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.

I was able to purchase something over the phone for a patient and have it delivered and the…read morecustomer service was AMAZING. I appreciate her so much!

I recently wandered over to finally check out the new Dell Children's Medical Center. As a parent…read morewhose child started out with some significant health issues, I had been avoiding the place - I've had enough of hospitals for this lifetime! Still, I thought it would be a good idea to get my bearings in case we ever need to utilize the services. Plus, I wanted to see all of the many innovative features I'd heard about, from eco-friendly construction to an amazing gallery of sculpture and other artwork. Wow! This place is the most gorgeous, welcoming hospital I've ever seen. If you must be in the terrible position of having your child under hospital care, there can't be a more inviting one. The environment simply promotes calm & healing: no antiseptic odors or harsh lighting, soothing color palette, and many touches of whimsy to help one forget his/her situation for a while. After strolling through the public spaces and marveling at the many courtyards, fountains, gardens, atriums, playrooms, and art displays, I finally made my way to the gift shop. You know you're almost there when you have found the huge open lobby with the giant chiming Rube Goldberg machine and guitar sculptures. Walk toward the faux tree trunk and you've arrived. Like most hospital gift shops, the Treehouse is staffed by volunteers and all proceeds benefit the charitable work of the facility. Unlike most other hospital gift shops (at least the ones I've seen), the Treehouse has a truly awesome selection of high quality toys and gifts. Understandably, their specialties are toys and games most appropriate for use in quiet, small spaces: books, puzzles, handheld-games, dress-up sets, etc. These are great for travel, too. They also provide a decent selection of boutique-style gift items for grown-ups, cards & stationary, candy, and balloons, as well as a deals & steals table where sale merchandise is marked down by 50% or more. I made off with a cool little reusable shopping bag that collapses into a roll the size of a lipstick, as well as two cool magnetic themed play sets that will make great birthday presents for my soon-to-be 2 year old. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, the Treehouse is a swell place to pick up a special gift for a child. If you happen to be charity-minded, you can feel extra good knowing that your shopping supports a great cause. And if you know a child in the hospital, you can find a nice diversion for that little one here. Open: Mon-Fri, 9a to 5p; Sat, 10a to 4p; Sun, 12p to 4p Tip: You can order personalized gift baskets and gift certificates online at http://www.dellchildrens.net/gift_shop/

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 absolutely love this library (Lyndon B. Johnson). I visited once before relocating to Austin and…read morenow that I live within walking distance, I often take family and friends who come to visit. It's an important museum that houses millions of photos, videos, documents, etc. with regard to the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, LBJ's presidency, and so on. There are exhibits displaying information on Medicare and its beginnings. The Oval Office replica is pretty cool to see. So many things to check out including, you guessed it, a gift shop! This is a "not to be missed" museum.

I gave this Presidential Library only 3 stars because I was only able to visit 2/3's of the museum…read more Apparently, they are renovating one of the floors. When we arrived and paid our admission fee, we immediately were met with 2 hosts that kind of went over and explained everything you would be seeing. The funniest part is when an elderly white lady tried to explain to me their new traveling exhibit. It was a hip hop exhibit and she was explaining how interesting it was. She was like 70 and I am sure she is bumping Biggie and 2 Pac on her way to work. The 1st floor was just the presidential Limo, some campaign exhibits, a gift shop and the hip hop exhibit. When I think about LBJ, I am pretty sure Hip Hop is far from the top of the list of things associated with him. However, as a kid from the hip hop generation it was cool to see Run DMC's Adidas, Slick Rick's Kangol and other artists out fits. The 10th floor (I think it was the 10th) had a replica Oval Office, lots of gifts given to LBJ during his presidency and other exhibits as well. I enjoy going to the different Presidential Libraries and Museums and this one is pretty nice but nothing that will wow you.

We decided to randomly visit other branches of Austin Public Libraries we haven't been too. This is…read morea former theater where some of Dazed and Confused was filmed. While the staff at the 2 locations we have been too have friendly staff this staff was a different level. So friendly and talkative. It is a smaller place but they make good use of it. Glad we got here, we checked out a few books and bought a few. We had a good time.

A small neighborhood library with plenty of parking spaces. There were sufficient tables and…read morechairs. However, I didn't see any private rooms. The interior has nicely decorated celling and walls. Howere it was a little depressing because there were no windows for sunlight. Bathrooms were clean. My main purpose for the visit was to read some magazines that I don't subscribe to. The magazine inventory was lacking. There were about three magazines on the rack with Texas Monthly being the only worthy one to read. I was disappointed not to see any National magazines. Maybe there was a budget cut. DVDs, music CDs, and books for adults and children were well stocked and with great varieties. Overall, this is a good library.

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!

This wonderful museum (and theatre) sits on the campus of UT at Austin (from which my boyfriend is…read morea proud graduate). It's a modern and well-designed building that has housed exhibits from painters and artists to SNL productions, and current exhibits like Houdini and Gertrude Stein. Not to mention The Gutenberg Bible, The Count Cagliostro necklace affair and so much more. Why I've never reviewed this place before is beyond me especially as I've been here multiple times over the years. Today, 8/29/26 is the opening day for the Houdini Library which will run through January. Had been also wanting to check out the Gertrude Stein (Who, by the way, was born in my hometown...Pittsburgh) exhibit that's been here a couple of weeks now. What better way to spend a Saturday than visiting them both. Let me say that both are incredibly informative, well documented, and full of history. The profoundly talented curators put together installations that hold your attention and spark your imagination. Absolutely love being able to see such amazing works...and it's free! Donations are accepted upon entry...if you can, drop a couple bucks in.

I was raised on Saturday Night Live. My parents would always turn on Saturday Night Live every…read moreSaturday after I went to bed and as I got older, I would eventually get to stay up and watch the cast of the early 2010s. Even from there, my parents would show us SNL skits during their holiday specials as well as clips on early YouTube. SNL not only opened my eyes to some of the greatest comedians of this decade, but introduced me to more than just the artists heard on mainstream radio. SNL introduced me to so many great indie and alternative artists. Because of this, I became a huge fan of Saturday Night Live entering my adult life. After hearing how Lorne Michaels' private collection and archives would be heading to a free exhibit at the Henry Ransom Center, I knew I would have to check it out as soon as possible. With my girlfriend coming to town the weekend after my birthday, we made a plan to hit a few museums across the University of Texas campus starting with the Henry Ransom Center. Before you even see the Lorne Michaels Collection, you can see the Niépce Heliograph, the first ever photograph, and the Gutenberg Bible. The Lorne Michaels Collection is the highlight of the visit. As you walk through the exhibits, you first start with the history of comedy on SNL, Lorne's early work before NBC, and the origins of SNL. From there, you get to see the order of the show from the cold open, the monologue, sketches, pre-tapes, musical performances, and more. There is a real cue card from Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter's cold open performance from SNL 50 on display. From there, artifacts and history from each decade are highlighted, from Matt Foley's costume, the cowbell, a tribute to the first episode following the September 11 attacks, a Five-Timers jacket, and more. The best part of all of this is that the exhibit is entirely free to the public and there is so much more than what I am sharing. The collection is on display until March 20, 2026, and if you are a fan of Saturday Night Live, comedy, or television as a whole this is an exhibit for you. RIYL: Saturday Night Live, like duh?

This bookstore is incredible! It's part of my North Loop Jaunt (every few months I head over to the…read moreneighborhood and hit up my favorite places). Did you know it's run by volunteers? Yep, how wonderfully Austin. The book selections focus on social justice, economic justice, etc. It's a gathering space for like-minded people and I feel so at home when there. They have different events like creative art nights and study groups. There's an area that has a shelving unit containing free items. Sofas, lounge area, coffee/tea area. Space for kids to create. It's a welcoming and inclusive shop that's important in today's world. Support local.

The staff is so friendly- this is a great example of an ATX bookstore and has a purpose . It is a…read morebit hippyish but that's what's so great about it. But also the other best part: VEGAN DONUTS- get them! You can really find some books that are a gem here and very good prices.

We love the Huntington-Surrey School. It is what school should be! The teachers at HS love teaching…read morethere because they can enjoy their profession, without worrying about huge class sizes or standardized testing. Very small class sizes ensure that nobody gets left behind. This is a quality not quantity place. The school has a wonderful, caring environment and we are thrilled that we discovered it.

Huntington Surrey has provided an excellent education to my daughter during her four years of…read moreattendance. The most striking feature of the school is the very small class size and the extraordinary personal attention that each child receives from the school's devoted staff. Nearly all of the teachers have taught at the school for a long period of time. Dr. German has operated the school since the 70's, and has a masterful knowledge of how to work with high school students. Without fail, I found each teacher and advisor to be fully committed to my daughter's education, and meticulous in their assessment of strenghs and weaknesses. More importantly, these teacher had the time to dovetail the curriculum to the needs so carefully determined. I have no doubt that my daughter's success relied upon this very unique approach to education. This small, nurturing environment has afforded my daughter a very enriching high school experience. She blossomed at Huntington Surrey. She leaves well prepared for college, and with happy memories of her high school years. For this, I am very grateful to the school, and to its remarkably-devoted faculty.

Overall: 4/5…read more Ambiance: 4/5 This is an awesome brewery! I love that outside in the back they have a small play space for kids. There are a lot of tables and there was a big screen up to watch basketball when I visited! I haven't sat inside, but it looks nice as well and much quieter / at least when I visited. Service: 4/5 Had no issues, just ordered at the counter and voi la! Friendly person took our order & the only complaint is there were no cups outside for water - think it's just busy and this happens! Food & Beer 4/5: I had the magic carpet sour and it was very good, although I will say it isn't as sour as a typical sour would be. Nice drink overall and I think someone who isn't a sour fan may still enjoy it - it gives more cider honestly. My friend and I split the veggie quesadillas and the chips and salsa. The veggie quesadilla was good, the mushrooms they put in it were fab - I wouldn't say it's exceptional for the price but it was good. The chips and salsa were also good, but the salsa was a much thicker green and cilantro based something - I wouldn't exactly call it salsa, but it was good, just a bit misleading. I think they should add a descriptor on the menu, salsa usually means red unless otherwise noted imop.

THE BIG: Second Lazarus on Airport Blvd in Central Austin. Big brewery space with a big expansive…read morepatio and an upstairs seating area. Limited lot parking and mainly have to find street parking. THE BLACK AND WHITE: I came here with the wife in the early morning for a meetup. Parking is very limited and we had to park far down the street. I was hungry and needed my caffeine fix. The tacos did take a while to come out and it was because they forgot my order. I ordered a bacon egg cheese bfast taco, chorizo egg cheese bfast taco and a coffee. Each taco was around $6-$7 which is kind of insane that tacos have gotten that expensive. They were just alright and only flour tortillas. Coffee was given in a nice mug. THE FINAL BAMBOO: Spent around $15 for two breakfast tacos and a coffee. Bfast tacos were alright and I think ill stick to the beers next time.