Texas vodka has become a thing, and I’m not just talking Tito’s. Everyone is trying to get in on distilling this clear liquor. While vodka is traditionally made with potatoes in Russia, most vodkas made here are corn-based. These four in particular are all made in or close to Austin, and are sure to quench your thirst.
[Read more…]Cele Store: Where Horror, BBQ and Hollywood Mingle
What do Michael Caine, Clint Eastwood and Leatherface have in common? They’ve all wandered into an old general store 23 miles outside of Austin, called Cele Store.
This location has been the backdrop for several movies, including Secondhand Lions, A Perfect World and Texas Chainsaw Massacre I, II and III.
So if you’re into Hollywood, horror and/or smoking hot BBQ, you might want to buckle up and drive east to Manor, TX. [Read more…]
J. Lorraine Ghost Town Spooks Area with Mysterious Fun
Remember when we used to use pencil and string to try to draw the perfect circle? If we used that childhood method to draw a circle around Austin, with an hour-long drive as the radius, you’d be astonished by how much you’d find to do within that relatively small area.
For example, have you heard of Manor, TX? It’s located about 13 miles east of the I-35 exit for 290 (read: about half an hour from downtown Austin). Manor is one of those Texas towns that you can drive through without noticing, but it does have one thing going for it. If you turn off 290 and drive a few minutes closer to the middle of nowhere, you’ll find J. Lorraine Ghost Town, a semi-forsaken spot with a tantalizing history. [Read more…]