Yee-haw: Austin, Y'all!

Don't let Austin's adopted motto scare you, it's really not that "weird" there. Sure, it's the most liberal town in Texas, so that adds a couple points to the weird meter. And yeah, 6^th Street brings out every type of person you could imagine from college kids to middle aged hipsters, so give some points there. And ok, so their mascot is some bizarro alien-frog hybrid that an unstable rock-n-roller spray painted on a wall, but… nevermind, scratch the initial statement. Austin is flat-out weird.

It's also lovable, trendy, and best of all, nothing like the rest of Texas. It's streaming with music, teeming with bars, and crawling with interesting people.

Ever since I got into UT-Austin for graduate school and politely declined their offer, I've craved a trip to the city to see what I missed. I in no way regret attending school in Oxford, but I needed to cure my curiosity of Austin. Cut to my 23^rd birthday and a need for a travel adventure. The players: Mark, Alicia and Sarah. The destination: Austin, TX, baby. Yee-haw!

We booked through Expedia.com and snagged a flight, rental car, and hotel within walking distance of 6^th Street—all for under $350 each. Our economy car ended up being pretty familiar, as it was a Mazda 3. Hotel options abound in downtown Austin, all at reasonable prices, particularly in the midst of January. Radisson ended up being our temporary residence of choice for the weekend, with a double room on the 7^th floor. Good views and even better Sleepnumber beds, I’d probably rock it again and recommend it for the economical traveler.

We arrived in Austin at PPT (Proper Party Time) and after a brief check-in at the hotel, we wandered three blocks up to 6^th Street. This legendary street had a lot riding on it—my expectations were high and I was really banking on it living up to all the hype. Within a few minutes of strolling down the street I knew it would be soon become one of my favorite hotspots for bar-hopping.

Be prepared to make swift decisions because there's a different bar at every angle. We landed at Shakespeare's Pub for the simple reasons that it didn’t have a cover charge, velvet rope at the entrance, or bass-bumping dance jams. Head upstairs to the patio bar and find out the evening's special. Friday was crown & coke night, so we all cheered to that, multiple times.

We met up with Mark's old college buddy, Robert, who he knew from his freshman year of college at Southwestern University (more info on that later). The next few hours we clung to our coveted position at the bustling bar and went through several rounds. Last call signaled it was time to eat and so along with every other boozer out that night, we flowed into the street and bought pizza at Roppolo's. The road is closed off to pedestrians only and it’s a good thing too, considering it filled with hundreds of bar-hoppers with mixed levels of intoxication. A quick walk back to the Radisson with a detour for a few cartwheels reminded me why we invested in a close hotel.

On day two of the Austin adventure, we first had to seek out various hangover remedies, whether it be coffee, bagels, Advil, or just time. Once that was taken of, we ventured out to Georgetown, Texas, home of Southwestern University—Mark’s old stomping grounds. It’s a gorgeous campus, especially if you like limestone. With a student population of only 1,200, it didn’t take long to tour the premises. Mark regaled us with some glory day flashback stories from 1997 and we got a good feel for the campus.

A trip to Austin is pointless without some barbeque. A 45-minute drive south of the city will land you in the middle of no where, but right next door to the middle of no where is Salt Lick—a legendary BBQ joint that's a favorite of Ashley Judd and Matthew McConaughey. If the 45-minute drive wasn't long enough for you, the hour-long wait for a table will certainly bring you closer to your travel companions. Once inside the BBQ shack, there's an alluring mix of meat and smoke and all the fixings for a down-home family style meal. A plate of meat runs for $14 and the all-you-can-eat option will add $20 to your debt and a few pounds to the scale. Make sure to save room for the blackberry cobbler, a must-have treat after all that meat. Though the food was everything we hoped for, I've got to admit, the drive/wait aren't entirely worth it (unless you know for sure Matthew or Ashley will be there). Rudy's isn't just as good as Salt Lick—it's better, and available nationwide.

Saturday night in Austin is just as exciting as Friday night, unless you're still a bit fragile from the night prior. We headed back out to 6^th Street and bar #1 was Maggie Mae’s, a massive tavern with terrible rap-crap upstairs and incredible live music downstairs. Local band Black Tooth played some classic rock mixed in with some soon to be classic rock, like Sublime and The Raconteurs. Reasonably priced drinks and a chill vibe should get you in the door and the music will keep you sticking around. However, come 11 p.m., an influx of annoying people invaded our zone and wrecked our zen, so we explored some other bar options up the street.

Bar #2 enticed us with zero cover charge and an attractive doorman. Friends Bar ended up being the perfect balance of bar and club, so if you're traveling with friends who want to dance, this is the place to be. Luckily, none of my friends do that, so we just bopped our heads along to the beats and chilled with a beer.

The last stop of the evening was a good one—friendly staff, cheap drinks, and a huge selection of food: the H.E.B. grocery store. I highly recommend this Texas institution for a last pit-stop to stock up on some midnight munchies.

Sunday morning we only had to go as far as seven floors to get our daily jolt of caffeine, as the Starbucks is in the hotel lobby (gotta love it). We ventured out to a classic Austin spot for buying tunes and checked out Waterloo Records. We perused the aisles of music and movies for about an hour, but then had to give in to our emerging hunger.

Cue Juan in a Million. This slightly overrated hole-in-the-wall is packed with locals. Don't let the sketchy neighborhood and line out the door detour you, it's not that bad and the wait is only 20 minutes. The main building connects to a covered patio and another house, so there’s plenty of room for hungry, hungover Austinites. We sat at a not so chic, but oh so shabby picnic table and had service that bordered on terrible. The food was fairly lackluster, but under $10, including tip. If there's ever a next time, we'll all be getting the legendary Juan in a Million plate that is spilling over with cheesy eggs, for $3.50 (of course, we only discovered this dish after we placed our orders). I know this place doesn’t sound spectacular, but it’s a local favorite and worth a stop, if only to get a taste for the area, not necessarily the Mexican food. They give Tex-Mex a whole new meaning.

Before we ambled toward the airport for our afternoon flight, we had to swing by the home of the Longhorns. Surrounded by the typical university shops (i.e. Urban Outfitters, Pita Pit, Starbucks), UT-Austin is a large campus with an impressive setting. The campus feel is like any big-ten American university, but here the students bleed orange.

Austin definitely lived up to all expectations, which is a good and bad thing for a travel adventure. I wasn't pleasantly surprised, nor was I unexpectedly disgusted, so overall, I'd say Austin hit the mark. With great food and spectacular entertainment, this accessible city is a standout in the Lone Star State. And so if Texas ever decides to secede, I'll allow it…as long as we get Austin.

How cool was Austin, TX? Check back next week to find out!