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Kicking Back With BBQ And Music In The Austin Air At Tim's Porch
Last night, we kicked up our feet and drank a cold brew, nestled among aged oak trees at Austin, Texas’s newly renovated music venue, Tim’s Porch. We enjoyed the rockin’ bluesy sounds of John Gaar and Malford Milligan at the recently modified site, formerly known as the “Backyard” amphitheatre. The audience, an undoubtedly Austin-esque conglomeration of colorful characters, ranged from to crazy college kids to hippies in their sixties.
The Show:
John Gaar, originally from Louisiana, unleashed his soulful flair for strumming the guitar during the concert, a spicy compliment to Austinite, Malford Milligan’s Al Green-like sound and style. The collaboration was both entertaining and soothing. Everyone rocked out, including a 4-year old girl who burned up the dance floor all night. With multiple decks of comfortable, intimate seating and ample parking, Jaunted gives Tim’s Porch a thumbs up.
Tags: Best Tubing Spots / Water Sports / Active Travel / Texas Travel / Tubing / → All Tags
Texas Tubing Sounds Totally Tempting For Labor Day
Check your calendar, because the end of summer is near! However, there’s no need to panic if you find yourself near Austin for the Labor Day weekend. Not only is Schlitterbahn, one of the country’s best water parks, just around the corner, but there’s also a pretty good tubing spot. We’ve spent a lot of time on the water this season, so we thought one more nugget would hold us over until next Memorial Day.
Canyon Lake is home of River Sports Tubes, and they are all about having fun on the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers. Just remember not to have too much fun since boozing while cruising is totally fine on this tube trip. However, if you’re going on Sunday, just wait to crack open a cool one until after noon. It’s illegal to drink in public before that—way to go Texas.
Tags: Food Festivals / Food Travel / Festivals / Austin Travel / Texas Travel / Events / Summer Festivals / → All Tags
Scream For Ice Cream At Austin's Scoop Fest
If you weren’t paying attention earlier this year and missed out on the party in Beantown, you’ve got a second chance to totally pig out on the sweet treat that is ice cream. This Saturday, Austin hosts its third annual Austin Ice Cream Festival. Of course there’ll be loads of ice cream to eat, but as the festival celebrates its third scoop, there’s much more than just gluttony to keep everyone entertained.
Yes, there will be an ice cream eating contest, but it’s only available to the first 30 people that sign up on the day of the festival—so get there early. We’re wimps and can’t stand the thought of a solid hour of brain freeze, so we’ll probably bust out our elementary school arts and crafts skills at the Popsicle Stick Sculpture Contest. It’s free to enter and there are pretty much no rules, just no pre-notched sticks, so make whatever you want to impress the judges.
Tags: Mancations / Events / Summer Festivals / Texas Travel / → All Tags
Texas To Welcome The State's First Ever Guy Stuff Festival
Folks in the Lonestar State are hoping that their latest idea is the start of something big. Organizers are set to open the doors to the first ever Texas Testosterone Festival in just over a week and their mantra is "grow a pair," which sounds like success (we kid).
Located within the Palmer Events Center in Austin, it’s a exhibition of all things manly. There’ll be talk of sports, hunting, fighting, and of course one or two pretty ladies wandering around.
Tags: Dunkin' Donuts Alternatives / Donuts / Texas Travel / Foodie Travel / → All Tags
Small-Town Texas Donut Shop Keeps It Real And Really Big
Long before Dunkin and Krispy Kreme came to dominate America’s donut-eating landscape, baked goods connoisseurs traveled far and wide to Round Rock, Texas, a tiny town off I-35 in between Dallas and San Antonio. The reason for the pilgrimmage was of course Round Rock Donuts, open since 1926, who've attracted a cult-like following for their super lightweight glazed donut, which many claim to be the perfect example of the classic American donut.
Fast-forward to eighty years later, and Round Rock is still churning out a remarkably similar product despite their foodie celebrity status. The yeast-risen donuts are still made by hand—now to the tune of 200 dozen a day—and come solely in old school varieties: plain, chocolate, blueberry, and applesauce-filled.
And better yet, the Round Rock crew won’t have anything to do with that New York-style $3 donut trend. The classic RR donut still goes for a mere 55 cents, marked up to 75 cents if you opt for a “fancy donut” like cherry Bismark or one of their famous fried cinnamon rolls.
As an iconic Texas institution, of course Round Rock can’t get away without offering a biggest something in the world. Enter the Round Rock two-pound donut. Purely unnecessary, but pure genius, as something has to be counteract all those lightweight donuts.
Related Stories:
· Round Rock Donuts [Official Site]
· Michigan Bakery Combines Donuts and Candy, Creates Cravings [Jaunted]
· Seattle's Healthy Donuts: Shouldn't Work But It Does [Jaunted]
Tags: Strange Scuba Spots / SCUBA / Scuba Dives / Texas Travel / → All Tags
Freshwater Critters Abound At A Texas Scuba Lake
With the economy in the toilet, you might not have the funds to head out on once in a lifetime diving trip, and with that Swine Flu constantly lurking around every corner the only safe place is under the sea. That’s why we’ve compiled some strange SCUBA spots right here at home. If you’ve got a better one (or a worse one), please let us know!
Close encounters with the sharp teeth of sharks or eels may put a damper on a tropical dive, which is the perfect reason for the more finicky to look for a diving spot a little more inland. As far as we know, there’s no sharks within the Clear Spring Scuba Park in Terrel, Texas. However, we just pray to the diving gods that no alligators or crocs have been illegally dumped in by locals trying to keep them as pets.
True to its name, the lake’s visibility is at least 20 feet this week, so you’ll have no problem investigating below the surface. Under the surface you'll find all kinds of bass, sunfish, catfish, and turtles. It kind of looks like you’re diving at the local pet store, but please remember that it’s not, and don’t bring home any fish in little water-filled baggies. There's even a wreck to swim through: the SS Minnow, though not of Gilligan's Island fame.
Tags: Museums / Art / Texas Travel / → All Tags
¿Qué Pasa Con El Museo Alameda?
It's been a tough six months for the Museo Alameda, which opened in San Antonio this spring. After a weak opening exhibition featuring items culled from other Smithsonian Institution museums, the Alameda has had trouble drawing visitors. Fewer than 100,000 people have stopped in though museum officials predicted 400,000 within the first year.
High ticket prices are to blame, say administrators. But the museum just got some controversial funding from the San Antonio City Council to reduce admission to $4 for adults. If a capital campaign is successful, the Alameda could go free--which would put it in line with the Smithsonian facilities in Washington, DC.
So what else is there to see at the Alameda besides of all this drama? A video and photography exhibition chronicles the achievements of Cuban-American salsa goddess Celia Cruz until April 2008. In the upstairs galleries, a collection of Guatemalan textiles--called huipiles--will be on view until January. And the amazing botanica/gift shop (above) is still the place for South Texas tchotchkes.
Related Stories:
· Alameda Museum Gets Special Funding [Express-News]
· San Antonio Says Hola to Latino Museum [Jaunted]
[Photo: ydhsu]
Tags: Restaurants / Texas Travel / → All Tags
Texas Hill Country Food: Blue Bonnet Cafe
If you're headed to or from Austin, or have a long weekend to spend in stunning Texas Hill Country, take it from us and do not miss a stop at Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls. Opened 75 years ago and operated by John and Belinda Kemper since 1981, the Blue Bonnet serves amazing, well, everything. Order the authentic Texas-style Chicken Fried Steak smothered in gravy and take your pick of three sides (fried okra, spinach, potatoes, etc) to go along with it, or indulge in Fried Catfish that's crisp and tender. Don't worry about hunger striking here, you'll start your meal with freshly baked, yeasty, warm rolls, and end it with an amazing selection of pies to choose from.
Meringues stand a solid, impressive five inches from the filling (lemon, chocolate, coconut cream, banana - depends on the day) and crusts are buttery and thick. Our favorite was the peanut butter, coated with whipped cream and velvety smooth.
One of the nicest things about the Blue Bonnet? The service. Yes, we waited in line, but were checked up on repeatedly, and our waitress was efficient, friendly, and didn't rush us even though we were there as they were closing. We'll be back to linger and hopefully to try a new pie! Be sure not to miss their one-of-a-kind Pie Happy Hour either.
[Photo: cha cha]
Related Stories:
· Austin Hotels [HotelChatter]
Tags: Texas Travel / Presidential Travel / → All Tags
Honor Lady Bird Johnson Out In The Wild
Former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson (born Claudia Alta Taylor) passed away yesterday at 94. A journalism graduate from the University of Texas, she lived nearly all her life besides the White House years in the Lone Star State, from the northeastern town of Karnack where she was born to Austin, where she helped restore riverfront areas and curate the LBJ Presidential Library at UT.
Show your love for the best nicknamed First Lady by visiting the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, or if you feel like going further afield, the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch west of Austin, where the former president rests amongst cows.
Related Stories:
· Austin Travel [Jaunted]
· Hotels in Austin [HotelChatter]
[Photo: mcchicken]
