10 Reasons To Make Austin, TX Your Next Vacation
It's The Live Music Capital Of The World
With more than 250 live music venues, Austin certainly lives up to its moniker as the Live Music Capital of the World. Perhaps best known for its honky tonks, among the best nightspots to check out in Austin are the White Horse, Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon, Pete's Dueling Piano Bar and the "grandaddy of all local music venues," the Continental Club. Austin also is home to larger venues, like the Frank Erwin Center on the University of Texas campus, with upcoming appearances from headliners like Ed Sheeran, Brian Wilson, Shania Twain and Sam Smith.
Related: Food Lover's Guide To Austin
Texas BarbecueAustin may be one of the most vegan friendly cities in America, but it's also widely acclaimed for cooking some of the best barbecued food you'll ever enjoy. The best spot is up for debate, but one business that has been consistently appearing at or near the top of every Best Barbecue in Austin list is Franklin Barbecue, which was named best in America by none other than Bon Apetit. However, there are tons of outstanding barbecue spots all over the city, including La Barbecue featuring Certified Angus Beef, Lamberts Downtown Barbecue and J. Mueller Meat Company.
Upscale FoodBarbecues and food trucks get plenty of attention in Austin, but there's also a diverse collection of fine restaurants that shouldn't be ignored. In fact, it's Uchi - a Japanese restaurant ranked tops among more than 3,200 restaurants in the city and led by Tyson Cole, a James Beard Award-winning chef. Other outstanding restaurants worth a visit are Uchi's sister restaurant Uchiko, Eddie V's Edgewater Grille and the Driskill Grill in the landmark Driskill Hotel.
Texas State CapitolJust minutes south of the University of Texas campus, the Texas State Capitol is one of the tallest state capitol buildings in the country. Even taller than the U.S. Capitol, this enormous structure houses the office of the Governor of Texas and the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature. The capitol building is located on 22 acres and features several notable monuments and statues, such as the Heroes of the Alamo, Disabled American Veterans of Texas, a bronze miniature replica of the Statue of Liberty and the Texas Cowboy.
Randy Yagi is a freelance writer covering all things San Francisco. In 2012, he was awarded a Media Fellowship from Stanford University. His work can be found on Examiner.com Examiner.com.