What's New About Handcraft Art

I love handcrafted - they add so much personality to your decorations! Until then, Bass Concert Hall (23rd St at Robert Dedman Dr), located on the University of Texas campus, continues to be the venue for Broadway musicals, classical music performances, dance performances, the Ballet Austin, and much more. Regardless of what brings visitors here, there's no question that many of them are curious about what makes this Central Texas city, especially after being ranked second on Money magazine's 2006 list of Top 25 Best Big Cities to Live. And, from May through October, it's the best way to see the bats emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge -- far preferable to huddling with peering crowds on top of the bridge. The red granite State Capitol building is one reason; it's been named one of the Top 10 Texas Attractions for non-Texans and Texans alike. Some good examples of handcrafted Christmas ornaments are cupcakes, gingerbread, Christmas carols, Canning Jars, Crochets and Angel/star ornaments (often placed on top of a Christmas tree). There are several websites available to sell handcrafted Christmas decorations online.

There are many websites online whereby one can find handcrafted wood storage units. These websites include "etsy", "West Elm", "gumtree" and also "eBay". However, the city tends to be more tourist-friendly west of Interstate 35, where most of the bars and restaurants are anyway. Not surprisingly, barbeque is big here -- it is Texas, after all -- but so are vegan and vegetarian food, as well as a number of Mobil Travel Guide-rated Four-Star restaurants and noted chefs. The minute that visitors enter the airport in Austin, Texas, the sound of music fills the air. You'll climb 99 steps to get to the top, but it's a breathtaking panoramic view of the city skyline, Lake Austin, surrounding Hill Country, incredible lakeside homes -- and one of the many reasons University of Texas at Austin students never leave after they graduate. Anytime's a good time to visit Austin, but be forewarned that hotel rooms can be difficult to come by during the month of March (South by Southwest), during UT football home games, and during the Austin City Limits Music Festival (September). One of the largest universities in the country with 50,000 students, UT and its champion Longhorn football and sports teams attract alumni, sports fans, and students from all over the world.

Each year, more than 17 million people visit Austin -- whether for Longhorn football games, for musical events like the famed South by Southwest music industry conference or the Austin City Limits Music Festival, for business, for education, for politics, or for fun. Streets that cross the river are marked North on the north side (like North Lamar). Wink (1014 North Lamar) has a seasonal menu that changes daily and a great intimate wine bar. Austin is a mix of thriving nightlife, college party town, great scenery, tolerant citizens, and celebrity hangout. Before you head out of town, make a stop at the Austin Nature and Science Center (301 Nature Center Dr), a "living nature museum" in Zilker Park that opened in 1960. There's the "Eco-Detective Trail," wildlife exhibits and the incredibly cool Dino Pit exhibit, and an outdoor, hands-on exhibit with six different areas for discovery and exploration. The Sunset Valley Market (in the parking lot of Toney Burger Center in South Austin) is open between 9:30 am to 1:30 pm Saturdays. Congratulate yourself on your many bargains at The Tap Room (129 E Hopkins; about five miles from The Tanger Center) in San Marcos, where you'll find big burgers and 32 beers on tap.

There might not be a major sports team in Austin (though San Antonio's Spurs are just 90 minutes south), but you'd never know it because most people here bleed burnt orange for the Texas Longhorns. The University of Texas at Austin is another reason people come to town. A long, black six-window-sedan was suggested as the car for driving in town. Searching for saboteurs, Mussolini's henchmen entered the engineer's small office (by now situated in Saronno, near Milan, due to the bombardments) and discovered the prohibited plans for a passenger car. This museum on the University of Texas campus includes thousands of volumes of presidential papers, a scale replica of the Oval Office during his presidency, and a First Lady's Gallery devoted to the work of Lady Bird Johnson. The Hill Country Wine & Food Festival, held each April, is the nation's second largest such event (Aspen is the largest), and showcases food and wine with a Texas flair. South by Southwest, one of the nation's largest music industry conferences, draws millions to the city for two weeks each March, and the Austin City Limits Music Festival rocks the city for a weekend each September.