The Austinot

Discover Austin Texas! An Austin blog with hundreds of unique articles.

Reenacting the Battle of Goliad, Texas and Goliad Massacre

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Wounded Mexican Soldier in Goliad, TXThere 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…]

Son of Sandlar Renaissance Boots and Garb

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Son_of_Sandlar_Sherwood_Forest_FaireHave you ever run across a merchant artisan or vendor that you wish you could share with the world?

No, this is not a paid advertisement; we’ve not been compensated in any way for this post. We’ve just found a gem, and are so impressed that we want to share it with you.

Every artisan has a story and at the Austinot we love to hear these stories. Recently, we met up with Arik Helman at the Sherwood Forest Faire and asked him to share his story with us.

Arik is one of the driving forces behind Son of Sandlar, perhaps the finest provider of Renaissance boots for Renaissance faires and Live Action Role Play (LARP) events in the country, and quite possibly the world.

How can we make such a bold claim? The Helman family has been perfecting the craft of cobbling since long before anyone reading this post was around. They’ve been in the cobbler business for six generations.

How do craftsmen keep a legacy like this alive? Three words: [Read more…]

Austinot Podcast: Top 3 Day Trip Picks from Austin

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Hamilton-Pool-Nature-PreserveIt’s literally impossible to run out of things to do in Austin, but every once in a while it’s nice to get a change of scenery.

Lucky for Austin locals, Texas Hill Country and beyond is full of natural treasures, unique shopping options, and entertaining locations and events.

Rather than making you do all the research on your own, the Austinot Podcast presents 3 Top Daytrip Picks.

 

Listen as Eric and Brittany give you the skinny on…

  • Gruene, TX – an old Texas town thriving with unique shops and shoe-tapping Texas tunes.
  • Natural Bridge Caverns – a beautiful natural wonder that you have to see to believe. (Click HERE to read about our visit to the Caverns.)
  • Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve – a tropical paradise that you’d never believe [Read more…]

BrouHaHa Serves Up Non-Traditional Renaissance Fair Fare

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Sherwood_Forest_Faire_BrouHaHa_OwnersI don’t know about you, but I really love traditional fair food: roasted corn, scones, turkey legs and funnel cakes.  Just thinking of these things makes my mouth water, and I immediately want to pack the car and head to the nearest fair.

But what if I told you that perhaps the most popular dish at the Sherwood Forest Faire, named one of the country’s best Renaissance fairs and located just 35 miles east of Austin on Hwy 290, was not any of these traditional favorites…but – instead – an Ogre’s Toe.

Would you dare eat an Ogre’s Toe?

What if I told you that for 3 weeks, by far, it was the most widely talked about food item that I heard of while walking around the 25 acres of the Sherwood Forest Faire? Would you give it a try then?

Never in a million years would I have thought of an Ogre’s Toe as fair food, let alone something that I’d consider putting in my mouth.  But read on my friend…if you want to try some  of the best Renaissance fair fare ever invented, [Read more…]

Sherwood Forest Camping Weekend with a Renaissance Fair Clan

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Austinot_Sherwood_Forest_Faire_LassesYou’ve never been camping until you’ve camped with a Renaissance fair clan.

A clan is a group of people from different walks of life who, over many years, have formed a unique bond with one another. Through the magic of the Renaissance fair, they have become a true family.

Recently, I had the extremely rare opportunity of being a blogger who was allowed to camp at the Sherwood Forest Faire with an established clan. I could have camped in the general camping area, but I wanted to get the “full experience.”

So it was suggested to me that I ask a clan if I could camp with them.

To understand why this was such a privilege, remember that clans are a family and relatively private to outsiders.  Allowing a stranger to pitch a tent in your clan’s campground is akin to allowing a complete stranger into your home to sleep.

Out of respect for their privacy, [Read more…]

One Of The World’s Best Renaissance Fairs Is Here In Texas

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Travel back in time with me to one of the world’s best Renaissance fairs, the Sherwood Forest Faire.

Nearly 100,000 people have attended since Sherwood’s opening on February 27th, 2010. So read on, my Renaissance fair friend, and see why you too should come and join the revelry.

Royalty of The Sherwood Forest Faire

[Read more…]

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble! – Boxing in Texas

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HBO-Boxing-TexasBoxing, or the “Sweet Science” as it is called by lovers of the sport, is all over Texas.  Have you ever been to a professional fight?  Let me describe it for you…

The atmosphere is electric, the tension palpable and the first time you hear Lupe Contreras say, “It’s time to see who’s mas macho!” Jimmy Lennon Jr say, “It’s Showtime,” or Michael Buffer with his signature “Let’s get ready to rumble!” you’ll get immediately hooked into this world of the professional pugilist.

There is nothing like sitting ringside at a professional fight, nothing. [Read more…]

Santa’s Ranch Christmas Light Tour in Texas

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Santas-Ranch-Christmas-Lights-TexasOn Christmas Eve before setting out the milk and cookies, we took a drive south on I-35 to experience Santa’s Ranch.

Santa’s Ranch is located one exit south of the San Marcos outlet malls, so it’s a pretty quick drive from Austin.

We got there early and parked in line on the service road outside the Ranch. By the time the gate opened, there was a long line of vehicles behind us, waiting to get in.

For the $22 per vehicle admission, we got a huge treat! We drove through nearly a mile of dirt road, past countless Christmas light scenes that were entertaining and imaginative. Believe it or not, there are over one million Christmas lights displayed in over 100 scenes and animations! [Read more…]

Day Trip to the Natural Bridge Caverns

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Brittany-Highland-Natural-Bridge-CavernsThis past Saturday, Eric and I took a morning drive from Austin to the Natural Bridge Caverns. The Caverns are eight miles off I-35 between New Braunfels and San Antonio (closer to S.A.).

It was the perfect day for a drive and time outdoors. The Natural Bridge Caverns runs tours every 40 minutes at the most, but we got our tickets immediately and were touring 10 minutes later. [Read more…]

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