Texas. The word conjures up images of guns, cowboys, fat people, pickup-trucks, George Bush and deserts. I like deserts… the rest… hmmm.. not so much. So what the hell am I doing in Texas? Well Austin, the states capital, is a little different, it’s pretty relaxed yet it buzzes with life, energy and music, (possibly due to the fact that about half the population are college students) anyway things in Austin are a little different to the rest of Texas. In fact, it’s a bit like an area of New York or San Francisco has somehow made its way south and set-up shop in the middle of this famous US state.
5 Fantastic Reasons to Visit Austin:
1) Girls – The best looking women in the US. Not joking, it’s actually quite weird.. good looking women here more common than rednecks in Walmart.
2) Beer – Massive ranges of beers on tap all over the city, from locals brews to a vast array of imports from all over the world.
3) Bars – Awesome selection of local bars: From relaxed beer joints and restaurant bars, to pumping live music venues.
4) Tacos – Great Mexican food can be found all over the city in the many taco trucks and stands around the place. My mouth is actually watering as I write this…
5) Tunes – Enough quality live music to keep Mick Jagger happy. Want funky electro? Rock, metal, Indie, pop? Easy. Im convinced you’ll be able to find a bar playing almost anything if you look. Use the local music rags to find venues and bands.
So let’s get this straight: Hot women, good food, nice tunes, lots of great beers and some top bars… what else is there, honestly? Anyway, if that’s not enough to convince you to visit Austin then im not sure what will and I also think that we can no longer be friends.
If you’re into wearing clothes, there’s great shopping to be had in Soco (along with amazing food), a good range of shops dot the area including some quite weird and interesting ones. Brilliantly these sorts of places attract just as many weird and interesting people, so grab a coffee, find a spot (don’t forget your binoculars), and get ready to see some interesting local wildlife.
Like to drink crap beer and listen to bad music? Well Austin has it’s very own Bourbon Street too, located on East 6th it’s the ideal place to take a game of beer pong way too seriously or perhaps throw up over somebody special. Alternatively if you wanted to check out some of the better bars in the city, stay on East 6th but head up past the I35and away from the noise pollution and into a more authentic and frankly way better bar and music scene.
If you want to try something a bit different from the more traditional bars that dot this funky city head to Rainey St, close to Lady Bird Lake, an area that first appears to be a quiet suburban suburb.. Like Austin itself, on closer inspection, you’ll find something a bit more special. This small street hosts some of the coolest bars in the city dressed up to look just like suburban houses. Sit on the porch and sip a beverage or smash a taco while playing Foosball in what looks more like a lounge room than a bar. Probably my favourite part of Austin’s night life, Rainey Street was my idea of a cool area without the crowds that E6th seemed to attract.
Ever stared at a chicken’s ass for an hour? Well me neither… till now. I’m not getting all Richard Gear on you, im talking about Chicken sh%t Bingo!! Possibly the best thing you can do with a chicken except eat it. Head to ‘Ginny’s Place’ and watch a half crazed local chook run around a bingo board and do it’s business on the numbers to pick the winners, a unique experience to say the least.
Visit Austin for the music, for the food, for the cool crowds or for the women (all the men here seem so happy..), whatever draws you to this city get used to the place because if you’re like me, you might find it hard to leave.
