san antonio Archives - The Austinot

Christmas Lights in Austin Area – Best Holiday Lights 2021

November 29, 2021 by Joleen Jernigan 5 Comments

Bastrop Holiday Lights Trail — Christmas Lights in Austin, Texas: Bastrop is aglow with the warmth and twinkly lights of the season (Credit: Colin Guerra)

Are you looking for Christmas Lights in Austin area? Read on to find out the best places to enjoy holiday displays with your family in and around the Hill Country.

Hear, hear, the sparkly season is near! From now through the end of the season, festive holiday light trails adorn Texas Hill Country, and we’ve discovered the best and brightest dazzlers around.

We love love love the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park, yet if you want to set forth on an illuminated adventure beyond Austin’s most famous light trail, follow these shining beacons signaling from across Texas Hill Country.

These holiday light trails go above and beyond for those of us beguiled by the night and mesmerized by shiny objects. Yeah, I’m waaay into it. If you crave holiday glitz and are up for a quick road trip, then these nine Hill Country destinations will satisfy your quest to shine on.

One exciting new trend I’ve noticed this year is that some of these light trails have added even more events, attractions, and/or lights, and most of them are open longer than before. This gives you extra time to make the short road trip to experience these twinkly trails.

Note: I’ve added the distances to each trail from the Texas State Capitol this year to better help you plan your trip. Happy lights-gazing!

Caverns In And Near Austin – 5 Naturally Beautiful Caves In The Austin Area

October 27, 2021 by Brittany Ballard Leave a Comment

Cave Without A Name Texas

Caverns in Austin Credit: Cave Without a Name

I’ve made it a life goal to check out as many caverns as I can. A cavern adventure is the perfect day trip when I need to unplug or just stare open-mouthed at beautiful rock formations.

If you’re itching for a new adventure, I’ve got a few options for you. Keep reading to learn about five of the most awesome caverns in Texas. All are just a skip, hop, and jump from Austin.

31 Ways to Completely Rock Your Trip to San Antonio

November 26, 2018 by Joleen Jernigan 1 Comment

La Tuna Fire Pit on San Antonio Texas Day Trip

Contributing Bloggers Joleen Jernigan and Sam Saenz relax by La Tuna’s fire pit (Credit: Sam Saenz)

San Antonio, our big city neighbor to the south, has way more to see than the Alamo, River Walk, and Spurs. I used to live there and put this guide together in order to share my secret San Antonio with you. Trust me, one trip won’t do it justice!

Take a Day Trip Safari Adventure to Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch

January 8, 2018 by Brittany Ballard Leave a Comment

Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch in San Antonio

Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is about an hour south of Austin and features an African safari, Texas-style

Whether you’re a giraffe lover or just an animal lover in general, I have the day trip adventure for you to put on your calendar next. Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is just an hour south of Austin on the outskirts of San Antonio. The ranch is a fun twist on traditional animal-viewing experiences and features a Texas-style African safari. [Read more…]

Celebrate Hill Country Holidays at San Antonio’s The Westin La Cantera

December 12, 2012 by Eric Highland 1 Comment

Christmas Tree at the Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort

Lobby Christmas tree at the Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort

Imagine a world-class destination resort less than two hours from Austin that is hosting a perfectly Texan holiday experience. At the Austinot, we strive to find the very best to experience in and around Austin, and this definitely makes the list.

Beginning now through January 6, 2013, we recommend that you gather up your family or that special someone and head south to Hill Country Holidays at The Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort. Read on and you’ll understand why this holiday event can’t be missed. [Read more…]

Go Behind the Screams with SeaWorld San Antonio’s Face Your Fears Tour

October 15, 2012 by Eric Highland Leave a Comment

A country preacher stands at a raised podium just outside the entrance of Jack’s Frightmare Forest at SeaWorld San Antonio. He delivers a brief message in a somber tone about the importance of facing your fears. He then ushers you into one of the most spooky haunted walks around.

At the Austinot, we often venture within a day’s drive of Austin if we think something’s really special and worth doing.

This is definitely one of those things. [Read more…]

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

February 10, 2012 by Eric Highland Leave a Comment

Boxing, 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…]

Day Trip to the Natural Bridge Caverns

January 12, 2012 by Brittany Highland 4 Comments

This 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…]

10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of September 26, 2022 include 2022 Austin Barking Beauty Pageant, ATXplained Live, and more!

Austin is now among the fastest-growing metroplexes in the US! Keeping up with the growth, luckily, there’s plenty going on in Austin all days of the week. There are things to do on Monday in Austin, of course, things to do in Austin on Saturday night, and everything in between! Some of you may be […]

Top 10 things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of September 23, 2022 include Mermaid Capital Of Texas Fest, MUDstacle and Family Fun Run, and more!

If there’s one thing about this city, it’s that there is always something going on. So, if you’re looking for fun things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of September 23, 2022, there’s plenty of fun to be had, including 6th Annual Mermaid Capital Of Texas Fest, MUDstacle and Family Fun Run, Dripping Springs Pumpkin […]

10 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend of September 23, 2022 Include Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch, Harry Styles Concert, and More!

Playgrounds in Austin near you – Best parks for kids & toddlers play in and around ATX

Austin offers a multitude of great parks with fantastic playgrounds, ideal for some lovely free family fun. There are many locations for children to play and explore in Austin. There is certainly a place for every season, want, mood, and whim when it comes to local and family-friendly attractions to check out. However, when looking […]

Labor Day events in Austin for 2022 – Enjoy the long weekend with this list of things to do & fun activities!

The much-awaited Labor Day 2022 is right around the corner! And as we all know, everybody wants to make the most of this special day and enjoy the last bits of summer. Labor Day pays tribute to the social and economic achievements of American workers. In addition to that, it also symbolizes the end of […]