Tour de Austin

    I'll be getting a very special visitor in just a week!  Since all of my college friends are over a thousand miles away, I love any chance to show off my home town to a visitor.  Some of them tease me about how much I love Austin, but it really is that amazing!  After they visit, they're converted.  I'm afraid I won't be able to drag this visitor back to Virginia, because he is really going to love ATX.
    This is a basic list of place that, to me, scream Austin.  It might be a jam packed week, but one way or another, he is going to get a big taste of Texas!

The Salt Lick - Austin's best BBQ ambiance.  No A/C, but boy is the food worth it!  Bring cash, because they don't take credit cards.  And definitely, definitely go to the original Driftwood location!

The Round Rock Express - Since my guest is a big baseball fan, we will be going to a Round Rock Express game.  We will be sweating out the August heat at a minor league game.  Maybe you won't really want to do this... but my guest will.  Oh the things we do for our loved ones...

The Texas Capitol - Everything's bigger in Texas!  Including our state capitol.  It's not the tallest, but counting the lower levels, it is the largest, by volume, of course.  And how many state capitols have also been national capitols?  Not many.

Fun fact - you can get married in the capitol, but you can't reserve it.  I nearly saw a Texas-sized version of Bride Wars a couple of years ago!

South Congress Avenue - South Congress is funky!  I love it - so Austin.  Odd shops, great cafe's, trailer food (trust me, so good), pedestrian friendly... Keep Austin Weird is the only thing I can say!  I think we'll spend an afternoon exploring and getting my guest  acclimated to the funkiness!  Fortunately, he'll be in town for First Thursday, which is a party on SoCo!

Speaking of trailer food...

Sno Beach - the best sno cones I've ever had in my life!  Maybe this is where trailer food started?  It's made national food news now, by the way.  The wait in the heat is definitely worth it.  I actually think it tastes better after the heat!  This one is cash-only, too.

The Town Lake Trail - this one's free!  The trail runs in three miles, five miles, and, for the very brave, ten miles (although I've never tried that one!).  I plan on taking my dog down here with him, and maybe kayaking, too!

    This is just a start - obviously, this doesn't fill an entire week, but I think it's a great start!