This stairwell can be found inside the Texas Union.
Tag Archives: Austin
Alice
My visit to the Harry Ransom Center was to see the Alice in Wonderland Exhibit. It was full of wonderful things. There was art, books, games, records, films, photos and other things of interest. They told the story from when Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) first dreamed up the concept, all the way to works of present day artists. The exhibit is there until July 6, so check it out if you get the opportunity.
The University of Texas Tower III
For some reason, on the way to the Museum this afternoon, I decided to crawl around in the damp grass and take photos of the University of Texas Tower. 🙂

Burger Bar
There is a new hotel that has sprung up on Congress Avenue, between Second and Third Streets.  It is the JW Marriott, and they have a cool concept called the Burger Bar.  Yep, you just walk right up and get yourself some grub.  I think this is their nod to the food trailers that used to be in the area before they decided to plop down a fancy new hotel.  I must say the lobby bar on the first floor, and the Starbucks on the second floor were quite nice.  I ordered the Bacon Burger tonight and it was awesome.  Here is how they make the Burger Bar sound just as yummy as it really is on their website.
“Burger Bar serves up mouth-watering, Texas-sized burgers in a refreshing al fresco setting on Congress so you can people-watch while chowing down. Using premium locally bred beef and regional ingredients, these burgers in downtown Austin are not just delicious, but memorable. Be sure to try our signature Big Mouth Burger, topped with blistered peppers, jalapeno jam, bacon and zesty cheddar. Order a side of cheese fries and wash it all down with a peanut butter pretzel milkshake.”
The Belmont
I attended an event after work today at The Belmont, downtown on Sixth Street.  It is billed as a “state-of-the-art music venue and private event space”.  My event was relatively small, so I wandered around a bit and took some photos so you could get an idea of what the space looks like in case you have the inclination to see one of their upcoming concerts or maybe to attend a SXSW event there in March.  Cheers!
MAPJAM – Rattletree Marimba
I wasn’t a very good MAPJAM participant today. Too much stuff going on. KUT offered up 9 great bands in 4 awesome venues, and I only caught two bands. My favorite today was Rattletree Marimba – a super fun band that “plays high energy fully acoustic music from Zimbabwe on GIANT wooden xylophones.” If you see these people in your area, be sure to check them out!
Chinese New Year
I visited Chinatown Center in Austin to celebrate the Chinese New Year. It was super crowded as the weather was nice. The celebration included drums, strings of explosive firecrackers, red lanterns, food, drink, and the spectacular Lion Dances. According to Wikipedia, here is the mythology behind the New Year celebrations.
“According to tales and legends, the beginning of the Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One day a villager decided to get revenge of the Nian. A god visited him and told him to put red paper on his house and to place firecrackers. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the color red. When the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again.”
Great Hills Park – Hike
There are some nice sights along the trails of Great Hills Park. This is a special little known hiking spot near the Arboretum area in Austin.
Great Hills Park – Trail Map
I went out to Great Hills Park after work this evening expecting a short hike. It turned out to be a 2.7 mile exploration of the area, and I would have loved to ramble further if I hadn’t run out of daylight. The main trail goes up and down some hills and crosses the creek several times. This would be a great summertime hike, as the trails are mostly shaded by the surrounding trees. I will definitely return to explore some more!
The Zoo
Today’s entertainment was The Zoo, a musical folly by Arthur Sullivan and B. C. Stephenson. It was presented by the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin. Here is how the story goes.
A gentleman attempts suicide at the zoo because his love’s father doesn’t approve of him. A young lady tries to stop the suicide so it won’t adversely affect her refreshment business. A Duke in disguise enters the zoo to woo the young lady, his love. The gentleman’s love arrives at the zoo to find her lover. Everyone cavorts around, meets calamity, and then all ends well after a narrow escape from certain death for the gentleman in the Bear Pit.
“Oh, let me gaze upon thy face, And lean upon thy breast
And find upon thy noble heart, An ever lasting rest.”
And find upon thy noble heart, An ever lasting rest.”
Overall, a very fun afternoon!
earthrobert 