Austin

Overview

They do things just a little differently in Austin, and the locals wouldn’t have it any other way. The capital of Texas is like no other city in the state and has fast risen to become America’s ‘it’ city for creative types, tech start-ups, young families, and others in search of mild winters in a lively cultural hub. Giving Nashville a run for its money, Austin’s live music scene has over 250 venues with something for all tastes from country to hip-hop to electro-synth. Independent film is alive and well, embodied at South by Southwest, one of America’s most important film festivals.

Yet even with its commitment to ‘keeping it weird,’ Austin is still a Texan city, with a big, welcoming heart and some of the best barbecue or Tex Mex you’ll eat anywhere. If you’re craving a taste of the Lone Star State with room for people from all walks of life, you’ll quickly see what all the excitement’s about.

A good place to start exploring is the Bullock Texas State History Museum for your Austin and Texas History 101. Just across the street, the Blanton Museum of Art invites you into its eye-popping collection, one of the best in the state. Don’t miss the LBJ Presidential Library while you’re in the area. It contains artifacts from Johnson’s presidency, including some quirky finds that seem to be right at home in Austin. Continue your art journey at the Contemporary, the Austin Museum of Art, the Mexic-Arte Museum, or the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, whose regularly rotating temporary exhibits have showcased work by James Surls, Luis Jimenez, and former Umlauf muse and student, Farrah Fawcett.