Post by Simrat Sharma

Texas Beach (Corey Leopold CC 2.0)

Summer is just around the corner for most Austinites.  Many of us can’t wait to put on our swimsuit, take off of work, and get ready for a fabulous vacation.  Well this year some might not be able to afford a trip to a Florida beach or a Caribbean cruise.  Very often Texans overlook the great number of things we have to do in our own lone star state.  After all Texas is huge.  Rhode Island would fit into Texas over 212 times, so we must have something worth seeing here!

I have created a list of some of my favorite sites to see around Texas.  Find a good map and some good company and set out for a road trip across the state.  The drive in itself can be fun.

• You don’t have to miss out on the beach vacation!  Texas beaches have a great coastal vibe and many places to stay.  Some of the most common destinations for Texas beachgoers are Galveston and Padre Island.  My personal favorite Texas beach is in Port Aransas.  It has a small town feel with a great beach.  My favorite resort in the area is the Port Royal. It has great beach access and three fabulous pools.
• Big Bend National Park is a historic place to take your family this summer.  With the beautiful views and serene landscapes you can experience nature close to home.  The park borders both the US and Mexico so you can get a taste of both cultures in one trip.  More information on visiting Big Bend can be found here.  The Texas ghost town of Terlingua is a fun stop while you are in the area as well.
• One of my earliest memories is from visiting the Battleship Texas.  Located just outside of Houston, this WWII ship preserves a piece of time.  You can walk through the ship and experience what life would be like to live in the middle of the ocean.  On land tourists can walk through the San Jacinto battleground where the famous showdown with Santa Anna occurred.
• The San Antonio Riverwalk will give you a great dose of the Tex-Mex culture that Texas is very proud to call its own.  Not only can you get amazing Mexican food, but the shopping is great as well.  It is fun to stroll around the river and sit down for a drink or two.

For more ideas on Texas road trips visit the Texas Tourism website.  They also have an area called Texas Treks that offers Road trip ideas and itineraries.  It is a great was to get inspiration on Texan destinations you have yet to see.  Texas has an endless amount of things to do so take advantage this summer as you make travel plans.

If anyone else has some great ideas for Texas travel destinations let us know below!!

Post by Sarah Lacy

So what exactly is disc golf?

“Disc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target.”

And, according to the Professional Disc Golf Association:

“The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc.”

The discs are super cheap (about $7) and if you just head over to Pease District Park (24th and Lamar area) you can play for free! That’s right!  I could not believe it either!  You get to play 18 holes of disc golf for absolutely nothing.  What an excellent way to spend these beautiful spring days with friends!

Post by Kristin White

So from watching the boys in the courtyard play Ultimate every week, it has kinda made me realize all the different aspects of it. It isn’t just throwing a Frisbee, hoping someone on your team will catch it. There is a lot skill involved. The best part about it, is that it is a cheap way to have a good time with friends. Besides the courtyard in the Honors residence halls, I have seen people play on Main Mall/South Mall. There is even Intramural Ultimate Frisbee.

Here is  a look at what goes on in the courtyard, every Thursday night!

by Meera Rajagopalan

Flip Happy Crepes is a great food stand near Barton Springs and Lamar. They have some of the best food I have ever eaten at a very affordable price. The feel of the eatery is great too.  Crepes are served out of a vintage airstream tailor and you eat under a grove of trees.  They have savory crepes and desert crepes in a variety of different flavors.  My favorite is the chicken and mushroom crepe.  You can check out their website here.

They are also well-known for winning against Iron Chef Bobby Flay in his show Throwdown! with Bobby Flay.  Very few restaurants on the show can beat the experienced chef.  Flip Happy proved their worth by making a better crepe than Bobby.

Before you make the journey to this airstream tailor make sure they are open first.  They usually only open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch.  It is amazing food at a great price!

Post by Sarah Lacy

Cru Wine Bar via photo courtesy of company website

Ok, so I know the previous post also discusses wine, but I want to talk about how some (myself included) are often overwhelmed by how much there is to know about wine. Taste, food pairings, regions, reds, whites, blushes! Luckily, my friend gave me a tip about a very reasonably priced solution right here in Austin. Cru, a wine bar with two locations in the Domain and 2nd Street District, does several things to make the somewhat elitist idea of wine knowledge fun and inviting—all at a great price. If you are new to the wine game, Cru’s popular wine flights are a great way to go! Each flight includes three different 2 oz. tastings of wines grouped by theme. The flights can range in price, with some as low as $11! Mandy Stiles, Cru’s event coordinator, demonstrates how less than $20 can get you great wine and knowledge:

Beside the flights, Cru also offers several deals you wouldn’t expect from the intimate candlelit restaurant. Weekly specials include champagne Thursdays (every bottle is half-priced), “Grillin’ Out” Sundays where from 1-5  there are Kobe Beef Hamburgers for $7 and a weekend Brunch from 11-3 with $7 bottomless mimosas. And it wouldn’t be an Austin establishment without a happy hour: Weekdays from 3-6 the appetizers and their gourmet pizzas are half off. I must say I was little bit intimidated by the idea of a going wine bar, but this one has a Facebook page so it is definitely a place where you can have some fun!

Posted by Jill Harris

Photo courtesy of Yashima via Flickr Creative Commons 2.0 Attribution license

I know what you’re thinking.  Austin Wine Festival.  Sounds expensive.  But wait!  Don’t judge a post by its title!

This festival is actually very inexpensive for the deal you are getting!

“Imagine an entire grassy acre of music, food, fun and vino bliss.”

The 3rd annual Austin Wine Festival is a three day event May 23-25 held at The Domain in North Austin.  The fesival features wine from over 30 local Texas Wineries only, as well as music, seminars and food!  Also, this is the only festival in Texas where you are able to purchase whichever wine you like best right then and there!  And to show you this festival is the real deal…over 6,500 were in attendance last year!

And it gets better.  All event proceeds benefit the Austin Farmers’ Market.  What better way to support locally while enjoying tons of local wine, music and food!

So now, on to prices.  An adult 1-day pass is only $20 and will get you admission into the festival along with a “10-tab Wine Sampler wrist band for wine sampling.”  You can use the 10 tabs for 10 wine tastings from any of the participating wineries or the tabs can be used for full glasses, which cost you 5 tabs.  Additional tastes are just $1 and wine by the glass is just $5.  Sounds like a good deal to me!

P.S.  For an exclusive wine festival experience pay an extra $5 to become a member of the Vintner Club.  Read more about what this means here!

Post by Kristin White

On Thursday, April, 30, 2009, on Main Mall, at 8-10:30 pm, UT’s young chapter of TWLOHA will host founder Jamie Tworkowski, and Aaron Moore, MA, a licensed mental health counselor. They will be motivating the community and pointing to local resources to help those in need. So come out and show your support for anyone you know or may not know yet who could use your help!

This event will begin with Zach Williams performing an acoustic set. photo courtesy of jtrandall’s flikr.

For more information about the cause, keep reading.

by Meera Rajagopalan

TWLOHA was founded by Jamie Tworkowski in March 2006. Prior to that, the seeds of the group were sown by a story written by Tworkowski, about 19-year-old Renee Yohe, who struggled with addiction, depression, self-injury, and attempted suicide. Tworkowski’s story, written in February 2006, chronicles Yohe’s life five days before she entered treatment. Unable to get Yohe checked into a treatment centre in the mean time, friends offered moral support.

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Photo by DGilder via Flickr Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

While South Congress has become the uber-trendy part of the street,  drive north a few blocks you can’t help but miss the huge Renaissance Revival building otherwise known as the Texas State Capitol, a downtown Austin landmark since 1888. While everyone knows it is the seat of the Texas’ government, legislature and politics, few know about what the Capitol has to offer citizens. There are daily free tours of the largest capitol building in the country. The tours include information about the architecture, building history and some state history as well (for those of us who are little rusty from that junior high class). The tours run seven days a week, with a very open schedule. The tours will allow you to experience several informational exhibits with information about the secret places in the Capitol and the architectural details of its famous dome. If you are lucky, a visit to the Capitol might even get you a meal. People looking to wine and dine legislatures give free incentive food that the even the interns take part in. So if you can pass for an intern (or a senator) step in line!

Posted by Jill Harris