Hooray for the 512!

[CK Uno]

Hello, Greg and Liz, long time reader, first time poster here =D.

I was reading the yesterday about how you're going to have a gathering in Lockhart since you were unsure of Austin locations to do it at. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it seeing as how I moved halfway across the country a few years back, which actually might be a good thing since it seems you'll be tearing down the walls of that coffee shop your at with all the people showing up. However, the more I thought about cool locations, the more I was thinking I should post something for you two (or anyone in general looking for a good time in Austin) of all the hot spots I used to go to when I lived there. I apologize if any of this has been listed before, and so, without further ado, I present to you, CK Uno's super happy fun guide to Austin!

So this is gonna take a list form, which is in no particular order except these first two couple of items:

1. The Capital Building. Right in the middle of downtown Austin, you can see it from I-35 right before you hit UT campus. If you're gonna be a Texan, you have to know Texas history (believe me, it's actually a class you take in junior high) and this building is one of the best places to start. Also, it's definately one of the coolest buildings in the city with it's beautiful architecture, statues and enormous front lawn.

2. The Bob Bullock Texas History Museum. Located right behind the capital building, definately a place you want to go in order to learn more about Texas history (y'know, in case the name didn't tip you off). Also has a great IMAX theatre.

3. The Dobe "Mall". Located on UT campus which is right off MLK Blvd in downtown (go west from I-35). I put quotation marks around mall because it's actually a UT dorm building with shops and restaraunts located on it's first couple of floors. There's a great independant movie theatre there (that's where I saw Vampire Hunter D 2 for this first time and a midnight showing of Evil Dead 2), an arcade and a great comic book shop called Funny Papers. I heard the theatre is struggling though, so may want to head over there sooner rather than later.

4. The Drag / Guadalupe St. Runs on the west side of campus, this is a great street for shopping, eating and a couple of nice bars. I recommend Hole in the Wall for $1.50 pints of Lone Star during happy hour (apparently the locals there love to watch their Cash Cab).

5. South Congress Ave. Congress Ave runs from the front of the capital building all the way down south Austin. A couple blocks south of lady bird lake, the shops turn a little more funky and retro siwth some great antique shops and thrift stores. Great place to kill a few hours and shop for cool little doo-dads.

6. Baby Acapulco's. A great mexican restaraunt, there are three or four of them with the one on Riverside being the oldest and closest to you. They serve a Purple Margarita there that's great if you have a designated driver (they will only serve you two at most because of the alcohol content).

7. Waterloo Records. An awesome independant record store in the heart of downtown, it's one of the oldest record stores in the city. Fun Fact: Waterloo was what Austin used to be called before they renamed it in honor of Stephen F. Austin, a founding father of Texas and (I'm convinced) werewolf vampire superhero vigilantie.

8. The Draught House. Located on Medical Parkway just northwest of campus. One of the best bars in the state imho, they have a huge variety of beers and ciders on tap (I think about 50) from around the world and also brew their own signature beers. Has a great, well lit outdoor picnic area, but will let you drink in their parking lot (this is when friends with pick up trucks come in very handy).

9. The Alamo Drafthouse. There are about three of these movie theatres in Austin and the great thing about this place is that they have a full menu and will serve you food and drinks (including beer and wine) at your seat (there's a small bar that runs in front of each row). Also, they will hold special events, such as a Shout-a-long (where they show popular movies and encourage the audience to shout out their favorite lines with the actors) and series marathons (when the Serenity movie came out, they marathoned the entire series back to back the day before release and capped it by premiering the movie at midnight).

10. Mount Bonnell. Not really a mount so much as a big hill, this place is located at the northwest tip of Austin proper before you get into the nothern 'burbs. You take a small windy road up to the top then climb about 100 steps to get to the top where you get an absolutely gorgeous view of the entire city. A great place to go if you're feeling like getting all romancified. Last time I was there though, developments were starting to creep up the side of the hill, so I'm not sure how spectacular the view is (it's a historic site though, since some general camped there during the Texas war for independance (I think) so hopefully they're preserving the view somewhat).

11. Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake). Not quite a lake, this is actually a reservoir of the Colorado River, it's got an awesome trail system for walking and a number of bike trails. In the summer you can also rent motor boats, kayaks or canoes and go boating along the lake. I also highly recommend going to Congress bridge at sunset and watching the bats fly out. Fun Fact: Austin has the world's largest urban bat population living under the bridge.

12. The Greenbelt. I don't know if this place has an official park name, everyone who ever too me there simply called it the Greenbelt. it's just west of the intersection of Loop 1 (Mopac blvd) and Loop 360 (Capital of Texas highway). basicly you pull into the U turn under the highway, park, walk along a trail for about 15 minutes and there's a great little natural pool that forms with a couple small waterfalls.

13. Rudy's Barbeque. About 3 of these in Austin, I recommend going to the one on Loop 360 as it has a huge outdoor area to eat at in the summer. The brisket here is so friggin delicious, I can't even comprehend it and the sauce... oh my god. You get to pick if you want your brisket dry, moist or extra moist. You'll also get slices of wonderbread, onions and pickle slices to go with it. Who could ask for anything more?

14. Kirby Lane. A few of these located in Austin, it's an awesome local diner chain. All the ingredients come from local farms and are shipped in fresh daily. Breakfast is served 24 hrs and I definately recommend the buttermilk pancakes and home fries.

15. Maria's Taco Xpress. This place, hands down, has the best breakfast tacos in Austin. Located on South Lamar, it used to be a lot cooler when it was just a small shack on the side of the road (complete with dirt parking lot), but alas, it grew too big for it's britches and had to expand. The tacos are still the bomb though (especially on a Sunday morning, trust me).

That's it for me for now. I know it's a lot, but I truly love and miss Austin like you wouldn't believe. I was very jealous when I read you were moving into the area. Also, here's a couple of hints: There's a street in south Austin spelled Manchaca, but pronounced Manchac without the "a" at the end. Locals will ridule you if you don't know this! And if you see a homeless transvestite flashing his thong, that's Leslie, one of the more colorful icons of the city. Anyone who feels I may have missed something or made a mistake about something I listed, feel free to add it.

Hope you two are enjoying Texas so far!

CK Uno