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Laguna Gloria on Lake Austin
There’s a quiet retreat waiting for you. And if you live in Austin, it’ll only take you a few minutes to get there.
Feel free to take your dog, child, significant other, or best friend. But you may find that Laguna Gloria becomes your favorite place in Austin to explore all by yourself. [Read more…]
Deco lettering of Brown Building on Colorado, 1938
What would you do if the Austin you know and love was being threatened by strip malls and national corporations?
Large changes are easy to spot. But historical and cultural landmarks can be quietly replaced, one at a time, until our city’s architectural heritage is gone.
Behind every old building is a special story. Without the buildings, the stories are told less, and that part of who we are as a city is lost. [Read more…]
The bow of the Eagle
Editor’s Note: Because the Austinot’s founder, Eric Highland, is a 20-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard, I was delighted when I first heard the following story. I’m grateful to Richard for sharing his story and aspirations with our community, and for the example he sets for his generation of young Austinites.
This guest blog post is by Richard Barr Dent.
What motivates a high school junior to compete for a ride on one of the last sailing tall ships in the United States fleet?
At four, it shocked me to leave Cincinnati. “Austin is hard,” I told my grandmother. No tree leaves changed colors in Autumn. No snow for sledding in the winter. Luckily, I realized we were only three hours away from the Texas coast. Trips to Galveston, tours of the Elissa, the tall ship that is the pride of Texas, and nights spent aboard the U.S.S. Lexington with my Cub Scout Pack 29 kindled my maritime interest. Before Austin, my only exposure to the sea was the movie Muppet Treasure Island. [Read more…]
This is the story of a man who got what he wanted. Mix one part passionate, one part competitive, one part positive, and you get Tom Gimbel.
Throw in a few parts happenstance, and you get Tom’s life: An amazing journey from record company intern to General Manager of Austin City Limits. Where he ends up – nobody knows.
Since the time Tom was a student at The University of Texas 25 years ago, he was a fan of music across the board. But playing in local bands wasn’t enough. In order to become more educated about music, he decided to intern at a local record company. He flipped open the phone book and Amazing Records was listed first. His offer to work for free was [Read more…]
There are few Texans who don’t enjoy rubbing in the fact that Texas was once its own country. It’s one of the things that the rest of the country hates about us.
But many people, especially in my generation, don’t consider or even know about the decisive battles in the Texas War for Independence that led to victory over Mexico.
Growing up, I was lucky to have two younger brothers who were Boy Scouts. Because of them, I got to tag along on many camping trips and educational adventures. One such adventure was to Goliad, TX for the annual reenactment of the 1836 Goliad Massacre and the battles of Goliad leading up to the Massacre. Goliad was an important location during the Texas War for Independence. Though the events there were tragic for Texas and its allies, they compounded with the fall of the Alamo to galvanize Texas forces to continue the fight for freedom. [Read more…]
The Lone Star State is filled with things to be proud of. One of the factors that contributes significantly to Texas pride is the deep and rich history of the state. If you’re trying to convince your friends that Texas really is the best place in the world, the Bullock Texas State History Museum is for you.
Here are my top five reasons why the Bullock Texas State History Museum is worth experiencing:
1) It is beautiful. Right away, I noticed the giant lone star in its courtyard. The Lone Star symbol came about during the Texas Revolution in the mid-1830s, when Texas won its independence from Mexico. Today, it remains a manifestation of independence and the Texan fighting spirit.
Powerful without being ostentatious, the museum’s star says a lot about the Texas state of mind. I could not help but gawk at its elegance and size.
Behind the star is the larger-than-life museum. Massive stone pillars run from floor to ceiling, interspaced by crystal clear windows. I half-expected to [Read more…]
Did you know that the great state of Texas gave away over 3,000,000 acres of land?
Not for oil, not for money…
So what did we trade this land for? A building.
Don’t believe me? It’s true, and it is part of the rich history and culture of the City of Austin and the great State of Texas.