Great family spot to spend a summer day. Bring plenty of water and trail shoes and you'll be set…read more Great hilly landscape to traverse and plenty of wet spots to cool off.

Bull Creek is a beautiful trail just off the Capitol of Texas Highway and offers a nice variety of…read morewater and streams for you and any furry friend to cool off in. The trail is very photogenic and has cute moments but beware the trash on the ground which can cause sporadic realizations that you aren't in the wilderness, but Austin instead. There are a few entry points to the trail so choose wisely but there is one with a parking lot that may provide better selections. Altogether the trail is very fun and allows for great photo ops with pets and family alike, with some even deciding to get in the water (if you do choose to do that be careful cause the rocks are slippery).

The ATX Asian Food Fest 5/29/2022 held at VUKA was fabulous! There was a great turn out. Parking…read morewas a little challenging. You could find a wonderful selection of food & drinks vendors, like Moi Vietnamese grill. Mom & Pops popsicles. Connor's creamery. Garbo's. Ding tea. Citrus refreshments. Weh? Asian fusion. Shoyu Sugar is Hawaiian grill and a favorite amongst visitors. Boba bites and tea, had their very first event and are in the process of opening their shop soon. A business to be continued, as I love their teas! Dash realty was there too with a bean bag toss, giving out balloons and candy. Cutco with their knives. Ten thousand villages had some beautiful fair trade goodies. All vendors had quite a long line. Moi's customers faced a long time in the burning Sun, but Asians love food! Weh? Sold out within 2 hours! The DJ's supplied great vibes inside the VUKA building, which is modern, spacious, air-conditioned, a great place for events. It hosted the space for a Limbo race, and crafting paper fans by 'open eyes beyond border' for the Lil' ones. The event would take place all day, and it is a hot day. A great event! The dragon dance was very much entertaining. People had their dollar bills ready! Oh, how we love to feed the dragon to get luck and prosperity! Yes, yes, Chinese dragons are believed to have control over water, rain, hurricanes and floods. They also represent power, strength and good luck. The Chinese believe that performing the dragon dance during festivals and celebrations drives away evil spirits and ushers in good luck and blessings for the community.

This is easily one of the best art shows I've ever been to and I look forward to each new iteration…read moreevery year. The basic idea is that they take over part of the Zilker Botanical Gardens, which is already one of the best places in Austin, and set up unique pieces of neon art around every corner as you stroll the grounds. Things turn pretty magical after sunset with all the neon pieces glowing brightly, reflected in the koi ponds, presiding over waterfalls, making you stop and stare at every new visual treat. The displays are endlessly inventive too, adding neon cowboy boots to the dinosaur statue or perhaps the huge cloud of neon bats that tilt mechanically on their axis for constant motion. There's also live music, go-go dancers, food and drink for purchase, and remarkable costumes worn by fellow visitors making a visually interesting event just from that alone. There are also more photo opportunities than you can count if you need more selfies for Instagram. But really, the world-class neon art is worth it just by itself. There are themes like ocean life, jungle animals, desert flora and fauna, and then there are plenty of abstract or whimsical things too. And there's always something new around every bend. Each year loses a few pieces from the last show but adds many more completely new ones. And this year has dozens more, some of which are truly spectacular. One of the best pieces to look out for is the giant octopus. It's designed to look like it's coming out of the water holding pieces of a wrecked sailing ship and even the moon in its tentacles. And the most amazing part is that all the tentacles are connected by gears to a single stationary bicycle so someone can pedal to make the whole massive installation move, bringing it all to life. Chances are you've never seen anything like this before!

Our first time at the annual Ion Art's Surreal Garden neon art extravanganza at Zilker Park…read moreBotanical Garden. Didn't know what to expect, and ended up having a great time! Many people dressed up for it, adding to the fun atmosphere. We waited until dark to arrive in order to get the full effect of bright light against the night sky. So glad we did. The contrast was stunning. I especially loved the interactive exhibits, which told a story in neon. Example exhibit: the watering can--tilted a watering can, water flowed out, which then caused a flower to grow. We were gifted with complimentary tickets, otherwise it would have been a bit spendy as prices ranged from $40-$200 plus tax per person.

Looks like the sky space has two yelp pages, so I'm posting my thoughts here as well…read more A 5 star review of James Turrell's Skyspace by Courtney T.: https://www.yelp.com/biz/james-turrells-skyspace-austin?hrid=fY2tFreMSX8ZNqVBFwBVaw&utm_source=ashare&ref=yelp-android

I kinda had no idea what to expect. I intentionally didn't read much about The Color Inside. I knew…read moretwo things: Turrell and UT. Oh, and free. FREE. We made a reservation because we wanted to go at sunset. Without a reservation, you might get in but it's first come first served. We arrived extra early because if you're not familiar with UT and all of its ongoing construction, it can be challenging to find the Art Center. We asked some friendly students to point us in the right direction and got to the exhibit right on time. We checked in with the student on duty. There's a circular waiting room to the right of the check in desk where I saw people waiting. Some were sitting on the benches, others were actually lying on the floor. Geez how long had they been waiting? I sheepishly whispered to the student receptionist that I wasn't quite sure what the deal was. She advised that we could go right in. Right in to that circular waiting room? uh, yeah. that IS the exhibit. it fits maybe 20 people comfortably. and suddenly lying on the floor seemed perfectly reasonable. So we laid out our jackets and lied on the floor (there are blankets available at the exhibit in case you are a floor-lier without a jacket). we looked up. the roof is sort of canopy-like, and white, with a big blue oval dot in the middle. there are led lights in the base of the canopy that shine upwards casting a glow on the canopy. so we're lying there. and...we're lying there. and like i said we had no idea what to expect. after a while we saw a red plane fly by and we realized that the blue oval dot was actually a hole to the sky. ok, cool. and we're lying there just looking up. and then, things started to happen. i'm not going to tell you the details of the exhibit. you have to go experience it for yourself and be wowed. i will tell you that the key to the exhibit is patience (and the ability to lie on the floor). if you are patient, you will be vastly rewarded. 5-stars vast.

I never realized there was a listing on Yelp for Sunken Garden Springs!…read moreIt's one of my favorite areas to visit when spending days over at Zilker &/or Barton Springs. It's man-made and has been around since the late 1930s. This water feature is a sanctuary to the endangered Barton Springs salamander among others. It runs along Barton Creek from Barton Springs Pool. The walls are concrete and limestone. It's a peaceful area and it is protected with fencing for the safety of the endangered species. If you want to check it out, it's best viewed when hiking the trails that lead up to and around it. Absolutely worth a visit.

Running or cycling on the Butler Hike & Bike Trail (aka Town Lake Trail), you're often moving too…read morefast to take in all the little scenic joys to be had along the 10+ miles of pathway. When I had a couple of hours to spare this morning, with a nagging injury keeping me from my typical Saturday AM long run, I took it as an opportunity take a leisurely stroll with a few turns off my regular loop, which led me to discover the hidden jewel of Sunken Gardens Springs. This home to a couple of endangered local salamander species has a long and interesting history as a public venue in Austin. The short version: it was developed in 1937 as one of FDR's public infrastructure initiatives, and generations of Austinites recall swimming, sunbathing, and even attending performing arts performances here. Like so many things in our ever growing city, the structures were not well maintained and began to crumble, creating a safety hazard. As with Eliza Springs on the other side of the creek, it was also found to contain some precious creatures with federal Endangered Species Act protections. For these reasons, public access would no longer be allowed until remediations could be completed. For the long version, see the City's master plan for restoring the spot https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Parks/Barton_Springs_Master_Plan/BSPMP-08of16.pdf and the most recent report on efforts through 2013 https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Prelim_Engineering_Report_Sunken_Garden_Improvements_Phase_1_2013-10-29.pdf. These days, you can stop on the bridge over the rushing springs to listen to the water flow or turn north to watch dogs play in creek. If you're curious like me, you can walk up the overgrown path behind the fenced enclosure to take a peek at the clear pool down below and imagine what it must have been like to take a dip in the olden days. To access, just come down the part of the trail on the south side of Barton Springs Blvd towards Barton Springs Pool, staying to the south of the creek. As you approach the dam (aka the free swimming/dog play area), the Sunken Gardens will be on your left. Alternatively, park behind the softball field off Robert E. Lee Road and drop into the trail there. GPS 30°15'48.8"N 97°46'05.1"W

We strolled along 37th Street this afternoon. We played Frog and Toad tic-tac-toe, read the posters…read morefor 37th Street mayoral candidates, and marveled at the dazzling rubber duck river and the Hogwarts miniature. The walk took about 15 minutes.

This is such a rad annual event. It was my first time attending and it was so cool to see neighbors…read morecome together with magnificent displays. This tradition has been going on since the 80s when neighbors would gather holiday lights left behind by UT students and other neighbors. You can experience all kinds of cool and innovative light art here from advocacy to religion, kids stuff, traditional Christmas and more. It's really a sight/site to behold!

They come by where I live and I walk and see them everyday…read more Kind of unbelievable... what's crazy is that they do not fly south for the winter. They stay year 'round. Pretty amazing, considering they survived the winter storm... When it gets really cold they don't come by. I wonder where they hole up... We had a few out today. I love them

There were no birds. Not sure if location was wrong. Maps took us to an intersection.read more

This is a 6' x 100' sculpture located along Woodrow Avenue starting at St. John's Ave. It is a…read morefantastic example of artistic ceramic tilemanship. It was created between 2003 and 2008 with help from the residents of the Brentwood and Crestview neighborhoods. Every tile depicts, a family, a business, a school, a person, and churches along with 7 historical narratives. It depicts the history of this neighborhood area including many past and current businesses. Also found within this standing relief are some personal anecdotes that flow along most of the wall. If you're interested in learning some of the local history in this part of town, you should stop by and view this.

Stop #2: Austin, Texas Mural…read more If you are a Texan, you walk proud Texas tall. This mural reminds me of the things Texas is proud of such the hill country, the many waterways, cowboys and cowgirls, beaches (Yes! Texas does have beaches), parks and nature sites and rodeos. The Alamo is prominently featured int he mural (located in San Antonio, TX and one of Texas' top tourist attractions).

First checked this mural out back in 2016 or so and it's been a favorite of mine to show to friends…read moreand family when they're in town. If you're like me and like to do your own tours, make a mural tour and add this to your list. Sometimes when we're in the neighborhood, we'll stop and take pics. I am a huge fan of public art and this adds to the charm of our city.

For over 60 years Austin has been celebrating Eeyore's birthday - the sad donkey from Winnie the…read morePooh. The most amazingly fun adventure in Pease Park. Filled with colorful costumes people and activities. Drinks and food available for purchase. Thousands of people frolicking and dancing enjoying nature in celebration of Eeyore. Happy 62nd Birthday Eeyore!!!

This year was my first time getting to attend the annual celebration of Eeyore's birthday! Prior to…read morerelocating to Austin, I would visit family here 1-2 times a year but the timing never worked out for this event. I can't wait to make this part of my annual Austin routine. Parking is an absolute nightmare and we didn't even attempt it. We opted to use a car service to and from our place, and I cannot recommend this option enough. I know this festival has changed over the years especially for those who've been attending since the start. But it was still exciting and fun for me. Lots of things going on from live music, food and beer tents, performances, etc. People just chilling on blankets and enjoying each other's company. Definite flower power, San Francisco in the 60's vibe going on. A family-friendly, legendary Austin happening that I think folks should check out at least once.