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Boys Weekend in Austin, TX

This is a beautiful lake about a 30-40 minute drive outside of downtown Austin.

It’s a popular destination for party boats. You can see in the slideshow below pictures that show a row of pontoon boats anchored alongside each other in Devil’s Cove (an area of the lake).

For being a touristic destination and party spot, I was so impressed by how clean the lake was. The water was also really warm and comfortable.  I think this may have been the nicest lake that I have ever visited.

Lake Travis

6th Street

This is Austin’s big party street. The red line on the map below shows where it is.

By day...

By night...

Eating Out

Stiles Switch BBQ

When in Texas, of course you need to eat BBQ. We went to Stiles Switch, which is north of downtown on N. Lamar Blvd. The family platter is bomb!

Food Trucks

I’ve never been to a city with as many food trucks as Austin. They are everywhere! Here are pics of a few that we went to:

1) Letty’s Taco’s, N Lamar Blvd

2) TacoWey, E 6th Street

3) Spicy Boys Fried Chicken, Rainey St.

4) There is even a food court with a food truck in the Austin airport.

Hopdoddy

Honorable mention goes to Hopdoddy Burger Bar in Austin’s North Loop neighborhood for their ahi tuna burger.

A Warning to Newbies

Check out the art on this dumpster we walked by one day. It says, “Austin TX is at capacity. Don’t move here.”

It makes sense. Austin is the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States. Between 2010 and 2021, the city’s population increased by 34%.

Dave, our boat captain on Lake Travis is born and raised in Austin. When I asked him what he thought about the influx of new people in Austin, while it was maybe good for business, he also said, “it kinda sucks,” given how the area is becoming more expensive, touristy, and overcrowded.

Poolside Views of the City

North Loop Houses

Rainey Street

Rainey is Austin's "second street." If you have been to New Orleans, you will understand this comparison: 6th Street = Bourbon Street; Rainey Street = Frenchman Street. In New Orleans, I preferred Frenchman Street. It had more personality. I felt the same way about Rainey Street.

First, the red line on the map below shows where Rainey Street is located. Then, you can see a series of pictures and videos from some of the establishments that we visited. 

I had so much fun here--Great music, games, food and drink, etc. Plus, in warm weather Texas, pretty much every place has an indoor-outdoor set-up.

Unbarlievable

Check out the interior slide on slide 2.

Half Step Cocktail Bar

Icenhauer’s

A group called PDA Band plays here from 4:00-7:00 every Sunday afternoon. They are awesome! They are really high energy with three vocalists and play a wide range of covers. In the videos below, you can hear them cover the Backstreet Boys and Outkast.

Parlor Room

This place has a front and a back porch both with music. In the video below you can hear a portion of this band (whose name I don't know...) do a grunge cover of Get Low by Lil Jon and the Eastside Boys, which of course was amazing.

Stagger Lee Bar

Augustine’s

A woman from another group came up to us and challenged us to propose a game for us all to play. Nate and Marc decided on the limbo. They found a piece of cardboard and used it as the bar. Nearly everyone on the back porch played. If I haven't convinced you yet that Rainey Street is a great time, you are boring!

Goodnight & Goodbye