We moved here in 2005, but Jenny first fell in love with Austin when she lived here as a nanny for her aunt and uncle in the summer of 2000. She instantly fell in love with the rolling hills, tall pecan trees, rich history, and the seemingly contradictory contrast of the city’s vibrant energy and laid back vibe. When we decided to move back to Texas in 2004, there was no question that Austin was where we wanted to be.

For years, Austin was a small, funky college town, somehow isolated from the cultural homogenization and infiltration of strip malls and fast food joints blanketing the rest of the nation. Even today, while the city is in the middle of a huge growth spurt, Austinites are hanging on to that unique quality that makes Austin stand out from the cookie-cutter mold of American progress. While Austin is the heart and capital of Texas — and takes pride in that fact — in many ways the culture in Austin more resembles that of California. Politically, Austin is a blue dot in the middle of a sea of red. Home to environmental activists, hippies, entrepreneurs, young professionals, and even Dellionaires (folks who made a fortune off Dell stock options from the 80s), Austin stands out from its neighbors in the Lone Star State. Our motto is “Keep Austin Weird.”

“Austin’s a city that doesn’t take itself too seriously. After all, you can’t have a motto like “Keep Austin Weird” and be buttoned-up. We’re laid-back, full of energy and, yes, a little weird.” - City of Austin website

Must See
The Alamo Drafthouse for an indie movie or documentary | S. Lamar or Downtown Location
This is our favorite place to go to the movies, they serve drinks and food that are themed to go with the movie on opening weekend! While they show some mainstream movies, they are known for showing things you can’t see elsewhere.

Barton Springs Pool | In Zilker Park, just south of downtown
This beautiful public swimming pool is formed from a natural spring — you can actually feel the water coming up through the rocks under your feet. A popular venue for year-round swimming, since the spring water maintains a temperature of approximately 68°F.

The Capital | Downtown
Free tours available daily. Everything is bigger in Texas — our capital building is taller than the nation’s capitol in DC!

Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail | Downtown
This is one of the most beautiful trails in Texas for walking, running, or biking — and it is right in the heart of downtown. Spend some time on the trail to work off all the Mexican food you’ve eaten! You can also rent a kayak and spend some time enjoying the views of downtown from the seclusion of the water.

Leslie in his thong and fairy wig | All over town
The famed cross-dresser and former mayoral candidate can be seen walking around town, especially in south central Austin. “Dress up Leslie magnets” are for sell at some local stores.

San Jose Hotel Bar | South central
Nice quiet patio nestled off of busy South Congress. Hang out with the local hipsters for happy hour.

South Congress Street Bridge Bats | Downtown
This bridge downtown is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. Join the crowds on the bridge to watch them take flight at sunset every evening from May to October.

South Congress Shops & Restaurants | Just south of downtown
This is a great spot to hit any night of the week, but if you are in town for on the first Thursday of the month be sure to check out the live music and festivities on this popular street in Austin. The shops stay open late too! Our favorites are Part’s And Labor, UnCommon Objects,10,000 villages, Tesoro’s Trading Company, Turquoise Door, and Lucy in Disguise. If you don’t want to shop at least take the time to drive down South Congress towards the capitol. It our favorite view of Austin.

Whole Foods Flagship Store | Downtown
The world headquarters of Whole Foods…the only place where you can get butter from any country in the world, among other things. They have a great food court and kids play area too!

Must Eat
Jenny’s aunt once said, “If you cant wear flip flops to the restaurant in Austin, it will close down within 6 months.” We have definitely found that to be true. Casual dining is the way to go in Austin. Here are some of our favorite spots:

Blue Dahlia Bistro | east side | $$
Wine, cheese, coffee, sandwiches - CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS TO DIE FOR.

Hula Hut | west side | $$
Polynesian / Mexican fusion with seating on the dock at Lake Austin.

Joe’s on Second Street | downtown | $$
Great place to hang out. Good burgers and tuna melts.

Juan and a Million | east side | $
Great Mexican breakfast joint. Get the breakfast tacos.

Leaf | downtown | $$
Big, yummy salads

P.Terry’s | south central | $
The anti -fast food burger joint. They started this place after reading Fast Food Nation.

Polvo’s | south central | $$
Some of the best Mexican food in town, try the dark salsa, fajitas, or Goliath burrito.

Progress | east side | $$
Hipster coffee shop with salads, sandwich, and smoothies too.

Matt’s El Rancho | south central | $$
Tex-Mex at it’s finest. The Bob Armstrong is an Austin classic - just say “give me a large Bob!”

Moonshine | downtown | $$$
Down home cookin’ with a twist. Ever had chipotle mac n’ cheese?

Salt Lick BBQ | west side | $$$
Texas style BBQ.

Torchy’s Tacos | south central | $
The BEST tacqueria in town! Try the Monk’s Special — or, the Trailer Park, extra trashy with a side of lil’ nookie!

Uchi | south central | $$$
Rated one of the best restaurants in the nation. Definitely the best sushi we’ve have ever had.

Z Tejas | west side | $$
This is one of our favorite date spots. A little bit of everything — and great margaritas.

South Congress Cafe | south central | $$$
Great mojitos and yummy food. They have a nice brunch menu on Sundays.

1886 Bakery and Cafe | downtown | $$
Great desserts and coffee located in the historic Driskill Hotel.

Must Hear
“Set my stereo for nothing but the big beats | windows open sound of the city streets | blowing through the night like a tiger in a movie | feeling kind of groovy “ - Getting Better from album I’m Good Now by local Austin musician, Bob Schneider

— Venues —
Concert in the Park | Downtown
Free concerts on the lawn of our new performing arts center.

Blues on the Green | Zilker Park, just south of downtown
Free concerts on Wednesday nights in the summer ar Zilker Park.

The Elephant Room | Downtown
Great place to go and hear some jazz.

Stubbs | Dowtown
Great BBQ and music, they have a great Gospel brunch on Sundays!

Saxon Pub | South central
Great pub with live music every night.

Threadgills | South central
Home cooking and live music on the patio Thursday through Sunday.

— Local Bands —
Asleep at the Wheel
Good Texas music.

Bob Schneider
A little rough around the edges, but our personal Austin favorite. Always a good show!

Patty Griffin
Local musician who has become more widely known in recent years

Porter Davis
Great new artist — and he’s friends with our neighbor

Tacks the Boy Disaster
Newer band gaining national recognition. We went to college with the band leader, Evan Jacobs

Spoon
Great local band. They’re latest album is pretty much perfect.

South Austin Jug Band
Laid back bluegrass. This band is especially fun to see on the patio at Threadgill’s

More About Austin

— Websites —
austinist.com
austin360.com
austininaction.com (Click on “Freebie of the Day” to find absolutely free activities going on in Austin…a new posting daily!)
rareaustin.com
statesman.com

— Getting around town —
Stay near downtown to capture the true essence of Austin while visiting. The further north you go, the more Austin starts to feel like any other suburban city in America. The best way to experience Austin is to take public transportation, which is pretty easy in and around downtown.

The Dillos are free!
These free bus/trollies get you pretty much anywhere you want to go downtown

Local busses - Capital Metro
Only $1 for a day pass. You can pay when you get on your first bus of the day.

Get public transit directions from Google
Google launched a new service that lets you get public transit directions as an alternative to driving directions. Click the link above to see an example. Pretty cool.

— Exploring the small towns near Austin —
If you are going to be in the area for a little while, you may want to check out some side adventures you can have in the small Texas towns near Austin. You can tube, hike, shop, eat and tour many great places less than 60 miles away. Here are some of the best picks:

Fredricksburg, TX | about an hour and half from downtown
Fun little shops and restaurants in this historic German town

Johnson City, TX | about an hour from downtown
Home of LBJ’s ranch and some fun small town shops

New Braunfels, TX | 45 minutes from downtown
Tubing central. You can also hit up Schlitterbahn, one of the best water parks in the country.

Georgetown, TX | 40 minutes from downtown
Nice town square with fun shops and restaurants

There really is so much to see and do in Austin — we had a hard time narrowing it down for this blog post. If you have never been to Austin, we hope you’ll consider visiting our little piece of Texas paradise.

“Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are” - Arthur Goldman

The day that changed my life.
It was cold outside in the early hours of the morning, December 7th, 1995. I was tucked away — snug in my bed. Though the sun had not yet risen, I was awaken by the sound of my Dad’s voice. Through the bedroom door, I heard my Dad shuffle into the hall and declare, “It’s over, she’s gone.” I heard it, but did not move. I lay there, still, a million thoughts running through my head. Outside my room, people began moving around, busily. I stayed in my room. In the darkness. I had just lost my mother.

When most people think of the most important day in their life, they probably think of a happy occasion - a child’s birth, their wedding day, or a grand promotion. I think of that December morning. Losing my mother has shaped my life in more ways than I can even understand. It was a day marked with intense sadness. But it was also a day that marked my transition into adulthood — and a day that set me on a course toward many happy and wonderful events in my life. A new chapter had begun in my life, where I began to figure out who I was, what was important to me, and how I wanted to live my life.

My mother.
Sharon Denise Rose, or “Neisa” as she was known by her friends, was a joyful and colorful woman. A teacher by trade, but an artist by heart, she was the most fun mom. She instilled a love of learning and creativity in me and my little sister, Emily. Our house was creativity central. Emily and I were surrounded by paint brushes, rhinestone punchers, and glitter — and we could often be found with microphone or movie camera in hand. Her love for us could always be seen in the little things. The birthday party she tirelessly planned. The new hair bow she constructed for us while we were at school. The endless shuttling back and forth to music lessons and rehearsals. The old classic movies she would rent for us when we were sick. Her insistence that we gather around the table for a lovingly-prepared meal every evening. And she wasn’t just a great “Mom” — she was a friendly and hospitable neighbor, a fun friend, a respectful daughter, an adoring sister, and passionate wife. My memories of her all swirl with color — from her clothes (matching earrings and shoes always) to her laugh (loud, with her nose slightly scrunched) — she lived her life in full color.

My mother began her battle with brain cancer eight long years before that December morning. And through what was probably the most difficult trial anyone can go through, her character and beauty shown with even more beautiful color. She had the best attitude, never complaining about the excruciating pain she was in or about how she could feel her mental capacity slowly fading away. She endured her treatments (and they were horrific) with a smile on her face. She quickly became the doctors and nurses favorite patient. She still made our lunches everyday, still went on family vacations, still went with us to church every Sunday, and was even room-mom at our local elementary school. The grace and poise in which she carried herself all through this time taught me what true beauty is. Before cancer, I remember her being obsessive about how she looked. Yet, after countless round of radiation and surgery, when people would stare at her precious, hairless, and scar-ridden head out in public, she was never embarrassed or apologetic for the way she looked. She bore her battle wounds like a proud warrior.

The thing that stands out most when I remember my mother is the way she loved people. Weary souls always seemed to make their way to our home and to our dinner table. A friend suffering through a painful divorce or the lonely latch-key kid who lived down the street. Though you would have expected her to be depleted and empty, with nothing to give, my mother poured herself out for those people and loved doing it. And her love was returned by the many close friends that surrounded us. All through her struggle with cancer a group of close friends were there for our family when we needed it most. Their response to help us was born out of their deep love for my mother. She had left her colorful mark on their lives.

The impact suffering has had on my life.
There have been many books and articles written about the negative impact a death of a mother has on a young daughter. While I have certainly not been exempt from those negative effects, I think my mother’s death has shaped who I am today in a very positive way. I know that I would not have spent the time and energy that I have thinking of how I want to live my life, if I had not seen first hand how short life can be. We are not guaranteed a long life, and I want to live my life to its fullest. It is for that reason that I had the courage to pursue a music degree, even when I knew that it may not have as many career prospects as other degrees. It is for that reason that I chose to live in China for a summer after college, and to use real plates and cloth napkins every night for dinner (even if it is take-out). My definition of beauty was also impacted in a very positive way by my mother’s death. My beauty does not lay in my outward appearance or the perfect condition of my house. My beauty lies in battle wounds, a cozy couch where a friend can sit and open up to me about a failing marriage, and puppy prints on my clean hardwood floors. A dinner table doesn’t have to display the most magnificent centerpiece but instead should be used and worn and surrounded by people you love.

Most importantly, my mother’s death gave me an appreciation for the community around me. The way that my childhood community surrounded us during my mother’s illness made me realize how important it is to love and be loved by others. Even though my husband and I live in a big city, we have carved out a small community within it where we live our daily lives. We live, eat, shop, and go to church all within a five mile radius of our house. We have had to live a small house in a not so ideal neighborhood, but our life is so simple compared to others who live in the city. And we are surrounded by friends in the neighborhood that we see daily. Friends that we love and care about.

For all these reasons I can rejoice in my loss. I know that it has made me who I am today. A loving wife, devoted sister, respectful daughter, empathetic friend, and compassionate neighbor. When nothing else was guaranteed in my mother’s life, I think she knew her legacy would live on through me and Emily. For this reason she taught us to live a colorful life by living one in front of our eyes.

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” - Romans 5:3-4a