{"id":482,"date":"2015-08-06T23:27:38","date_gmt":"2015-08-06T23:27:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/the-austin-locals-guide\/"},"modified":"2022-08-08T23:20:50","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T23:20:50","slug":"austin-texas-locals-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/austin-texas-locals-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Austin Local’s Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Austin, Texas<\/a> is one of the hottest must-do destinations in the USA. Combining southern warmth and a cosmopolitan vibrancy, it\u2019s fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for travellers to North America. Move over LA and New York \u2013 I\u2019m hitting the south to see what this crazy, weird city is all about!<\/p>\n

A City by the River<\/h2>\n

At the heart of Austin lies its shimmering centre piece \u2013 Lady Bird Lake. A reservoir on the Colorado River, the lake is a great spot for kayaking, rowing and paddle boating. Its banks are always busy with eager joggers, sweating it out. For cyclists, a 16 kilometre track around the lake is a great way to see the best of the city from all angles.<\/p>\n

Downtown Austin sits on the northern banks of the lake, and is a thriving central part of the city. Home to endless cafes, restaurants and hotels, it\u2019s a paradise for foodies and music junkies alike. Most of the city\u2019s most convenient accommodation options are located within a five kilometre radius of downtown Austin. Expedia’s Aussie travellers spend 2-3 nights in the city and stay central to enjoy all the action.<\/p>\n

The Driskill Hotel<\/a> is one of the most iconic locations in downtown Austin. The grand building has a highly recommended caf\u00e9, with a chocolate cake made from the original recipe used when the building opened 130 years ago. I can\u2019t go on without mentioning the stunning bar, where you\u2019ll be served home made beef jerky with your cocktails.<\/p>\n

Texas Barbecue<\/h2>\n

Speaking of food, Austin is proud to boast some of the best barbecue in the United States \u2013 a claim they\u2019re very proud of. In fact, the standard of barbecue in the city is so high customers literally travel half way across the globe just to feast on some of the slow cooked goodness.
\n
\nIf you were expecting white tablecloths and fancy silverware with your BBQ, you\u2019ll be bitterly disappointed. In Austin, it\u2019s all about making the food the main priority, and ensuring that it\u2019s accessible to everyone. Most of the best barbecue restaurants in the city are shacks, caravans or outdoor kitchens, and you\u2019ll be eating on picnic tables with plastic cutlery. In all fairness, barbecue isn\u2019t the cleanest meal, so this might be for the best!<\/p>\n

Upon recommendation from several Austinites, I made my way to La Barbecue \u2013 allegedly one of the city\u2019s best barbecue joints, and a must do for foodies in Austin. I\u2019d already been warned about their long lines and arrived early. There were already a few eager foodies waiting in a diligent queue in front of a very modest-looking food caravan, parked in a corner park area. It was the most modest of eateries I\u2019ve seen in a while \u2013 one caravan serving customers, another larger caravan housing a large barbecue oven, surrounded by picnic tables and satisfied diners.<\/p>\n

The food itself was incredible. In true Texas style, it\u2019s all about size and the barbecue portions can be as huge as you want. Most of the barbecue meat is sold by weight, with prices messily scrawled on a piece of butchers paper tacked to the side of the caravan. I was in awe of the large trays of meat that people walked away with. Hey, if you\u2019re spending hours lining up for barbecue, you may as well go all out. After finally digging into the most succulent, tender and downright tasty barbecue I\u2019ve ever had, I had to agree with that strategy.
\n<\/p>\n

Shopping on South Congress<\/h2>\n

South Congress is one of Austin\u2019s true charms. Just a mile south of the river lies some of the most unique and fascinating shopping you\u2019ll find. Here\u2019s my top three picks for travellers looking to spend a couple of those American dollars:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Allens Boots: if you\u2019re searching for a pair of Texan cowboy boots to take home, you\u2019ll definitely find something here. The store houses thousands of boots in all shapes and sizes. From traditional cowboy boots, to a few fantastic sequinned and bedazzled numbers, they\u2019ve got a huge spectrum of styles to choose from.<\/li>\n
  2. Big Top Candy Shop: if you\u2019ve got a sweet tooth, this is the spot for you. It\u2019s the true mecca of candy shops. They sell traditional old school lollies and toffees, along with some of the world\u2019s craziest confectionary \u2013 including snot-flavoured jelly beans, wasabi mints, bacon cotton candy and even candied worms. There\u2019s a fully restored soda fountain, which for me was an absolute treat. But my top tip is to try some of the amazing chocolate created in-house. Think chocolate dipped caramel popcorn and chocolate covered S\u2019mores.<\/li>\n
  3. Uncommon Objects: this large and somewhat overwhelming store of oddities and second hand treasures is a flea market lover\u2019s paradise. It\u2019s the perfect place for bargain hunters, local and tourists alike. In particular, home makers will love the unique oddities that can be found here. Forget a shopping list \u2013 you\u2019ll be lost exploring this cave of wonders for a very long time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The Live Music Capital of the World<\/h2>\n

    Austin is known for its incredible live music scene, and proudly boasts the title of being the live music capital of the world. With more than 250 live music venues, there\u2019s something for every music lover every night of the week. A live music performance really gets the atmosphere going and is a great way of showcasing local talent.<\/p>\n

    One of the most recognisable names music in America is Austin City Limits \u2013 the oldest music television show in the country, airing in living rooms for almost forty years. It\u2019s an iconic Austin brand that has showcased some of the world\u2019s most exceptional musical names \u2013 from Willie Nelson, to the Dixie Chicks, to Coldplay and the Foo Fighters.<\/p>\n

    The public can apply for tickets to the live taping of the shows by keeping an eye on their website. It\u2019s a lottery based ticket allocation, so it all depends on whether or not you\u2019re lucky enough to score a seat. But, if you time it right, and you\u2019re selected in the lottery, you\u2019re in for one of the most memorable nights of music you\u2019ll experience. And, the best part of the ticketing is that it\u2019s all totally free. You\u2019ll get an intimate performance in a really beautiful setting without having to fork out a cent!
    \n<\/p>\n

    Austin Nightlife<\/h2>\n

    Without a doubt, Austin has some of the best nightlife in the USA. It\u2019s a really great blend of southern hospitality, youthful vibrancy and electric energy that draws party goers from all corners of the country. And the fact that there\u2019s a huge university in the middle of the city doesn\u2019t hurt the festivities either.<\/p>\n

    Start at Sixth Street \u2013 it\u2019s a dynamic and effervescent hub for tourists and university students, thanks to cheap drinks and a street jam packed with revellers looking for a great night out. In fact, the city closes the street to traffic on busy nights, and it becomes a sea of fun loving pub crawlers all mingling in between music filled drinking holes.<\/p>\n

    For me, though, the jewel in the crown of Austin\u2019s nightlife has to be Rainey Street. Only around five minutes from the centre of downtown Austin lies a street of houses. These formerly old, residential houses are, however, slightly different \u2013 they\u2019ve all been converted into some of the most unique bars you\u2019ll ever come across. And there\u2019s entire street filled with them.
    \n
    \nIt\u2019s a set up that you\u2019d only ever find here in Austin. You\u2019re literally walking up onto porches and through front doors into these establishments. Some even have garden furniture on the front veranda. And if one thing has been kept from their original state, it\u2019s the homely hospitality.<\/p>\n

    You can spend the night hopping from one house (or rather, bar) to the next. And each has their own unique look and feel. One thing that is guaranteed though, is that they\u2019ll each be filled with a great, positive energy that\u2019s infectious. And that you\u2019ll have no problems in finding a great drink, and some brilliant company with the Austin locals.<\/p>\n

    After my first trip to Austin, I can wholeheartedly say it\u2019s one of my favourite cities in the USA. It\u2019s gone through an incredible growth over the last few years, and is only becoming more popular with each year that passes. It\u2019s seeing spectacular visitor numbers, and its events calendar is jam packed with everything from sporting spectacles, to live music extravaganzas and cultural events. If you\u2019re after a truly unique mix of fascinating Americana, brilliant nightlife, amazing cuisine and the best live music in the world \u2013 you have to check this incredible city out.<\/p>\n

    Texas may be known for its southern warmth, but Austin is just plain cool.<\/p>\n

    Expedia compensates authors for their writings appearing on this site, such compensation may include travel and other costs<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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