Monday, March 29, 2010

GET OUT: Hike and Bike Trail (Lady Bird Lake Trail)

Austin is THE best city for getting outdoors and having fun.  Whether it be for working out, playing with your dogs, or having fun with your friends, Austin has a location for you.  Recently, I have come to appreciate the amazing scenery on the hike and bike trail on Town Lake (or Lady Bird Lake).

Don't get me wrong, El Paso has some breathtaking landscapes, particularly around Transmountain Rd.  There are some places where the mountains look almost purple, and the desert plants provide a sweet scent that is found no where else it seems.  But having lived there all my life, the fresh, cool scenery that Austin provides is a welcomed treat.  Local residents of all ages run and bike by the water.  I stand around in awe, take pictures, and get in people's way...

This picture is taken on the path underneath the Mopac highway.
Even the rocks welcome visitors to ATX

The Austin skyline in the background tells everyone to kick it up a notch.

Many come out to jog and bike on a beautiful sunny day.

Behind the statue of Stevie Ray Vaughn (kickass), you can somewhat see people rowing and kayaking on the lake.

And the best part is that this is just one area of the hike and bike trail.  There are over 50 miles of trail surrounding the lake and greenbelts.  It is the best place to GET OUT!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Austinites Fear EP takeover

(originally posted on The Avocadoan on May 30, 2008. All names have been excluded to protect the passive-aggressive.  Not intended to be taken seriously.  It's a satire.) 


Recent population surveys have shown that Austin has experienced a surge in young people from El Paso who have relocated to the area.  Austin is feeling the impact of the supposed “brain drain” that has caused some of El Paso’s young cosmopolitans (YoCo’s) to move to the city that offers more job opportunities, a better art scene, and IKEA.  Although the El Paso movement is nothing new, Austinites are becoming increasingly focused on the differences between themselves and their west Texas neighbors.

Unlike the recent immigration debate consuming the nation with regard to Mexican immigrants, Austin has no qualms about excluding El Pasoans from coming to Austin.  Austin citizens have voiced numerous complaints against people from El Paso and plan to take action to strictly prohibit further migration from El Paso, which may include having members surround the city and telling El Paso drivers the city is closed.  Those who are already in Austin can stay as long as they retake their license photo wearing a University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) shirt and/or attend one Longhorn football game.

Among the many complaints, one Austin man said, is the language barrier. “I’m tired of my pronunciation being corrected every time I say names of streets, like San Jacinto and Guadalupe. It’s not my fault I pronounce those streets how the English alphabet intended!"

Such intended exclusion would cost Austin millions as most El Pasoans are willing to undertake jobs Austin hipsters don’t want, like those in the state government, business and accounting, or as Dell representatives.  Some are also concerned with student influx to the city’s schools and universities. “They have schools in El Paso don’t they? It should be up to El Paso to make sure their facilities are good enough so they don’t come over here. Why don’t they build their own law school?” said one UT-Austin law student who is the sole Austin native in her class.

Other complaints involve colloquial conversations. One El Paso native, who has been living in Austin for the past 4 years, says he’s tired of being asked about his high school years in El Paso

“I’m sick and tired of hearing ‘Oh, you’re from El Paso too? You went to Eastwood?! What year? Do you know my cousin’s ex-boyfriend’s sister?’ “  He said he’s still proud of his El Paso heritage but believes the amount of people from El Paso in Austin has reached its limit and no further entrance should be allowed.

El Pasoans have not remained silent against such complaints. Recently, a group of University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) alumni rented a party boat and invaded Lake Travis to make their presence known among other Austinites, holding banners that said things like “Our beer is no different than yours!” and “It’s an El Paso thing!”

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Shout Out: UTEP at ACL

A UTEP flag flies high above the masses at Austin City Limits

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Must Do: The Screaming Goat

As my first post, I thought I would get right down to something that is very important to El Pasoans, something anyone from El Paso would want in Austin, or in any other city for that matter...Chico's Tacos!  

Austin has its own version of Chico's at The Screaming Goat.  Owned by former El Pasoans,  The Screaming Goat will help ease those cravings for Chico's.  Be aware that the "drowning tacos" do not contain exactly the same ingredients, and there are more choices of what kind of tacos you can order.  You can get the usual red tomato sauce or a green tomatillo sauce; you can get chicken flautas as well as the regular beef ones.  Instead of three tacos per order, they give you four.  The cheese that they put on top of the tacos seems to be real so that may throw you off as well.  

(They now use plastic trays)

The Screaming Goat sells itself as a place for "Tacos y Cerveza."  They have a tina full of beer on ice as soon as you walk in, and a pretty good happy hour special is featured everyday.  They accept credit cards, so don't worry if you don't have cash.  The ambience is quite different as well.  Imagine Chico's Tacos without the loud jukebox and number announcements (can you?).  

There have been many arguments of loyalty to Chico's Tacos.  Originally called Chuco's Tacos, The Screaming Goat almost ignited a legal battle with its take on the El Paso favorite.  See here.  Chico's almost lost me forever with their handling of  this incident.  I'm still a fan, but the Screaming Goat is surely winning the hearts of those here in Austin. 

Check it out at:
900 West 10th Street
Austin, TX 78703-4928
(512) 477-4628
www.thescreaminggoat.com