Tag: Austin

Austin

Places to play around Austin

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Here’s a great post from do512 on places to go in and around Austin to play like a kid. Take the kids or be a kid for a while.

👉 Where To Be A Kid Again In Austin

This post has it all: mini golf, pickleball, disc golf, go-karting, arcade games, bowling, water parks, darts, karaoke, roller skating, rock climbing, laser tag, art, even snakes and alligators.

Cheat Sheet

Dreamland | Austin’s | Typhoon Texas | Peter Pan Mini Golf | Punch Bowl Social | Austin Panic Room | Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo | Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In | Toy Joy | Austin Bouldering Project | Austin Roller Rink | Pinballz Arcade | Blazer Tag | Upstairs Circus |

Austin

Real Rail for Austin!

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During the presidential election last month, I was surprised to see that there was also a local transit plan called Project Connect on the ballot. I kind of assumed it would fail since there was a pandemic on, traffic was way down, and people were avoiding crowded spaces. 🤷🏻‍♂️

So the headline on the latest edition of Community Impact shocked me.

Historic public transportation expansion on its way to Austin

And it passed by a hefty margin. 💪🏻

I was farther stunned to see that this is not some BS 💩 rail system built on existing freight rail lines (wtf?) but a real urban rail system actually running through the heart of the city where people can truly ditch their cars forever and hop on the train. This line runs right down South Congress, where I can walk to it to get to downtown, UT, or the airport entirely car-free. 🎊

This project can help make the city more human-oriented, more convenient, reduce the need for all that ugly asphalt, take some pressure off those gridlocked streets, and help the planet. For about $25/month I’m soooo in.

Maybe one day Austin will look a little bit like Lisbon. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Austin

Favorite Austin Hotel Pools

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There’s just something about a hotel pool. 🤩 Here are some wet and sunny spots to enjoy around Austin. This picture is of the Austin Motel pool, but many more are listed in the post.

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☀️Favorite Austin Hotel Pools . 👀Looking for a day in the sun or a pretty staycation? Check out some of these favorite #austin hotel spots . ‼️Please visit their websites for more information regarding the precautions they are taking. As many are only accepting reservations and limited capacity. Check frequently as updates are made. . 👉Austin Motel @austinmotel 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available . 👉The Wayback @thewaybackaustin 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available . 👉South Congress Hotel @southcongresshotel . 👉The Line Hotel @thelinehotel 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available on weekdays . 👉Azul Rooftop @azulrooftop . 👉Fairmont Austin @fairmontatx 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available . 👉W Austin @waustin 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available . 👉Hotel San Jose @hotelsanjose . 👉Hotel Saint Cecilia @hotelsaintcecilia . 👉Hotel VanZandt @hotelvanzandt . 👉East Austin Hotel @eastaustinhotel 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available • • • 📸 @alisonmarlborough @austinmotel #stufftodoinaustin #austintexas #austintx #atx #atxlife #atxlifestyle #atxblog #atxblogger #austinmotel #southcongress #keepaustinweird #trueaustin #do512 #austin360 #austin #downtownaustin

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Austin

Antone’s

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Just an Austin photo that I really like!

Where actually is Antone’s these days? 😆

Austin

The Story Behind the Lucy’s Friend Chicken Sign

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Kind of a funny story about the Lucy’s Fried Chicken neon sign. 😂

You should have seen my grandmother—she was really something.

This is part of a series from Austin Monthly on Austin’s most famous neon signs.

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For our April issue, we dug deep into the backstories behind 10 of Austin’s most iconic neon signs. We believe that these pieces of electric artwork are essential to the city’s identity, so for the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing some of the images and their histories with you. ⚡️ First up: Lucy’s Fried Chicken. ⁣ ⁣ “A collaboration between chef-owner James Holmes, design firm @pentagramdesign, and artist @theneonjungle, this sign was made in homage to Holmes’ grandmother, who taught him how to cook the titular dish at his fried chicken restaurants. “He said, ‘I want it to be this old-fashioned pin-up girl like they used to paint on the nose cones of the B-52 bombers,’” says Pentagram partner DJ Stout. “I said, ‘Isn’t that a little racy if you’re naming this place after your grandmother and daughter?’ He said, ‘You should have seen my grandmother—she was really something.’” Pentagram designed the lettering and drew the vintage woman, while Voyles had the idea that she should be kicking her leg out, using old-school animation to create the effect.”⁣ ⁣ See the full gallery at the #linkinbio.⁣ ⁣ 📸 @marylizphoto

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Austin

Local and Online During the Shutdown

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Yeah, the Hideout Theater and basically everywhere else is closed right now. Looking for something new to do with your Saturday night besides watch Tiger King 🙄?

Maybe try the Parallelogramophonograph virtual improv show. It live. It’s spontaneous. It’s real. It’s not Tiger King.

👉 PGRAPH VIRTUAL SHOW

And unlike normal Hideout Theater shows, you don’t have to find parking downtown. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Another local options Ground Floor Theater’s “Covid Canon” online series of live play readings. 👉 KUT Story

Austin

Austin Podcast: ATXplained!

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I don’t know how I missed this, but there’s a podcast called ATXplained, dedicated to some very local Austin questions. For example:

  • Why Are There No Billboards On MoPac?
  • What’s The Best Way To Get Into The Chilly Waters Of Barton Springs?
  • Is It Bee Cave Or Bee Caves? And Where Are The Bees?
  • Why Does The Top Of Austin’s Tallest Building Look ‘Unfinished’?
  • How Did Texas Become The Only State With Its Own Toast?
  • Why Are There So Few Homes With Basements Around Austin?
  • Why Are You Not Allowed To Swim In Lady Bird Lake?
  • Why Is MoPac Traffic So Much Worse In The Afternoon Than In The Morning?
  • Why Do Lifeguards At Austin’s City Pools Blow Their Whistles At Break Time Like That?

Check it out! And thanks as always, KUT! 🤟

👉 ATXplained

Austin · Travel

Distinctive Destinations

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Here’s a great site for finding interesting historical sites in your area or when you travel.

👉 Distinctive Destinations

This is from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, so it’s authentic and not some kind of sales pitch or ad-driven site.

Here around Austin, they list the Elisabet Ney Museum and O. Henry Museum.

You can also get a nation-wide map of more places to explore. Maps + history + real-world sites? For me, that’s heaven. 🤷🏻‍♂️