Discover Austin Texas! An Austin blog with hundreds of unique articles.
Bridging generational gaps and sharing joy through music
In the Live Music Capital, I found a treasure trove of serendipitous music with poetic purpose unlike anything I had heard before. The note I heard struck a chord so unique, tears brimmed in my eyes as I clapped, danced, and sang along. Where did this beautiful sound come from? It emerged from a place appropriately named Heartsong Music, which brings not just families together, but our oldest and youngest generations.
Nama-stay right here at Crux Climbing Center (Credit: Merrick Ales)
It takes excruciating commitment to torture yourself voluntarily through a daily workout grind. So please don’t. Instead, discover community and a hobby that excites you into fitness. Athleticism intuitively flourishes for novices and experts alike at Crux Climbing Center.
Students taking a hula hoop lesson in Austin (Credit: Misty Smith)
If you’ve ever taken a stroll by the capitol building on a balmy Tuesday night, then you may have witnessed something interesting. From a distance, it appears to be collection of multi-colored lights, twirling chaotically. As you approach, the outlines of people become clearer.
You see people manipulating the lights with their hands and various parts of their bodies. There is a singular source of music, providing atmosphere for these dancers who beg no witnesses, but usually attract some kind of audience anyway. They look like they’re having fun. But, what are they doing?
The author at St. Edward’s Park in Austin
I don’t know about you, but I’ve happily said goodbye to last year. Now that we’re officially in the new year, I need to stick to my resolutions. I’ve come up with some friendly tips for staying healthy, learning a new skill, and getting involved in the Austin community. I think you’ll find many of my suggestions to be manageable, no matter your interests and time constraints.
The Morning Jo’s running group at Jo’s Coffee (Credit: Andrew Holmes)
Guest article by Lee McClendon
Austin has a lot to offer, so FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is one thing you don’t have to worry about in our unique, beautiful city. Besides the nightlife, art events, and live music, there’s another option for people that doesn’t cost a penny: free fitness. [Read more…]
Author Joleen Jernigan pampers herself with bubbly and oysters at Aviary (Credit: Mike Thompson)
“My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—It gives a lovely light!” This poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay could describe many Austinites, working and playing with all we’ve got. All the more reason to take care of ourselves along the way.
Austin was an early adopter of the wellness movement. Wellness and self-care are buzzy concepts now, and for good reason. We are lucky to reap the benefits of decades of old-school Austin hippies, health nuts, and fitness fiends who paved the way for us. [Read more…]
Airstream glamping at Lake Bastrop’s North Shore Park
I wouldn’t describe myself as an outdoorsman. Sure, I love sitting outside, preferably with a taco and a beverage. And yes, one of my favorite activities is riding my bicycle around Lady Bird Lake’s Hike and Bike Trail.
But I’ll be real with you guys. I’m not great at the great outdoors. Yet, there I was at Lake Bastrop’s North Shore Park in late November, sitting outside by a roaring fire as the temperature dropped below 30 degrees.
Are you ready to lace up and feel like a kid again? (Credit: Kurt Larson)
Austin Roller Rink is tucked away behind Southside Flying Pizza on Manchaca. While it can be hard to find, it’s easy to love. Usually, whenever I tell people I’m off to a night of skating at Austin Roller Rink, I’m met with a wistful nostalgia. “The last time I went, I was a kid,” they’d say.
Thankfully, we need not reminisce in perpetual longing for our younger, more carefree days. Austin Roller Rink is accessible to the inner child in all of us.
[Read more…]
Jim Miles leads a group into The Driskill Hotel for story of The Suicide Bride
Isn’t it sad we only get ghouls and spooks one night each year? If, like me, you’re a fan of all-things-Halloween every day, then I have the thing for you: Walking Ghost Tours! Owned and operated by Jim Miles, the tour company offers insight into Austin’s dark past. Part historian, part ghost enthusiast, Miles has melded his passions into an experience everyone is bound to enjoy. [Read more…]
Exec. Director Taelor Monroe planting trees with Permaculture Design Course students
(Credit: Austin Permaculture Guild)
Wild humans still exist. Humans who live close to nature, are in tune with their circadian rhythms, and live in cooperative societies. They wake and sleep according to the rising and setting of the sun, and perhaps grow or forage much of their own food.
On the other hand, some humans are urban dwellers through and through. They sit in traffic and go to grocery stores, and most likely have unnatural sleeping patterns. These are two extremes of the same spectrum, with various shades of gray in between.
If you identify more with the second camp, then chances are there has been at least one moment, however fleeting, when you’ve considered leaving your responsibilities behind, and escaping to live in the woods. Modern society, with all its spoils, can feel isolating, disenfranchising, and disempowering.
But before you quit your job and disappear into the wilderness, let’s explore those shades of gray. There is a system that aims to create a new paradigm for the way we live. It’s called permaculture. [Read more…]
