Welcome to our lovely home town, dubbed the Violet Crown by writer O. Henry. We love everything about this town, from all the funky shops, to the divey restaurants to the live music blasting out of all the bars on Sixth Street. Heck, we even like our homeless, cross-dressing perennial mayorial candidate, Leslie Cochran. Here some suggestions to help take some of the guesswork out of your visit. Have fun!
Getting to the Driskill
This historic hotel is located at 604 Brazos Street, between sixth and seventh streets. The Driskill website has a map of downtown and directions from Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and the Austin Bergstrom Airport.
If you are coming from the airport and would like to use public transportation, taxicabs and the Super Shuttle 1-800-258- 3826 ($15) are the best options for getting to the Driskill.
The reception will be in the Citadel Room at the Driskill at 7 pm on Saturday, June 26.
Hotel Reservations
If you want to stay at the Driskill, guests of the Shipley/Mayhew reception will receive a special rate of $145 for a traditional room and $165 for a historic room. Contact them at 1-800-252-9367 or 512-474-5911.
Other options include the nearby Omni Hotel 1-800-843-6664 at San Jacinto and 8th, which has rooms from $125. The Austin Marriot by the Capitol on 11th Street has rooms from $109. Somewhat further away, but conveninetly located off of I-35, is the Fairfield Inn 1-800-228-2800 or 1 512-302-5550 with rooms from $59.
Imbibing Food and Drink
There are so many delicious dining options here in Austin that it has been difficult to restrain our recommendations. Below are our absolute favorites in the downtown area.
- Stubb's, at Eighth and Red River, has some of the best Texas bbq and some very cool music. Get the best of both worlds at Sunday Morning Gospel Music Brunch (11am and 1pm seatings). Call 512-480-8341 ext. 306 for reservations.
- Louie's 106, on Sixth Street right next to the Driskill, is one of our favorite places for celebration meals. They have an eclectic mix of mediterranean style seafood and meat. Everything from the martinis to the tiramisu is good here.
- Las Manitas, by Congress and Second, is a tasty and cozy Austin staple. They have a delicious Tex-Mex and Mex-Mex breakfast and lunch that is well worth the sometimes long wait.
- Alamo Drafthouse on Fourth and Colorado is the ultimate dining and movie watching experience. Their downtown location specializes in classic and unique movies and will fill you up with burgers and beer. As their menu says, beer and popcorn go surprisingly well together!
- Opal Divine's Freehouse is at Sixth and West, about a ten minute walk from the Driskill. The walk is worth it! They have a great beer selection, extremely tasty margaritas, and a wide assortment of scotches. Taste them all with the scotch campler!
- Frank and Angie's has New York City style Pizza right in the heart of Texas. Weird, but true. This cozy place is at West and Sixth, right across from Opal Divine's.
- Hut's Burgers is owned by the same people as Frank and Angie's and is actually located right next door to them, still at Sixth and West. They have a really long list of burgers and will make any one of them with a veggie patty.
- The Gingerman, at Fourth between Guadalupe and Colorado, has one of the largest selection of beers we've ever seen. They have all our favorites, from locally brewed Live Oak to Zimbabwean Zambezi.
- Clay Pit at 16th and Guadalupe is closer to campus than the Driskill. They have contemporary Indian food - try the mussels in curry sauce.
- Dog and Duck Pub is right by the Clay Pit at Seventeenth and Guadalupe. This English style pub has lovely beer and excellent fish and chips.
- The Library Bar is one of many great and wild bars on Sixth Street. This one will be forever in our minds as the site of Jason's thirtieth surprise party. They do have some really cool inside decor - its got dark wood, and some shelves with books ...kinda like a ....library!
Catching Views
- The Wildflower Center was created by Lady Bird Johnson to demonstrate the benefits of using native plants in landscpaing. The center has a cafe, gift shop, garden designs and some trails.
- Hill Country Flyer (512)477-8468 is a steam excursion train that runs through Hill Country from Cedar Park City Hall near U.S. 183 and R.M. 1431 to Burnet. The train is pulled by a 75 year-old steam locomotive. The ride is two hours through scenic hill countryside. Following a short layover in Burnet, the trip is two hours back.
- Mount Bonnell provides beautiful views of Lake Austin and the Hill Country. Take Sixth Street to Mopac (Loop 1), head north to 35th Street. Get off the highway, and take a left, heading west on 35th to Mount Bonnell Road.
- Texas History Museum is located at Congress Avenue and Martin Luther King Blvd. The museum has a beautiful layout of Texas history. There is an IMAX theater inside and a smaller theater, the Texas Spirit, which has some particularly entertaining shows.