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The Blue Hole Swimming Area
As Austinites head into a long Labor Day weekend—in which we honor the contributions of American workers by taking a much-needed Monday off work—typical celebrations may be a bit stymied by social distancing and rules against large gatherings.
But even though that big annual barbecue or Sunday night bash (because in Austin, that's probably a Thing) may not be going on as planned, there are plenty of fun, safe ways to spend time getting some fresh air and relaxation during this holiday.
With the weather forecast calling for scattered rain and mild(ish) temps ranging from the 70s to the mid-90s, it's a great time to get outside and have some fun on your extra day off.
Here are some of our favorite ideas.
Drive-in movies
Enjoy a flashback to simpler times with a drive-in movie at Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In, which is featuring a "Labor Daze" lineup of two '80s favorites: Ferris Beuller's Day Off and The Princess Bride.
Located in the Mueller neighborhood, Blue Starlite offers a socially distanced way to get out of the house and watch some classics with your favorite passengers. Be a righteous dude and take in a flick as you wish—under the stars.
From the city's website: "A mini version of traditional auto cinemas, Blue Starlite often features two films per night, with the option to add a vintage drive-in speaker and old-fashioned concessions to the package. The Blue Starlite is Austin's one and only Drive-In Movie theater."
Patio time
(Charlie L. Harper III)
Hit up one of Austin's stellar patio dining areas for some al fresco drinks and noshes, with no need to rush back to work, head home early or worry about hangovers.
Do some people-watching at Graj Mahal, take in the Lake Austin vista and some Polynesian Tex-Mex at Hula Hut or hang out on the rooftop of 77 Degrees at the Domain, where this rooftop oasis in Rock Rose section of the Domain, offering exotic cocktails, small plates, cushy seating, fans with misters and views of the action below.
Hit the trail
3. We're a great city for bikes
(The City of Austin)
Take a long bike ride, or a long stroll, on the Walnut Creek Trail System, with more than 10 miles of car-free, stress-free, tree-lined trails stretching from North Austin through downtown. Monday promises sunshine, and the paved trail has plenty of room for social distancing. So get on your bike and ride!
Watch the bats
Mexican free-tail bats in the Austin skyline
live.staticflickr.comCheck out the world's largest urban bat colony on the Congress Avenue bridge at sunset, as we are right in the middle of the best season for watching the city's 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats pour out into the evening to find food.
The spectacular sight never gets old, attracting visitors to the bridge and to kayaks and tubes on Ladybird Lake below. Don't forget to bring your mask and social distance if you're watching it from Congress, but you can also find gorgeous and secluded viewing spots from anywhere along the banks of the lake—or from the boardwalk.
Reserve a spot in the cool waters of Blue Hole
The Blue Hole Swimming Area
The City of Wimberley
About 45 minutes south of Austin near Wimberley, you'll find the cool relaxation of the Blue Hole, located just outside of Wimberley. The 126-acre park includes 4.5 miles of trails, picnic areas, a community pavilion, playscape, basketball court, sand volleyball court, amphitheater and the shady Blue Hole Swimming Area, which stays 75 degrees all year round. Reservations are required for swimming, so make your reservation online here.
Take a Black Austin tour
Take a deep dive in Austin history with a Black Austin tour, developed by Native Austinite and PhD student Javier Wallace, whose roots in Austin go back some 200 years.
From Wallace's post on the city's website: "Black Austin Tours ensures that Black histories, experiences and contributions are included in Austin's story. Black Austin Tours Founder and Guide, Javier Wallace, provides both in-person and virtual experiences that tell the hard truths, including those about some of our most visited places like Barton Springs, Zilker Park and the Texas State Capitol Building. He does this to hold the city accountable and ensure that visitors have a better understanding of the city and the sites and spaces they are visiting while here."
Build a board game
The Academy of Games
Don't feel like sweating and want to learn something new? Start learning how to build a board game with a free introductory session at The Academy of Games. Fun for kids and adults, these two-hour sessions can last for one intro or several weeks - your call!
From the website: "Designing a game is a launching pad for countless other skills, and a great way to develop socially. Things that would be frustrating or boring become interesting and engaging when they are part of a game you play with others."
Wait - a break from the frustrating and boring? Sign us up!
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Popular
Austinites were the second happiest with the downtown area in the latest study with 15 markets. (CC)
After studying 7,500 people in 15 global markets, including Austin, Gensler found that life in COVID has pushed city-dwellers to want more outdoor activities, social spaces and entertainment venues in bustling business districts.
Post-pandemic, the highest-rated downtown activities were shopping, visiting parks and just “hanging out.” The need for more public spaces like parks jumped from sixth on the list to second this year.
Although globally people view downtown as a business district for task-based activities, across the U.S., downtown districts are viewed more as a vehicle for entertainment. This is especially true for Austinites, where people surveyed said they would rather see more entertainment and cultural venues than shopping or public transit downtown.
(Gensler)
For Melanie Gartman, a manager at construction software company Levelset who has been living in Austin for most of her life, the needs and wants of the average resident closely align with her own.
Austin clocked in second-most desirable downtown, tied with Charlotte, North Carolina. Like the 78% of Austinites in the survey, Gartman said she thinks Downtown Austin is hanging on to its lovable charm.
“Even now with fewer people out and about it's still very vibrant and lively. I feel like I saw life come back to downtown a lot sooner than I expected it to,” Gartman said. “It's still holding on a bit that Austin vibe and with the high rises coming in, it's scary that we could lose that. I think it's holding on better than I would have expected, especially within the last two years of everything that happened.”
As Austinites eased back into downtown, the first stop Gartman made was to go see music again. Since venues opened back up, Gartman and her loved ones have seen live music at their favorite venues: Moody Amphitheatre, Mohawk, The Parish and Empire Control Room.
Blackillac opened for Gary Clark Jr. at the Moody Amphitheater's first show back in August. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
Entertainment is most important for Gartman’s life in Austin—seeing Gary Clark Jr. in August brought normalcy back into her routine—and said our local downtown is the ideal out of other cities in Texas.
“I've always noticed that between Houston’s downtown and Austin’s, Houston's is so Monday to Friday, eight to five, maybe a post-work happy hour,” Gartman said. “Growing up, downtown (Austin) was always the place to go. It has always been the hub and I think Austin is unique in that way.”
Traffic in downtown areas is way down overall, even though concern over pandemic safety has taken a backseat. Shopping traffic has decreased by 28%, dining out and entertainment attendance dropped by 33% in the post-pandemic sphere.
Even though her office is located downtown, Gartman usually works from home. Her downtown visits tend to be for the purpose of entertainment and she said the lack of parking sometimes becomes problematic.
“I feel like all these high rises are taking over all the parking,” Gartman said. “It used to be for go-to parking, I would just park under I-35. No big deal. But now, that’s kind of scary, especially if you're by yourself. The party parking is a barrier to actually making it down there.”
But with the rise of the hybrid work model, it’s likely that the downtown sphere is going to change all across the U.S. For now, survey participants said they would like to see their downtown reduce traffic, add more green space, improve the cityscape and increase parking capacity as we shape the future of cities.
