Select Your Travel Dates

Austin, TX: The Guitars at Night are Big and Bright (Flight Not Included)
Deep in Texas hill country lies a state capitol where locals parrot the motto "Keep Austin Weird," mom-and-pop shops flourish aplenty, old-time rock and roll spills out of collegiate bars, and all hai

Editor's favorite watering hole: At the Alamo Draft House, you get to order brew (like local Shiner Bock) while gazing on the silver screen. This is a great, chill place to catch a flick in comfort, yet share the experience with a larger crowd. The drinks flow as fast as the movie projector spins.

Best place to make a splash: Framed by pecan trees, treasured Barton Springs Pool is the place to beat the Texas heat. Three acres fed by underground springs make for delightfully refreshing water temps. Native Americans once used the sacred powers of the waters for healing purposes.

Local flavor: There are two main tastes in town: Tex-Mex and barbecue. For the former, go to Guero's, Polvo's, or student-favorite Trudy's North Star Restaurant & Bar. For the latter, head a bit a-field to the Salt Lick for every kind of meat under the sun--and be sure to smother it in the "five-alarm" secret sauce. Or,for a hipper bite of barbeque, stop by Lamberts, where gourmet floavors accompany classic smoked meats.

Did we mention it's free? At the onset of dusk, the city's bats emerge from beneath Congress Avenue Bridge in dramatic fashion. For those who aren't squeamish, it's an absolutely incredible spectacle to watch this nightly exodus (and you'll appreciate them more and more when you realize Austin's low on mosquitos!).

Where to blow a paycheck: You can find all sorts of antiques, footware, and vintage clothing shops, Texas souvenirs and eclectic dining options along South Congress Avenue, which is also home to the legendary Continental Club and hip Hotel San Jose.

Place we love, even if it's touristy: There's a reason why everyone flocks to Broken Spoke on Tuesdays and Thursdays:two-stepping lessons. With a pretty even count of men and women in attendance each week (and ladies, don't worry, in Texas, y'all can dance together too!), you'll be boot-scooting across the floor with the best of them. It helps that Austin's favorite honky-tonk also has great country bands providing the soundtrack nightly.

The real deal: The best evidence that mom-and-pop shops still thrive in Austin is at Waterloo Records. This homegrown record store has been named among the best in the nation. When you get there, don't look for your favorite artist by genre; you won't find them that way. At Waterloo, all artists are stocked together, alphabetically. And the racks are decked with cool, kitschy music merch to complement your purchase. If you're especially lucky, you'll be treated to an in-store performance by an Austin musician.

Natural history lesson: The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center mixes natural and political history. An environmental champion, the former first lady was fond of flowers and gardens, and her legacy lives on at these botanical gardens committed to conservation.