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(Insectsunlocked/CC)
Spring has sprung, and it's time to get out and enjoy Texas' most famous flower: the bluebonnet. Getting your photos with Central Texas' beloved bluebonnets, also known as Buffalo Clovers and Wolf Flowers, is one of those golden activities that even COVID-19 can't touch.
These blooming beauties are so loved by Texans we made them the state flower, but they only last from mid-March to mid-April. The countdown is ticking, so get out and see them while you still can. Here are some of the most picture-perfect places to pose in and around Austin.
Best Scenery: Capitol of Texas Highway
(sbmeaper1/CC)
It may be one of the most popular spots for photos in Texas, but the bluebonnets will give you the excuse to post all the 360 bridge photos your heart desires. Nestled in the heart of the rolling Hill Country, this area is the perfect blend of city and countryside to give you that "outdoorsy" look, and the location's height and range will also give you stunning depth of field while you shoot. Don't forget to take in the views while you're there, even if you've seen them 100 times before.
Best backdrop: Lady Bird Lake
Getting your photos in front of the skyline and surrounded by the state flower is about as Austin as it gets, and a true Austinite will take every chance they can get to spend the day at Lady Bird Lake. With a long trail to walk along, there are angles galore to explore. This spot juxtaposes flourishing nature with the big, bustling city at once-showcasing Austin's versatility. When you're done snapping, you can hop in the lake to escape that blistering heat.
Most secluded: Old Settlers Park
You'll have to get out of town for this photo spot, but it will be worth it. With patches of bluebonnets across the sprawling greenery, making the drive out to Old Settlers Park is a great way to make an event of the annual growth. Grab your loved ones and furry friends for a picnic and spend the day in the sun. Your final photos will reflect the fun and you'll thank yourself for it!
Most variety: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the bluebonnets are in full bloom and share the spotlight with myriad other wildflowers and native trees of Texas. Get your yearly bluebonnet photos captured while enjoying all the beautiful flowers that the workers at the center maintain year-round. This spot will give you more variety in your photos and you might learn something as well while you're there.
Most Texan: Texas Capitol
Want everyone to know you're from Texas? Head to the Texas Capitol building's massive lawn and send the message that you love the Lone Star State to everyone on your friend list. The historic dome, luscious surrounding trees, statues and architecture will add an interesting element to your snaps instead of just posing in a field. As a bonus, head over in the early morning while the dew still glistens on the grass or during golden hour for the best effects.
What are you waiting for? The bluebonnets only stick around for a little while!
Popular
Miami and Austin are going head-to-head for tech transplants. (Pexels)
California expats and industry experts say Austin remains the bigger draw for Californians, especially those in the tech sector, but warn that this advantage could shift to Miami if the city doesn't address the policy challenges that prompted the migration in the first place: housing affordability.
"If Austin doesn't accommodate this influx, I think all the talent will come to Miami," said Peter Yared, a tech entrepreneur who moved to Miami from San Francisco in September. "I think Miami's going to be the one that sucks it all up."
Push factors
Both Texas and Florida promise business-friendly state tax policies, and their governors tout the relocations of companies such as Tesla and Oracle from California. But Darien Shanske, a law professor at the University of California Davis whose specialties include taxation, said this is a red herring because corporate taxes are based on where sales occur rather than headquarter locations.
This is not to say other state policies are irrelevant. "The area in which California regulatory policy has been, in my opinion, not a complete failure but problematic … is housing policy," Shanske said. Austin and Miami can offer "not cheap, just cheaper" housing than what is available in Silicon Valley. Plus, both cities are developing a critical mass of talent, which further draws Californians in. "If you're a software engineer, you want to live near other software engineers," he added.
But not every Californian is motivated to move. "San Francisco is a fantastic place to live if you can afford it," said Brandy Aven, a professor of entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business. As a result, it's more common for what she called the labor—engineers, programmers and even company founders—to relocate to cities such as Austin and Miami than the monied venture capitalists. Burgeoning tech cities may find that they need to develop homegrown investor networks to support local ventures in the absence of Californian transplants, but she believes this is doable.
Pull factors
Paul O'Brien, CEO of the Austin-based MediaTech Ventures and a startup veteran, moved to Austin from California in 2009, during the Great Recession. "I'm a firm believer that the world has been seeking an alternative to Silicon Valley for a long time," he said, pointing to Austin as the natural heir for myriad reasons.
Austin has regional appeal as the epicenter of three of the country's largest cities—Houston, Dallas and San Antonio—and their respective industry niches. Tech entrepreneurs could cater to the local consumer goods industry or Houston's oil and gas sector. Plus the city has cultural appeal, thanks to the Red River District and South by Southwest, which made it attractive to job seekers. "The whole reason everyone moved to Silicon Valley is opportunity," O'Brien said. "The whole reason people are now looking beyond Silicon Valley to somewhere else is opportunity."
It's less clear what Miami's key industries are, O'Brien said, but the city offers other selling points, including the mayor's buy-in and "a tremendous depth of wealth" to support a technology and startup ecosystem.
Although Yared didn't consider moving to Austin, he is aware of its appeal to engineers, especially now that their hero, Elon Musk, has moved there, shunning California. "Austin has a lock on tech," he said, but Miami draws a different crowd, including financiers from New York. This parallel migration, coupled with the city's more outwardly pro-growth building policies, gives him hope that Miami could supplant Austin in the coming years. "In the end, communities get to choose what they want," he said.
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