Justin Wright » Austin

Farewell To Austin

Justin Wright — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:15:29 +0000

About 6 months ago, I wrote a post about making it to Austin. I talked about making the move from Arizona and did a quick farewell to the great times I had there. Well guess what?

It’s time to move on yet again. My girlfriend and I are moving across the country tomorrow so I thought I would share my thoughts and adventures I had here in Austin.

An Awesome City

I must say, Austin is by far one of the coolest cities I’ve ever been to. It’s got a unique feel about it and has some crazy things you would never see anywhere else.

It was here in Austin that I fell in live with breakfast tacos and Mexican Coke. Both are delicious, especially when you mix them together.

However, the city definitely has some infrastructure issues. I’ve never seen traffic as bad as the highways here in Austin. It seems like both directions are at a stand still all day everyday.

Other than traffic, it really is an amazing city. I love what downtown has to offer and how friendly the people are here. That’s one thing I will definitely miss about the city.

Who knows, I might end up back in Austin again someday. We will see…

The Best Of Austin

Below are some of my favorite posts from here in Austin:

The Congress Bridge Bats

One of the things Austin is known for is the Congress bridge bats. It’s pretty crazy that so many bats call downtown Austin their home for a good portion of the year.

The Most Interesting Academy

I must say, this was the first time I ever attended a party in a castle. It was pretty sweet and was free…what more can you ask for?

The Austin Skyline

One of my favorite things about Austin is the downtown area. I love the skyline, even if it is pretty small compared to other large cities. Check out this post for some great HDR pictures I took.

The Texas Capitol Building

Like mentioned above, I love downtown Austin. One of the things that really sticks out is the Texas capitol building. I managed to go inside and take a quick tour and snap some pictures. It’s an awesome building!

The ROT Motorcycle Rally

I’ve never been much in to motorcycles, but I was pretty impressed with the parade they put on. I’ve never seen so many bikes in one place before.

National Trails Day

Of all the events I attended in Austin, this was my favorite one. It felt good to help clean up the greenbelt and remove a ton of garbage.

Where To Next?

So where are we off to? Stay tuned for a new post next week and I’ll fill everyone in. Here’s a hint: we have about 20 hours of driving to do this weekend so wish us luck.

Mud Fail at Austin City Limits

Justin Wright — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:20:49 +0000

(Photo credit: Stinkie Pinkie)

Over the past 5 months, My girlfriend and I debated about going to Austin City Limits. It took place this weekend, just a short walk down the street from where we live. Due to the fact it was sold out (and overpriced), we decided to skip it.

Another factor in choosing not to go was the fact that none of the headliners were bands we cared to see. There’s no reason to shed out a couple hundred bucks to see some bands we’re note huge fans of play outside.

Anyway, it ended up raining on Friday and all day Saturday. So I enjoyed watching the rain from inside my apartment, where I didn’t have to worry about getting wet, breaking my iPhone (Country USA 2008), or trying to fight my way through the crowds.

Watching Cars Get Towed

Instead of going to ACL, I enjoyed the small things in life like watching cars get towed from my apartment complex. They sent out an email newsletter a few days ago saying that they would tow any cars that tried to park here this weekend. As it turns out, a ton of cars decided to try it and they weren’t bluffing.

I actually sat and watched the tow truck jack a few cars (and trucks) up and haul them away. That’s always a kick in the ass.

Then Comes The Mud Fail

It wasn’t until last night that I saw video footage on the news from Austin City Limits. They showed how bad Zilker Park’s lawn was and how the new grass was transformed into a mud fest. Not only did they show people running and sliding in the mud, but they showed tons of people covering their faces in it. Not exactly something I enjoy doing.

Especially after reading this exact sentence from Austin360.com:

“Based on the mud’s distinctive low-tide odor, most of what surfaced seemed to be Dillo Dirt, the compost made by the City of Austin from yard trimmings collected curbside as well as some treated sewage sludge.”

Wait, what was that again? Sewage sludge? Mmm. To make thing’s better, someone left a comment on that article saying that a lot of people were getting a rash from the mud. Nice.

I definitely didn’t miss out on that one.

A Long Weekend Of Working (aka Fun)

Instead of hitting up ACL, I bounced around to various coffee shops and drank about 8 cups of coffee on Saturday and Sunday. I started working on a few new projects with my new business partner. One of them happens to be a new blog that’s part of a case study we’re doing, but you’ll have to wait to hear more about it.

Other than that, it was a pretty quiet weekend. It was a slow weekend for football since Texas had a bye and the Packers play tonight. Lets go Pack (and Favre)!

1st Saturday At Independence Brewing Company

Justin Wright — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:53:12 +0000

On the first Saturday of each month, the Independence Brewing Company offers a free brewery tour and beer tasting event here in Austin. Once I found out about this, I had to go check it out for myself. Who can turn down free beer?

When And Where?

The event takes place on the first Saturday of each month at 3913 Todd Lane here in Austin. The entrance is open from 1:00 – 2:00 PM and the brewery stays open until 3 PM. The event is free to enter and you get three samples of their beer. However, they do sell merchandise at the entrance and it is worthwhile to purchase a pint glass.

Why you ask? If you purchase a pint glass, you get three pint glasses full of beer for free. If you decide not to get a glass, you only get three small plastic cups worth of beer. Boo!

Make sure to bring cash if you do want to buy one because they don’t accept credit cards and don’t have an ATM.

Be Prepared To Stand In Line

If you don’t enjoy standing in lines, you’ll hate this place. Not only do you have to stand in line to get in, you’ll also have to stand in line each time you want to fill up your glass. Here’s what the line looks like to get your free sample of beer:

It takes a hell of a long time to get a beer but it’s hard to complain considering they’re free!

What To Bring

Another thing I recommend is bringing a chair. The place was a lot different than I was expecting. You’re literally hanging out in the parking lot and there aren’t many places to sit. They do have an inside tasting room but it fills up pretty quickly as you can see here:

You can also bring your own food, water, and soda which is nice. I saw a lot of people eating subs from Subway and I was pretty jealous. Bringing a pizza wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Another cool thing is the fact that the outdoor section is dog friendly. If you’re dog can handle crowds then you can bring them with. Just remember that they are not allowed inside the brewery.

Brewery Tour

Besides offering beer tasting, they also have a few brewery tours where you can see where the beer is made. I ended up doing it since I was curious to see what it was all about. Here’s a few photos from the tour:

The tour isn’t very long but it is fun to see how beer is made. It’s pretty amazing how the process works and how delicious the end product is.

Worth A Visit

If you’re in Austin, I recommend checking out 1st Saturday. It’s not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon, especially if the weather is nice. As far as beer goes, I HIGHLY recommend trying their Bootlegger Brown Ale. It’s one of my top 5 favorite beers.

Texas Capitol Tour

Justin Wright — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:30:19 +0000

A few days ago, my girlfriend and I decided to take a walk to the Texas capitol building here in Austin. We’ve walked by it a few times but have never gone up close to it or inside to see what it looks like. So we decided to go in and check it out.

Outside The Capitol

The Capitol is an awesome looking building that really makes the Austin skyline. It reminds me a lot of Washington DC as well as Madison, Wisconsin. The top of the building looks the same, regardless of what side you are looking at.

Here’s a few pictures of the outside of the building:

Inside The Capitol

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we went in the capitol. I envisioned something fancy and old and that’s exactly what it was. The first thing you see are a few pictures of the latest governors of the state of Texas.

The really weird thing is when you start to see the pictures of the old Texas presidents. I never learned much about Texas in school and it was almost surprising to see that the Republic of Texas used to have it’s own president before joining the United States. Very interesting…

The most amazing thing about the inside of the building is when you walk under the main part of the building and look up at the ceiling. It’s got a star on the ceiling that says Texas around it. Here’s a few pictures looking up at the ceiling:

Another cool thing was taking the elevator up to the top floor and looking down. It’s a lot further up than I anticipated. Take a look at this photo looking straight down at the ground floor:

If you ever visit Austin, I would recommend checking out the capitol building. Not only is it free, but it only takes a few minutes to go in and check it out. Plus it’s located downtown so it’s close to everything.

Check out a few more pictures in the Texas Capitol Building gallery.

Austin Hot Sauce Festival

Justin Wright — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:10:36 +0000

(Photo Credit: basykes)

Yesterday I went and checked out the 19th annual Austin Hot Sauce Festival. It was held at Waterloo Park, which is located downtown. As it turns out, it originally started as a contest between Austin and San Antonio for the best hot sauce.

The event was free to the public and all they asked was that you either brought 3 cans of food or made a cash donation to the Capital Area Food Bank. It normally brings in around 15,000 people which is pretty good turnout.

Here’s a picture heading in to the festival:

The Hot Sauce

There was supposedly more than 350 different types of hot sauce at the event which is pretty amazing. It’s hard to believe there are that many different kinds.

What’s even more crazy is the fact that over 100 gallons of hot sauce are consumed every year at the event. That’s a hell of a lot of hot sauce!

Unfortunately, I didn’t try any hot sauces other than the ones they had at the Santa Rita food stand. The lines were just way to long and I wasn’t ready to stand in line for an hour without any shade. It was hot as hell out there.

The Music

The event also featured live music all day. Some of the bands included The Tiny Tin Hearts and The Fireants. Listening to some music wasn’t a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Especially since there wasn’t a cloud in the sky (sort of a bad thing).

Overall, it was a fun time checking out the festival. It’s always nice to see events helping out charities and food banks. For more pictures, check out my Austin Hot Sauce Festival photo album.

A Look At The 2010 Ford Taurus

Justin Wright — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:05:05 +0000

If you missed by post a few days ago, I talked about a Ford Tweetup that I co-hosted last night. Ford had a few people from their social media team there as well as the 2010 Ford Taurus.

I must say, it’s one heck of an improvement over the Ford Taurus I remember. I remember the one that looked like a turtle on the outside. Here’s my review of the new 2010 Ford Taurus:

The Exterior

The first thing I noticed was the look of the Ford Taurus. It’s so much different than I was anticipating. It sort of looks like a cross between a Lexus and an Infiniti. Here’s a few shots I took of the exterior:

As you can see, it’s a pretty sweet looking car. Especially since it’s a full-size car instead of a sport compact. If I were looking to get a full-size car, I’d actually consider the Taurus (the SHO model that is).

The Interior

The other thing that really surprised me was the interior of the Taurus. I’ve always considered American made cars to be rather plain and boring on the inside. Which is the main reason why I’ve always liked import cars. I remember riding in a mid 90′s Mustang and the interior reminded me of a Ford Ranger.

Luckily, Ford has done a complete overhaul on the Taurus. This car was equipped with everything from leather seats to a Sony sound system. Plus it has a ton of new features like key-less entry and start, Microsoft sync, and a bunch of other stuff I didn’t have time to fool around with. It even has hand shifters on the steering wheel if you like shifting the car.

Here’s a few pictures of the interior:

As you can see, the interior is pretty slick for a full-size American made car. It looks more like a Corvette than a Taurus.

Test Drive

Besides looking at it, I also had the opportunity to take the Taurus for a spin and see how it felt on the road. It took a while to get used to it since I’m not used to driving, especially a full-size vehicle. But once I got going I loved how it felt and I couldn’t believe how quiet it was on the inside.

It has some cool features such as a radar system, which automatically adjusts your cruise control speed if it detects a vehicle nearby. It also has lights on the mirrors that let you know when it’s safe to merge lanes. Very cool.

The model I drove was the SEL, so it wasn’t super quick. But I’d love to drive the SHO model (Twin-Turbo) sometime to see how that thing goes. It looks pretty quick in the videos I watched.

Awesome Event

Overall, it was a great event and I had a lot of fun checking out the new car and learning more about how Ford is using social media. It’s really interesting to see how different companies are using social media to target their potential customers.

For more pictures from the event, check out the 2010 Ford Taurus gallery.

Ford Taurus Tweetup This Sunday

Justin Wright — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:36:18 +0000

Hey everyone, I just wanted make a quick note about an event I am co-hosting this Sunday. Ford is bringing the new 2010 Ford Taurus to Austin to let us check it out.

Here’s a quick summary of the event from the Facebook Page:

Join Mike Crowley, Ford’s marketing manager for cars and crossovers, and the 2010 Ford Taurus at Opal Divine’s for a fun meet up.

Mike will be joined by our blogger co-hosts and the 2010 Taurus and will be available to answer questions about the 2010 Taurus and Ford and take you for a test drive.

There was also a Beer and Blog Austin meetup scheduled for this Sunday, so I decided it would work best to merge them together.

Here’s the details for the event:

When: Sunday, August 2nd at 5:30 PM

Where: Opal Divines on 6th Street

RSVP: Click Here

Opal’s will be having some food and drink specials and they also have free wifi.

So if you love Twitter or blogging, I highly recommend checking it out! It’s going to be a great time.

Update: The hashtag for the event will be #fordtaurus.

Austin Skyline in HDR

Justin Wright — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:09:12 +0000

The other day, I spent some time wandering around taking pictures of the Austin skyline. I actually remembered to bring my remote and tripod this time so I took some photos and merged them into HDR (high dynamic range) shots.

Here’s how they came out.

Austin Skyline – Best Shot

This was my favorite one of the group. The colors came out perfectly and merged together really nicely. It looks a lot better in the larger picture so click on the picture to see the full size one.

Austin Skyline – Take Two

Here’s another one similiar to the first one. Only difference is the sky is a tad more blue and it was taken from a different location.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

This photo was taken from the park where you can see the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue. I love the angle with the skyline in the background. I was having troubles getting the face of the statue to show up but it actually came out better than I anticipated.

Stevie Ray – Take Two

Of all the photos, this one turned out the worst. The blues pretty much overtook the photo but I really liked this angle. I wanted to get the face of the statue but the way the sun was shining made it pretty much impossible.

Overall, the photos turned out pretty cool. I plan on taking some more photos from downtown and seeing how they turn out in HDR. So expect to see another post sometime in the next week or so.

Sunday Brunch in Austin

Justin Wright — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:28:23 +0000

Since last night was a rough night in the drinking department, my girlfriend and I decided to hit up an Austin brunch this morning. Luckily, we live right down the road from Threadgills, which happens to be one of the coolest restaurants/bars I’ve ever been to.

They have live music outside most weekends and serve delicious southern cooked food. Every Sunday, they have a brunch buffet from 10 am – 1pm and it’s delicious.

Here’s my review of the brunch and why I recommend giving it a shot:

The Music

The coolest part about the brunch is they always have live gospel music playing inside. Nothing beats overeating and listening to live music on a Sunday morning. This was my second time eating the brunch and I can honestly say the music has kicked ass both times.

Once you give this brunch a try, you’ll start wondering why every brunch doesn’t feature live music.

The Food

Now it’s time to talk about the food. The easiest way to summarize their food is by saying it’s delicious. Here’s a snapshot of my first plate full of food:

The french toast is amazing, as well as the bacon. Besides what you see on my plate, you can also expect to see:

Pancakes
Potatoes
Fresh Fruit
A Full Omelet Bar
Much More!

Just when I thought the french toast was my favorite part of meal, I noticed they had sweet potato pancakes. I have never heard of these nor have I seem them before. I decided I had to give them a try and see what they are all about.

Well it turns out they are fantastic. They make them with some cinnamon which gives them a french toast meets pancake taste. Here’s what they look like:

I highly recommend giving the pancakes a try if you check out this brunch. You can blame it on me if you hate them.

Highly Recommend It

So if you’re in Austin and want to hit up a Sunday brunch, I highly recommend checking out Threadgills. It’s a great place to stuff yourself silly, listen to music, and have a great time.

Plus it’s not to expensive considering you’re eating two meals at the same time.

So Long Texas Shaped Pool

Justin Wright — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:20:35 +0000

While living in Phoenix, I looked up our apartment complex here in Austin to get a good idea of where it was. To my surprise, I came across this in Google Maps:

Not sure what you are looking at? It’s a kickass pool shaped like the state of Texas. I was jacked to see this thing. So I spent some time on Google and came across this post titled State-shaped Swimming Pools. It turns out their are a total of 6 (soon to be 5) pools shaped like the state of Texas.

The Sad News

Unfortunately, we arrived here in Austin only to see the Texas shaped pool covered up with a trampoline style pool cover. I was heart broken. I could tell by the leaves and dirt accumulating on the cover that the pool has not been used in years.

My only guess at the time was that they only use it in the summer and that they hadn’t filled it yet. So I patiently waited in hopes that one day I would come outside to a Texas shaped pool full of water.

A month went by and still nothing happened. I stopped thinking about it and figured I would just give up on the idea of swimming in it.

And then something happened…

The Even Sadder News

A dump truck showed up full of broken of concrete. Next thing I knew, they were dumping it in the pool and smashing it down. It appears they are filling it completely and shattering my dream of swimming in it.

Here’s a few photos of what the pool currently looks like:

It’s sad to see something unique like this disappear but I guess that’s to be expected. My guess is that it was cheaper to fill it than repair it to the point that it could be used again.

Looks like I’ll have to go find one of the other 5 pools shaped like Texas…