Hot, hot, and even hotter in Austin!

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Lindsay S

During the Pecan Street Festival, we stumbled on a little shop that offers one of the things I love best — spiciness! Serious, hot, mouth-burning spiciness, all neatly packaged into little bottles and jars on the shelves at Tears of Joy.

It’s all here. Local tongue and mouth burning creations, some made in their very own kitchen. And national and international concoctions designed to make everything you eat an experience in heat. And they have tasting tables, too, where you can scoop, dip, and pour to your heart’s content. I was in heaven!

This shop at 618 E. 6th Street in downtown Austin is clearly designed for hot-sauce daredevils like me, but they also have a great selection for less spice-daring souls among us, include (gasp!) mild hot sauces.

Tears of Joy is a great place to find a new hot sauce or paste for your next party or a new recipe. But it would also be a great place to find some gifts for people live far away but need a taste of Texas.

I found my dream cottage…in downtown Austin???

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Lindsay S

This is not my typical post for this blog, but I couldn’t resist!

It started as a weekend walk to find the perfect first day of school outfit. As we wandered from one side of town to the other (yes, we were trying to avoid mall shopping!), Lance spotted a building he thought I would like…

I love architecture (well, most of it. Not thrilled with anything from the Brady-Bunch era) and this unexpected treat amid far too many faceless commercial buildings was wonderful. Then we looked down the street…there was more!

All together, there were three magnificent houses in a row, just blocks from parking garages and office buildings. Each wonderfully preserved (restored?) Each even still had a carriage step built into the wall to the street, where we stood imagining ladies in their finery alighting for an afternoon tea or even garden party.

There was a lot of construction at the end of the road, so we headed around the corner and then I saw it.

My dream cottage. I am sucker for cottages. The smaller, cuter, more adorable the better. And this was all of them.

This adorable little building started life as a servant’s home, then moved around a bit until it settled in it’s current location at 607 Nueces Street. I was entranced by every detail, from the elegant script house number to the very New Orleans Cafe du Monde can on the porch of this house that would look so at home in NOLA. And should those MegaMillions ever come in with my name on them (course, I have to buy a ticket first…), this cottage just might find its way to a new home, somewhere in a deep, shady, wonderful wood or a cozy seaside setting.

Now I’m psyched about looking for more “hidden” architectural wonders here in Austin. Ready to take my camera and go building-hunting. Got any suggestions?

Book People is part bookstore, part destination

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Lindsay S

Bookstores used to have personality. There were some where I could browse for hours, others where I would pop in to grab that hard-to-find book no one else carried. Then came Borders and Barnes & Noble, and bookstores became vanilla. The same in Seattle as in Austin, indistinguishable in Maine and Miami.

Thank goodness there are a few holdouts. Powells in Portland, Tattered Cover, and Faulker House Books in New Orleans. And here in Austin, it’s Book People.

Part book store, part coffee house. Part new age store, part novelty shop. Part venue for meeting writers like Charlaine Harris and part the perfect place to get your kids excited about reading.

Book People has great hours, amazing bibliophiles on staff, and (gasp!) free parking!

Dogs enjoy freedom at Austin off-leash parks

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Lindsay S

Moving from South Florida where dogs were either on a leash or in a fenced dog park or yard, it was surprising to discover the number of off-leash parks here in Austin.

We were hesitant at first. Our dog is friendly, but what if others weren’t? What if she took off? (She did, but didn’t go far…only to Great Outdogs to get more treats!) But finally we gave in, and headed to Auditorium Shores for a gathering of Austin Boxer Meetup…and some off-leash, unfenced playtime.

Maya seemed surprised when we took her leash off, but she quickly found some new friends to play with, and was off. She played with other big dogs, and some adorable tiny ones, too. There were no aggressive dogs — just lots of playmates and dips in the river — and a few unfortunate rolls in the dirt (lovely when a wet dog rolls in the dust! Next time the bath will be AFTER the dog park! Good thing we had an extra blanket to cover the car seat!)

Auditorium Shores (near the Long Center) isn’t Austin’s only off leash park. There are also play areas for pups at Zilker Park and eight other Austin-area parks and recreation areas. Just make sure your dog is good about coming on command, and likes playing with canine companions of all sizes. Then grab your pup, a water bottle and some toys and head on out. Oh, and take along something to cover your car seat,,,just in case!

Have Frisbee, will travel!

The best of weird Austin is for sale at Uncommon Objects

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Lindsay S

Every city has its antique stores. And most have vintage and collectible shops, too. But there is only one shop in one town I know of where you can buy a dozen classic Shriner’s jackets, a set of French flashcards from the 1920’s, a wall-mounted statue of Ganesh, and a box of 6 dozen microscope slides of bug legs all in one shopping trip. And you can throw in fine vintage china, a couple of Waterfall dressers and all the 1940’s sign art you can carry while you’re at it.

If you have not been to Austin’s “Uncommon Objects” on South Congress, you might think I’m exaggerating. After all the store looks kind of small on the outside. But with Tardis-like magic, it seems to get bigger and bigger the further you walk into it.

You might be wondering why I’m including a store on the blog. After all, this blog is about things to do and places to eat, right? It’s not about stores.

Well, from my first visit to Uncommon Objects a week after I arrived in Austin to my visit last week, this store has definitely been something to ‘DO.”

I go in. I wander. I imagine. I try to picture where I could put three 5 foot high letters from an old grocery store sign, just because I love the font. I think about buying the Shriner’s jackets and using them for some kind of party theme. I find inspiring words in a pile of 1950’s flashcards and I lay out the 6 I will buy to create a unique piece of art on my wall. I find a book from the late 1800’s with my daughter’s nickname in the title on the book’s artistic cover, and add it to my purchases, musing over how I will display it in her room. I get lost in looking at pieces of the past, and imagining how to use them now.

This isn’t shopping. It’s doing. It’s the place I take visitors and newcomers who are even more fresh to Austin than I am. This, I tell them, is not just a store. It’s weird Austin, for sale.

Dog-friendly Austin welcomes Great Outdogs, a mobile dog supply truck

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Lindsay S

In the land of food trucks and pet-friendly businesses, I probably shouldn’t be surprised that someone decided to combine the two to create Austin’s first mobile dog supply truck. After all, we all love Austin’s food trucks, so why should our pups be left out of the fun?

So I was happy when I discovered Great Outdogs, the brain-child of Austin entrepreneur Matt Edwards. “I had the website for awhile,” he said, “and this was the dream, to take outdoor dog supplies to the places where dogs play.” Then a serendipitous discovery of the perfect truck made it possible. “I found the truck, spent a few weeks making it over, and here I am.”

We met Matt at the off-leash dog park across from the Long Center while we were waiting for the Boxer Meetup to start. The truck really is a one-stop shop for dog lovers who enjoy Austin’s outdoors with their pets. There were leashes, collars, toys, treats, water bowls, and of course, a good selection of dog waste bags ( a must-have for all of us owned by a dog or two!) He even had safety flotation vests in all dog sizes for people planning on taking their pups out on the river. In fact, his truck offers over 1,300 eco-friendly, pet-friendly and budget-friendly dog items.

Matt’s truck can be found most days at the Auditorium Shores off-leash park, although he said he has plans to create a schedule for visiting several dog parks in the future.

This unique truck may be destined for great things…Matt told me the Statesman had just published a story on his business, and he had been interviewed by local Austin TV station KVUE. That’s great for his fledgling mobile business — and for dogs like mine who are already enjoying some of his great products.

A walk can turn into art in Austin

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Lindsay S

One of the things I’m enjoying here in Austin is the walk-ability. And all the great shapes, colors, designs and fonts I find to look at and photograph along the way.

The images in this post came from a walk along Guadalupe across from the University of Texas campus. Typical snapshots are of buildings or statues…but finding and photographing the small details of signs, fences, walls and sidewalks can turn an ordinary walk into an art experience. Best of all, kids of all ages can get in on the experience. Big kids like us have as much fun as little ones, and the little ones will love taking their own pictures.

And if you’re looking for a unique date night activity….two cameras, a connector and a tablet or laptop to look at your finds together over dinner or dessert. Perfect! Or head out by yourself for some quiet time really seeing your city, maybe for the first time. It’s amazing how different things look when you’re looking for the details!

I know this isn’t the typical “A is For Austin” post, but once in awhile it’s nice to talk about something that’s free and fun and simple and easy to do no matter where in Austin you might be.

The bats are back at Austin bridges!

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Lindsay S

When I got to Austin last year, one of the first things I wanted to see was the bat bridge. I had heard about it, but I couldn’t imagine millions of bats flying out from under a bridge…or hundreds of people watching it every night.

I was not disappointed! The show the bats put on is amazing! Wave after wave of bats stream out, turning the sky above dark as they head out for their nightly feast of mosquitoes and other pesky insects. People cheered, people clapped. And cameras snapped, as people tried to capture the experience on a square of film.

But then winter came and the bats headed back to Mexico to avoid what passes for cold here in Austin.

The good news is they’re back! While the best “shows” are mid-summer, patient (or impatient) bat-viewers can head out most evenings now and catch an impressive show. Yes, once again, we can all head down to bridges and walkways downtown to watch the nightly show of Austin’s favorite flying mammals.

Not sure when the bats making their appearance? Call the Bat Hotline for nightly updates on the best time for bat-viewing. Their number is 512-327-9721. Or check out the Bat Con website for more information.

The hot dog reaches its glory at Frank

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Lindsay S

Tips on great places to go in Austin can come from all kinds of places. My daughter was watching videos on Google Chrome and spotted the story of this downtown Austin restaurant. We checked the Frank website for vegetarian options (plenty of them!) and whether it was kid-friendly (yes!)— and within minutes, we were out the door and headed for a late lunch.

High fives to our daughter for finding this place! Quirky atmosphere, super-friendly service, and delicious food all in one place? Oh yeah!

I ordered the special veggie sausage, my daughter opted for a veggie Chicago-style dog and my husband (the non-veggie among us) chose the classic chili dog. We added an order of waffle fries, and settle back to watch the end of the soccer match (Chelsea won!) and wait for our food. Sodas, ice water and tea came in chilled Mason jars and our food came quickly after. More high fives for our daughter…the hot dogs and sausages were delicious, vegetarian and meat alike. The waffle fries were light and crisp and hot.

Before we knew it, this was all that was left…

Frank’s has a large menu, including their own freshly made sausages, all the hot dog toppings and varieties you could imagine, and a great selection of sides. You can even turn any hot dog or sausage into a corn-battered treat for about a dollar more. A full beer menu is available, and Frank’s also has a full bar.

At night, Frank’s becomes a music venue, with everything from rock to gospel to comedy. A limited food menu during performances keeps hot-dog craving fans well fed. We’ll be heading back there for a date night next week, so I’ll up date this post with info on that experience after we go.

Word is that outdoor seating is also in the works, making it easy to enjoy their great food al fresco. I can’t wait!

Oh, and by the way, here’s the video that started our incredible lunch….so happy it was out there!

Pecan Street Festival brings together music, art, and Austin weirdness

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Lindsay S

I should have known better. It was over 90 degrees and extreme heat and I do NOT get along well. But away we went to the Spring Pecan Day Festival in downtown Austin.

I expected t roast and melt. And to be honest, it was even hotter than I thought it would be. And melt I did. Big time.

But despite the heat, this festival, held annually on 6th Street/Pecan Street (and companion to the Autumn Pecan Street Festival) was also more than I thought it would be.

First of all, it was big. REALLY big. It went on and on with block after block of artists’ booths, food, music and just-for-the-heck-of-it stuff for sale. And most of it was truly good. We saw everything from hand puppets to wall-sized collages in the art booths. There was even a petting zoo! And the food was far beyond the usual funnel cakes and corn dogs (although both of those were there, too.) Topping my list for weirdest fair food was the alligator stand, while the homemade ice cold fresh lemonade takes the prize for “Most in Demand and Gratefully Purchased”.

Music venues all along the fair area were open for business with amazing sounds at every turn, too. We took shelter in the Stage on 6th for a bit to get out of the sun, and were treated to fantastic classic country sounds…amazingly, even our dog and our daughter were welcome there (we’re still not quite used to the rules in Austin, so that was a surprise — in Miami, kids and pets are verbotten in bars

The highlight of the Festival for us was the discovery of a new (well, new to us) band called Les Rav. Their music was a wonderful mix of Celtic, rock, New Age, chamber, progressive and Indy, with something special on top of all of that. They are definitely worth a follow.

The Pecan Street Festival is a family friendly event and dogs are welcome (on leash). If you head out to the Spring or Autumn events, I would recommend taking a good supply of water for you and your pets. It gets hot, and bottled water is pricy. Bring cash for food and drink — very few took cards and ATM fees were high.