|
Condé Nast Traveler picks
 Best of Austin
A little blue island in a red state, Austin has been dubbed the Third Coast. As the capital of Texas, it is home to numerous museums and thousands of acres of parks (not to mention millions of bats). But don't let its seat as the home of Texas government fool you: Austin retains its quirky charms, store owners keep water bowls outside for customers' dogs, "Keep Austin Weird" is the rallying cry of those who support local businesses, and you may even see the occasional, outdated HELP END THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY poster on telephone poles. And yes, this city really is in Texas.
Attractions & Activities Austin's thumping music scene is the draw for most visitors, and with more than 100 clubs booking two or three acts per night, it's easy to see why. Venues that have secured their place in rock and roll history include Antone's, where Stevie Ray Vaughn launched his career (213 W. Fifth St.; 512-320-8424); the Continental Club, an Austin institution since 1957 (1315 S. Congress Ave.; 512-441-2444), and the original Threadgill's Restaurant, where Janis Joplin used to perform (6416 N. Lamar Blvd.; 512-458-5704). Drawing mostly hipsters and a college crowd, Emo's showcases alternative music and punk bands (603 Red River St.; 512-477-3667). But it's easy to find your own groove—just stroll down Sixth Street or Red River Street and let your ears decide where your feet should take you. Speaking of feet, should you care to two-step, Broken Spoke has genuine honky-tonk (3201 S. Lamar Blvd.; 512-442-6189). Along with music venues, Sixth Street has unique boutiques such as Wild About Music, an art and gift gallery devoted to tunes (115 E. Sixth St.; 512-708-1700), and Vertigo, a classic and Western hat shop where employees can name your size just by looking at you (115 E. Sixth St., Suite T; 512-476-1203). For fun browsing, head to SoCo, the area surrounding South Congress Avenue. A trip to Uncommon Objects, an antiques shop, feels like poking around someone's attic—albeit a well-stocked and carefully edited one (1512 S. Congress Ave.; 512-442-4000). Monkey See, Monkey Do! specializes in kitschy trinkets such as sushi air fresheners and retro toys (1712 S. Congress St.; 512-443-4999). Austin Art Glass showcases the delicate creations of Aaron Gross, a noted local artist who also holds glassblowing classes (1608 S. Congress Ave.; 512-916-4527). The place to pick up cowboy-appropriate footwear and apparel is the well-stocked Allens Boots (1522 S. Congress Ave.; 512-447-1413). The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, on the University of Texas campus, has an amazing collection of cultural artifacts, including a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the first photograph ever taken (View from the Window at Gras, dated 1826), and Aztec maps from 1580 (512-471-8944; hrc.utexas.edu). While on campus, visit the Blanton Museum of Art, which is expanding to become the country's biggest university art museum, with a new 180,000-square-foot complex housing more than 17,000 pieces of American, Latin American, and European art (512-471-7324; blantonmuseum.org). The 351-acre Zilker Metropolitan Park, one of the city's prettiest, includes the Zilker Botanical Garden, with its profusion of exotic and native plants, and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden, where 100 works by American artist Charles Umlauf are on display. You can cool off in the Barton Springs Pool, fed from underground springs that maintain a refreshing 68 degrees year-round (ci.austin.tx.us/zilker). One of Austin's more unusual claims to fame is its status as a favored bat vacation spot. Every March, Mexican bats—about 1.5 million of them—migrate to Austin and settle into the supports underneath the Congress Avenue Bridge. Until the bats return home in October, you can watch them emerge at dusk. While the spectacle might not appeal to everyone, these nocturnal guests do provide a valuable benefit: They eat an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects every night. Bat Conservation International's hotline has the best viewing times (512-327-9721; batcon.org). Lodging Finding a hotel can be tricky in mid-March, when the annual South by Southwest Festival draws thousands of music-industry professionals, bands, and fans, and hotel reservations usually need to be made a year in advance. That said, Austin is home to the 291-room Four Seasons Hotel, a Condé Nast Traveler Gold List property on the banks of Town Lake. Situated on a busy boulevard near the University of Texas campus and the State Capitol building, the Mansion at Judge's Hill provides an impressively serene escape in the midst of it all; behind its wrought iron gates lies a courtyard and 48 uniquely appointed rooms within a Southern plantation-style hotel. At the Radisson, guests can have a view of chiropteran action over Town Lake during Austin's celebrated bat migration (March–Oct.). The 188-room, 19th-century Driskill Hotel is close to the clubs on Sixth Street. Those preferring to stay in quirky SoCo can choose from the bungalow-style Hotel San Jose or the individually themed rooms of the Austin Motel. Both are across the street from the Continental Club and play host to various traveling musicians. If the Hill Country beckons, Barton Creek Resort & Spa is an elegant resort where casual attire is actually encouraged, although golfers on the property's four championship courses must dress appropriately when playing. Dining Austin is a meat-lover's town, and barbecue is a staple. Tex-Mex and Southern cooking are also mainstays. If your inner Bible thumper is yearning to break free, Stubbs Bar-B-Que hosts a gospel brunch every Sunday in its rustic stone and brick building. Dine on barbecued chicken, barbecued beef brisket, cheese grits, tortillas, biscuits, and gravy while a band gets down onstage. Reservations recommended (801 Red River St.; 512-480-8341; brunch, $15). A sister to the legendary club, Threadgill's World Headquarters has bands five nights a week and is known for its down-home cooking. The pan-seared pecan-crusted chicken with roasted pecan cream sauce is exceptionally good (301 W. Riverside Dr.; 512-472-9304; entrées, $6–18). For a quick bite in SoCo, head to Magnolia Cafe, a local favorite that serves Tex-Mex specialties such as tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, and quesadillas. Open 24 hours a day and always hopping, it is the place for fluffy buttermilk pancakes and colorful migas, scrambled eggs with corn tortilla strips, chile peppers, cheese, and pico de gallo (1920 S. Congress Ave.; 512-445-0000; entrées, $6–$10). Make your taste buds bow down and thank you by eating at Hut's Hamburgers. A kitschy converted 1930s drive-in where the walls are lined with U.S. sports memorabilia, it serves 20 different 1950s-named burgers, including the drool-worthy Richie Valens and the calorific Wolfman Jack (807 W. Sixth St.; 512-472-0693; entrées, $4–$7). For the extreme opposite, head to the Four Seasons Café for an elegant dining experience alongside Town Lake (98 San Jacinto Blvd.; 512-478-4500; entrées, $28–$42). The Driskill Hotel has both the Driskill Grill, with three-, six-, and nine-course meals that include pistachio-crusted sea scallops and pan-roasted veal tenderloin, and the 1886 Cafe & Bakery, which serves lighter fare such as a crispy chicken cobb salad and a Portobello mushroom panini (604 Brazos St.; 512-474-5911; Grill entrées, $18–$38; Cafe entrées, $8–$13). Truth in Travel is the guiding principle for all content published in Condé Nast Traveler. Other travel publications often accept free travel and accommodations. Condé Nast Traveler does not. It is independent of the travel industry. The magazine always pays its way, and, as far as possible, its correspondents travel anonymously. By doing so, they experience the world—both the good and the bad—as other travelers do, and their reports and recommendations are fair, impartial, and authoritative.
|
||
 |
