April 11, 2026 The universe granted us a really nice night. It's been raining, and gloomy during…read morethe day, but the nightlife came alive and we truly were blessed with GNO. It was warm, a little breezy, but the vibes were there and everyone was happy mingling, drinking, just a typical ATX night out on Rainy. Now yes, some of the charm has left. Little by little every few years something disappears, and something new comes in. The people make up for the "charm" feel. We remember what once was. Little houses that once held family dinners and birthday backyard parties are now bars. Gutted out of the family photos hanging on the walls, to neon signs barring a beer logo. Rainy Street is still charm for those that once knew it and hold it in our hearts. We make the charm because we knew, and we pass that vibe to the college kids (sorry, but you are still kids) that spend their whole weekend night letting lose and being just that, fun kids experiencing life, not corporate life, but life life. It's up to us mature Rainy Street goers to show these kids how it's done. IMO Rainy Street. Bar hoping at its bests. Charming street. Decorated for the season. Come at Christmas, it's a ball! Everything is walkable. Some really nice higher end restaurants have moved in. It's a nice place to start out your night. You will find college kids here. But you'll also see birthday party groups, bachelorette parties, bachelor parties just people having fun, enjoying life. You'll see mature, older men and women with their, "I'm still 28" in my mind. (Me, I'm that woman) They do have a small food truck area too. So when you're looking for something quick, give these food trucks a go. They are pretty good. And they have seating so you can chill, and get back at it. I only saw 1 parking lot. It was $50. For 3 hours. And $55 for 6 hours. Uber in, car pool, or find parking a block or 2 away. Come to Rainy Street. Spend the night here. Grab some dinner, a few cocktails, bar hop up and down the street. Be young, be a kid, life's short.

Remember how cute Rainey Street was? I loved the Container Bar. It was one of my favorites. I wish…read moreit were still there. Don't get me wrong, there are still a couple of places on Rainey I like to go to now and then but it's just not the same. It's so bizarre to me to see big buildings going up. All of the charm is gone. Not to mention it's a very touristy area. And honestly, if I were a tourist, I would want to see it as well. But again, more like it was back in the day.

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

South Congress is one of the iconic streets of Austin, TX. It stretches just south of downtown…read moreAustin past Lady Bird Lake. This strip satisfies of everyone's wants...cool boutiques, inviting eateries, captivating street art, and plenty of live music. In addition, vintage clothing shoppers can be easily immersed at a number of vintage shops. There is nothing like the epicenter of the South Congress, The Continental Club. You can purchase from high end stores like Hermes and Chanel to athletic stores like Lululemon and Toms. From elevated restaurants like Aba and Vespio to a variety of food trucks that will satisfy almost any food itch. And if you are in need of some retail therapy, South Congress can satisfy a plethora of shopping tastes. In full transparency, parking can be challenging sometimes, especially during the weekends. For all the benefits that South Congress has to offer, parking is a minor challenge. What makes South Congress memorable, the random jewelry vendors, spray can artists completing paintings live as you look on, street musicians playing their favorite tunes, the random conversation you strike up with another South Congress visitor. South Congress...such a great place to frequent. You literally could spend hours jetting in and out stores, eating ice cream or another treat or listening to live music. It's a fun place to hang out.

The epitome of "what once was"...has now become a haven for tourists…read more And that's ok. However, there are a few places that I like to go to on South Congress that can be difficult because of all the people and cars. It's ok, Austinites know how to deal with it. That said, I will venture over when I wanna go to JoAnn's, the Austin Motel, and of course, I go to The Continental for shows whenever I can. The street is very eye-catching and has a lot to offer.

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.

We had friends visiting from out of town and we toured them around Austin. The City is known for…read moreits bright and beautiful murals. First stop, Greeting from Austin Postcard Mural. It contains all the things Austin is known for Capitol of Texas, Lady Bird Lake and Congress Avenue Bridge (with 1M+ bats underneath), University of Texas Tower, symbols of Austin being the "Live Music Capitol of the World" and our Texas Flag. Folks visit this mural daily to take pictures. It likely commemorates their wonderful time in Austin, TX.

What a great piece of public art for a great city. The fact that one of the things Austin is known…read morefor is great art and murals is one of the things I love most about it. I first visited this glorious postcard years ago as part of a self-planned and self-guided mural tour with my boyfriend. The colors of the mural are eye-catching and it makes for a great souvenir photo for tourists and residents alike. This is absolutely a "must-see" for visitors.

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.

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

OMFrog. I think I first checked this mural out around 2012-2013. If you know anything about Daniel…read moreJohnston then you know this is the epitome of his art, life, & talent. A happy, fun, and quirky piece of public art on The Drag and memories of visiting it still make me smile. Did you know the mural was first done around '93 on what was once a record store? Did you know Johnston painted it in exchange for free records? That's just the kind of history that makes Austin so endearing.

This mural is located near the UT Austin campus. It's on the corner of a busy street so we just…read moredrove by and took a picture instead of getting out of our car. Even if we got out of the car the sidewalk is very small and it's hard to get a picture of the entire mural without taking a picture from the street. A selfie would still work but we didn't think it was worth to park and get out of the car for that. Recently I found out that there's also a similar "Hi, How Are You Frog" mural near University of Washington in Seattle so if you're unable to get to Austin for this there are other similar murals around the country.

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.

Austin has a slogan Keeping Austin Weird. It means Austin is unique and wonderful. Watching the…read more1.bats emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge is one of Austin's most iconic experiences. Just before sunset, millions of Mexican free‑tailed bats stream into the sky in a mesmerizing spiral that lasts 20-40 minutes. It's completely free, family‑friendly, and uniquely Austin. The best views are from the bridge itself, the Statesman Bat Observation Area below, or the riverwalk. Summer months (March through October) are peak season, with the largest numbers typically in August. Arrive early for parking and a good spot. A few recommendations... bring bug spray (not for the bats but for mosquitos), check the sunset time, and be patient...the bats come out when they come out. Smile. When they do fly out...wow,wow, WOW!!! It's like nothing you've seen before.

Watching the bats under Congress Avenue Bridge is one of the signature Austin experiences that…read morelives up to the hype. I happened to be downtown around sunset during SXSW, and as the sun started to set. you could see the crowds forming along the bridge in anticipation. Then thousands of bats poured out in a steady stream, flying out over Lady Bird Lake. The many bats with the beautiful sunset backdrop is definitely something to remember. There is a bit of stinky "bat smell," so be prepared for that. Totally free, and a unique experience definitely worth doing at least once if you're in Austin.