destination highlight: austin, texas – usa
Here are our top 5 reasons why we love Austin and what to do while you’re there!
1
The fantastic art, food, and entertainment scene in the South Congress neighborhood
Wake up and smell the leather! While in Texas, do as Texans do. Start by trying on a pair of authentic cowboy boots at Allen’s Boots. You’ll immediately recognize this footwear institution by the red cowboy boot signage—even if cowboy boots are not your style, trying them on is an experience!
Austral Group swears that the best part of the SoCo district in Austin, besides shopping in funky boutiques and chic vintage shops, is the fabulous restaurants and cool bars where you can always find live music. We love spending the afternoons walking around this neighborhood. We challenge you to find one of Austin’s most famous murals while you’re there. The red, white, and blue “Willie for President” artwork is cheerfully chillin’ around South Congress Avenue.
One of the most unique things about Austin, Texas, is its utterly eclectic blend of old-fashioned and contemporary street art.
Our favorite mural is the Before I Die Wall. This interactive art piece invites us to reflect and share our life goals in a public space. Inspired by the grief of losing a loved one and stenciling the open phrase “Before I die, I want to ___” onto a chalkboard-painted wall, the artist behind this mural invites us to share our hopes and dreams. Hopes for world travel often appear written on this wall, and we could not agree more! What would you write when you visit Austin?
2
The music, honky tonk, and craft brews that fill Austin’s nightlife
If you love music, then you will love Austin as much as we do! Discover its live music scene and vibrant nightlife, catch a cover band playing live or try showing your moves dancing the two-step at a honky tonk dance hall, like the legendary Broken Spoke.
Home of Willy Nelson and the late Stevie Ray Vaughn, Austin has always been known for its music scene. Today it is home to two big festivals in SxSW (South by SouthWest) and ACL (Austin City Limits), but aside from these world-famous festivals, it’s possible to catch some great bands (well-known to obscure) in legendary venues like the Mohawk, Stubbs and Antone’s.
If craft beer is your thing, there is no shortage of microbreweries in Austin. We had a hard time picking a favorite microbrewery in Austin, but definitely Austin Beerworks, Hold out Brewing, and Zilker Brewing company are worth a visit!
3
The quirky, urban-nature adventures
Austin’s resident bat colony creates a spectacle worth watching when they depart in droves from their home under the Congress Avenue bridge every day at dusk.
For the full-on, wonderfully weird, only-in-Austin experience, you could watch this beautifully bizarre sunset as it happens from your paddleboard on Lady Bird Lake!
4
Its libraries, museums, and monuments!
We love off-the-beaten-path activities, but we also love the classic experiences and not to be missed sites.
Being part of the global education community, it’s no great surprise that Austral Group would pick these two unique libraries as some of the top places to visit.
Austin Public Library – a gleaming, high-tech building that houses everything from a cafe to a rooftop garden where you can relax outdoors with a cup of tea and a good book!
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum– the collection here doesn’t just portray Johnson’s presidency, it provides a detailed snapshot of US culture and politics in the 1960s.
Fun Fact: The Texas Capitol building has incredible grounds worth visiting, and it is taller than the US Capitol. Y’all know the saying, “everything is bigger in Texas!”
5
It’s a thriving entrepreneurial and innovation scene
It’s not possible to give you all the reasons why we love Austin without talking about the business ecosystem of this rapidly growing innovation hub. Austin has an entire Innovation District, the ultimate mash-up of entrepreneurs, start-ups, education institutions, innovation, and investment opportunities.
It’s precisely this growth attitude that has made Austin the perfect breeding ground for companies like Dell and Indeed to get their start, as well as an attractive choice for Tech giants like Facebook and Google to flock to.
