque German and a Catholic Church, the Tower of the Americas, the Commerce and other city administration buildings, sensational bridges, modern looking hotels, great restaurants and bars.




Boats give people a quick tour of the city from the river, the river walk sees brisk action, the restaurants dish out great local food, the local artists share their art and craft with the people and then there are also so many avenues to shop from.


For entertainment, one can try Ripley’s believe it or not, the Wax museum, the Mirror Mania, the San Antonio Open Tour Bus or simply watch the world go by from a restaurant. The whole town wears a festive look almost everywhere by the riverside and even at the street levels. There is live music almost at every street corner.



Food, Music and Drinking are like the main focus points of this lively, yet laid back city. A colourful drink and nice hot meal overseeing all this action in this vibrant atmosphere is perfect for a relaxed holiday. And this is precisely what I indulged in when I was in the city. I had a colorful lunch by the riverside and with great live music.



If you wish for more, there are taverns and breweries where one can try out the local beers and whiskeys. San Antonio is home to some fantastic bars and if you are a bourbon or rye whiskey fan, this place can offer you some serious value for money.



I got a taste of this when I tried out some local bourbon whiskey at the Esquire Tavern, the oldest bar on the San Antonio river walk and one that has the longest table in the whole of Texas. It is quite an experience to drink great whiskey in a classic looking bar.



Whatever you end up doing in this city – exploring like a typical tourist, indulging in its food and beverages, participating in its music and dance or simply visiting its key landmarks, San Antonio is one city that you will fall in love with. It certainly has all the ingredients of a relaxed holiday destination and I hope to return to it some day soon as 12 hours doesn’t do justice to this city at all. San Antonio….I hope to see you again!

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Custom Chopper @ Austin that made my jaws drop!!

I was shopping for a Stetson's’ (cowboy hat) at Cavender’s in Austin, Texas when I spotted this perfect combination of the beauty and the beast.

 
This custom built chopper was simply stunning! Everything about it seemed to ooze raw appeal. The engine, the thump, the intricate body design, the awesome bucket seat, the thick tyres and the amazing paint job were all tastefully done.

 
Upon chatting with the owner, I found out that he spent $ sixty (60) Grand for this custom motorcycle and the paint job alone cost him $ ten (10) grand.

When will I own my custom chopper! Pretty soon I guess or at least I can hope against hope!!

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Truck Art on the Texas Freeway!

I was on my way from Dallas to Austin when I spotted this interesting art on the back of one of the many trucks/trailers that I crossed.

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