Austin’s Deep Eddy Pool (Credit: City of Austin PARD, Aquatics Office)

The month of survival is upon us in Austin and its name around these parts is uttered like a four-letter word: August. Our survival gear to get through the worst days of summer heat (19 days over 100 degrees and counting) includes water-wicking tank tops, Chacos, shades, copious amounts of sunscreen and ice cold AC. This is not the time to save the planet. It’s every man for himself when temperatures rise into the triple digits. Many of us have flocked to this Central Texas city because we love how active we’re encouraged to be here, but how do we keep active while staying cool in Austin through these scorching days?

As far as I’m concerned, there are three paths to coping: stay near water, hide in the shade or hunker down inside. The key is to avoid the latter and not give up. You can save your Netflix queue for the post-holiday sprawl and keep active while the sun still shines with these sanity-saving tips and ideas. [Read more…]

Fashionably Austin, like a boss
(Credit: Susannah Haddad)

Austin’s casual dress code can be puzzling for those getting assimilated into the city. We’re nestled deep in the heart of a state that skews southern conservative, but we possess a distinct culture, mixed with a climate that dictates donning as few layers as possible. This makes it plausible to go out to a steak dinner wearing flip flops. We’re famously the “blueberry in the middle of the tomato soup” and our fashion sense is just as unexpected.

As a native Austinite who has lived and dined in a slew of outfits for thirty years, ranging from shorts and flip flops to sarongs and flash tattoos, I’ve often grappled with what to wear and when, and I know I’m not alone. The rules that apply to going out in Dallas, Portland and Denver don’t count in this funky college town. [Read more…]

Two chicken enthusiasts in Austin (Credit: Funky Chicken Coop Tour)

I pull my beat-up pickup truck in front of an adorably hip family home and glance at my map nervously. I don’t want to walk into the wrong stranger’s backyard this morning, but I’m afraid this is a real possibility.

That’s when I notice two women walking out across the front yard, clutching tour maps and wearing farm-tough rubber boots. I relax. On this breezy Saturday, I’ve come to the right spot to find exactly what I’m looking for: a hen house. [Read more…]