Shit to do in ATX

All this is copied from an email to another Program Manager about things to do on an upcoming stayover in Austin, TX.

Barton Springs,  Deep Eddy, or Hamilton Pools

Depending on the weather, these natural pools are great places to visit on a warm sunny day. I've only been to Hamilton Pool, but it was awesome. You'd need a car to get to them all, I believe. Check their websites beforehand for hours/availability.

Alamo Drafthouse

Way cool cinema with food, booze, is 21+, and has an awesome no-cellphone commercial before each film.

The Oasis

Best sunset view if you want it. Not close to downtown...at all. Can get busy and with not great food, so just go for drinks on the patio.

Food trucks....all of them....everywhere!

SXSW crowds at the East Side Drive In food trailer park

Especially East Side King and Cool Haus. Meetups of trucks happen all the time, but especially on weekend nights: East Side Drive In and 6th&Waller, both of these are on East 6th St.
6th&Waller Food Trailer Park

East 6th St. bars (of which there are MANY)

- Shangri-La (cheap, cool, divey with awesome back yard area and East Side King food truck)
Shangri-La and East Side King

- East Side Show Room (crazy awesome hand-crafted cocktails)

- Cheer Up Charlie's (tiny little place, cool hangout area out back)

- Rio Rita (overall good bar)

Other bars (of which there are also MANY)

- Lustre Pearl (in an old house with COOOOOOOL, fucking cool, rooms with fireplaces and a cool outdoor area)

- The Swan Dive (great decor and good bar, but mainly a music venue)

- Brew Exchange (Stock Market-themed bar where prices fluctuate on a supply/demand basis, can sometimes get a little crowded and full of d-bag frat boys)

Brew Exchange and the beer ticker

Misc.

- Barbarella (have done way too many crazy dancing nights here....just do it)

PM Tyler dancing his face off at Barbarella

- Lady Bird Lake and the park on either side (a lake just on the south edge of downtown with good views and many walking trails)

- South Austin (anywhere south of downtown across the river, plenty of other food trucks, bars, and shops to see)

Maria’s welcoming arms at Taco Xpress in South Austin

- Roar Salon (if you're in need of hair work, a friend of mine is the colorist here and says they do great work)

Obviously, my experiences in Austin have centered around alcohol and food, but what else is new? Lots of cool stuff to do, especially if the weather's nice.

One last thing: use your smartphone and get an app called TabbedOut, it's an excellent Austin-based company that lets you open, view, and close your bar tab, all via your phone. Lots of local bars support it. They also very often have free discounts at area bars, so look at that part of the app when you're out on the town.

The airport is a little far from downtown, so make sure you have enough time to get to the plane on Sunday!

Bennington Battle Monument

It’s been almost three years since I first visited the Bennington Battle Monument, but when I saw it from the highway, I knew I had to see it.

I can’t remember where I had left or where I was going, but it was just one of those serendipities that happens with thousands of miles logged on this nation’s highways. This could possibly be on your way between Burlington, VT; Manchester, MA; or Boston, MA and Albany, NY. Per Wikipedia, the monument is a 301-306 ft. obelisk commemorating the Battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary War where two detachments of British soldiers were defeated while trying to capture a store of weapons and food.

What I do remember is that I was on some backcountry highway with rolling hills and the Fall foliage was showing its brilliance. I looked out the car window and saw the top of the monument poking out above the treetops and as soon as I passed the road sign directing me to the exit, I pulled off onto the surface roads.

Neither my presenter or I were disappointed by the 10 minutes it took to drive there and the 20 minutes it took for us to take some pictures, look around, and get back in the car. What a good detour on an otherwise normal drive between seminar cities.

[ Wikipedia article ]  [ VT official site ]

Palmetto State Park–Gonzales, TX

This scenic Texas park is somewhere about halfway between Houston and San Antonio and makes for a perfect side trip on the relatively short drive between the two cities.

On this particular trip, my presenter and I were leaving Houston and needed to stop and take pictures of the beautiful sunset. The exit we pulled off on just happened to have a sign for Gonzales’ Palmetto State Park, so we decided to give it a shot.

Driving down a windy, dusty road, we found this beautiful overlook at the entrance to the park, spent quite a bit of time driving through the park with cameras in hand, and finally found our way, along another set of twisty, dirt roads, back to the highway.

This is a detour worth looking into if you’re not in a huge hurry to get to your hotel and your presenter is an adventurous one.

[ website ]

All You Can Booze

Well, that about says it all.
Jackson’s, in the LoDo area of Denver, will make you feel like a co-ed again. Ridiculous drink specials almost every night (discounted for ladies), skeevy dive bar atmosphere with hints of sports bar, and home to the self-proclaimed largest group of Florida Gator fans outside of Florida.

If you actually get into Denver early enough to make it out on the town, at least think about starting your night at Jackson’s. If you play your cards right, you might find yourself waking up to do registration in the morning still drunk.

[ website ]

The Bushwhacker Salon, Boise, ID

Has it been awhile since your last ‘do? Need to get rid of those split ends? Well, just a 15-20 minute walk from the Boise Spectrum is a quaint little barber shop/salon combo.

The Bushwhacker Salon is a traditional hometown salon with an unassuming “Barber Shop” next door.

When I went walkabout, the barbershop was busy, so they sent me next door for a great $15 men’s haircut. My stylist, Teresa Landis, did a great job even with picky instructions from me and is an avid outdoorswoman who has trekked and climbed mountains all over the world and is teaching her kids to do the same.

If you’re looking for an excuse to get out of the hotel, a little local flavor, and, of course, a haircut, why not take a stroll down to The Bushwhacker?

[map]

Re-visit those good ol’ college days in TX

www.StudyBreaks.com

You’re in one of our many Texas seminar locations and are feeling a little nostalgic for those old drink-till-the-bars-close nights. Look no further than Study Breaks. I found this while looking for things to do in Lubbock (home of Texas Tech.) and it seems to be a pretty comprehensive guide to drink specials, concerts, and other such nightlife happenings in Austin, Houston, Lubbock, and San Antonio.

This site definitely caters to the college crowd, so get ready to partay!

San Antonio–River Walk & The Alamo

Staying at the La Quinta in downtown San Antonio, TX will give you the chance to see a national monument, have a great time out to diner or lunch, and get a little exercise, all within a few blocks.

The San Antonio River Walk is a public park surrounding both banks of the San Antonio River, passing through downtown. Both sides are lined with restaurants, bars, gardens, hotels, the city’s convention center, and more.

You can dine, drink, hop on a river taxi, or go on a jog. Head to the official website (link above) to find information on the park and for discounts to the River Walk’s attractions.

Also within a few blocks of the hotel and the River Walk is The Alamo, originally a Spanish mission where the famous “Battle of The Alamo” took place. Head over there on your lunch break to see a bit of American/Mexican history.