Frederick Jace
Austin, Texas should top your list of vacation destinations, and it’s rapidly rising in popularity as a place to live, especially among millennials. The vibrant city is known for the University of Texas, Longhorn football, barbecue, great weather, but above all else, live music.
Fantastic culture and friendly locals enhance the experience. You’ll be in an amicable environment to check out plenty of music events, from the infamous South by Southwest (SXSW) festival to excellent live music at amazing venues, such as:
- Broken Spoke, a real honkey-tonk since 1964 that has hosted the likes of Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson.
- Carousel Lounge, a circus-themed bar and restaurant that has wild live music performances.
- Continental Club & Gallery, for a wide variety of rock, country, rockabilly, soul and jazz.
- ACL Live at The Moody Theater, where the show Austin City Limits if filmed.
- Hole in the Wall, with major acts from Spoon to Don Henley. Local songwriters make the scene here as well.
- The Saxon Pub, singer-songwriter heaven with multiple shows going on almost nightly.
- Cactus Cafe, for internationally acclaimed acoustic bands.
No wonder Austin is known as the live music capital of the world, and that’s only the beginning of the must-see attractions.
See and Do Around Austin
Visit the Texas State Capitol Building, an impressive structure in the center of a 22-acre park that was built in 1885 in Italian Renaissance Revival style. This building is easy to recognize as it looms over the city.
An innovative concept by its developers, the Bullock Texas State History Museum was created to tell the story of Texas. You can enjoy three floors of interactive exhibits. The star attraction is the 400-seat IMAX theatre, which hosts an annual film festival. A great place to cool off is Barton Springs Pool, fed by several natural underground springs.
Neighborhoods
Holly is one of the trendiest parts of Austin, while still managing to preserve its historic character. Holly Square, between Second and Third Streets, includes restaurants like L’Oca d’Oro, Cenote, and The Peached Tortilla; bars like Cheer Up Charlies; and shops like Velvet Toys. Founded by Juan Ramirez in 1969, Juan In A Million serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant’s most famous dish is breakfast tacos. If you don’t think tacos and breakfast go together, you haven’t been to Juan In A Million.
The Red River Cultural District is Austin’s most famous live music street. Check out Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, Mohawk rock club, hip-hop at Empire Control Room & Garage and up-and-coming bands at the alternative lifestyle venue Cheer Up Charlies.
Rainey Street is a 2-block stretch of homes converted into bars, restaurants, and shops. A perfect spot to have brunch at Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden or dinner at Emmer & Rye, which Bon Appétit called one of the best restaurants in the country.
Texas Has Tough Drunk Driving Laws
Before you leave for your incredible vacation in Austin, it’s important to know that Texas has some of the harshest drunk driving laws in the country. Whether it’s your very first, second, or third DWI, expect to pay severe penalties. In Texas, even a first-time DWI conviction is a class B misdemeanor which means you could face up to six months in jail and pay thousands of dollars in fines.
We don’t mean to be a buzzkill, but before you land at the airport, you’d better put a car accident law firm in your phone’s contact list just in case, and use a rideshare if you’re drinking. Cheers!
