The Fatties Come Out At Night

My roommates and I have started this new routine in an effort to get off our lazy bums. On some nights we go out and take a walk after dinner. One night we noticed a moon light tower on 22nd & Nueces. Later I came back and googled “moonlight towers austin” and realized that they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally the city of Austin had 31, but now they are down to 17. They are even used to light the huge tree at Trail of Lights in Zilker Park. We found a list of the other standing towers and bought some ice cream ( I know, I know counter-active to being healthy but you can substitute the ice cream for yogurt) and headed to two others in downtown. So for a relaxing outdoor activity check out the moonlight towers for only the cost of the snack of your choice!

Wetsuit is a go

I got to test out my friends’ wetsuit this weekend. It worked out amazingly! The water was 59 at the north end of Lake Austin and I could barely hold the tow cable after a few minutes. However, with the wet suit, I was able to straight “do work”.

It also covered my farmer’s tan which is a good thing to do when you’re trying to impress someone. Can I get someone to back me up here?

I’ve found the endless wave!

OK I discovered something new this weekend out on the lake. Wakesurfing. You have a small board that’s about the size of a wakeboard, but it’s shaped like small surfboard. Small as in 50 inches. Anyway, you fill up the ballasts on one side of the boat and cruise at about 10 mph which creates this 3 foot wake. It’s identical to a wave that’s about to crash so you are able to ride it without a tow cable. My friend rode if for 5 minutes then hopped back in while we were still going…I PROMISE. I had to tow into the wake but it is extremely easy. On top of that, the best part of this is that it’s a really chill way to wake on the lake. No bindings, no messy wipeouts, just falling in and out of a perpetual wave.

Camping at Pace Bend

Pace Bend, a state park 30 minutes west of Austin, attracts hikers and bikers alike, and is a particularly good spot for campers.   It’s an isolated, natural beauty on Lake Travis, yet still close enough to the city to hold a convenient weekend camping adventure.  A day permit is $8.00 per vehicle, and a primitive camping permit is $15.00 a vehicle.  But for those who aren’t attuned to nature and roughing it out, there are improved camping sites available with extra amenities for just 5 bucks more than the primitive camping site.  Many also come to Pace Bend for fishing, swimming, mountain biking and horseback riding.

http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/pace_bend.asp

Wine Bar on the Drag

A wine bar on the drag? Whaaa? I had never heard of such an establishment. I had to check it out.

Located to the right of the muscular arm curling a barbell which emerges from the front of the Hyde Park Gym, Vino Vino has been the hot spot for 35-year-old guys seeking to reclaim a taste of their youth, as well as gaggles of cookie-cutter sorori-blahnds since October 2006.

As I entered the place, energetic chatter mingled with music of what sounded like some local Austin artist. Seventy black wire racks of wine decorated the walls across from huge burnt-sienna-framed mirrors which created the illusion of a larger space. It was pretty cosy in there. I sat down and checked out the menu.

I paid seven dollars for a glass of an 18-dollar bottle of Birago Elio Perrone. A pretty standard rate for a decent sip of grape, I concede. I had never heard of it. But the description started with “oh, my…”

As I noticed the pearl snaps on his yee-haw shirt, Bartender Josh, also Wine Director at Fino, obsessively wiped out all the streaks from the wine glasses. Putting on a show about cleanliness standards for the woman with the reporter’s notebook?  I hope not.

He says in May or June, Vino Vino will host a free tasting of 25-50 wines in the parking lot they share with the gym dubbed “Pink Fest.” The date is not set in stone yet.

I didn’t see any expensive or rare vintages on their wine list. Maybe you have to ask for those? *shrug*

Vino Vino doesn’t give students a discount. However, the friendly bartenders and chatty patrons leave me with the feeling that I’d return to the place. Wine Not?

Visit gooutside.wordpress.com next Friday to read the next adventure in the weekly blog series, V’s Grapevine.

Lovely Bed and Breakfast

So if you’re a student living below the poverty level (like me), you might not have the cash to leave the country, or even the county. Rest assured, there is still plenty to do, as my fellow ‘outsiders’ have shown in their posts. Here is another stellar example of something special to do just half an hours drive outside Austin. When I was in high school I worked for a catering company and drove out to The Winfield Inn in Kyle, Texas to work at a wedding. The gorgeous property really made an impression on me. The long driveway leads to a classic, stately house with an extra-large wrap-around porch. The house is settled on 27 acres of Texas Hill Country and woods complete with hammocks, swimming and fishing. There is also on site catering using mostly organic products and massage service in some of the rooms! A full breakfast is also provided per day, which helps save money on a long weekend. At $120 to $170 a night, The Winfield isn’t the cheapest stay, but it’s perfect for special events, birthdays, anniversaries etc. Very occasionally, even lowly students want to treat themselves…

For more information, visit: http://www.thewinfieldinn.com/Bed_and_Breakfast.html

Tweedly deedly deet

We tweeted about outside activities on the west mall of UT Austin today. Here are the pix and video I took with my phone which accompany my tweets.

tweet: tweet:

BRAIN!

Perfect camping weather

It is perfect camping weather outside!!! In between Austin and Fredericksburg is Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, an awesome camping and hiking ground. You can go for a day and just have a picnic and hike up the huge, pink granite exfoliation dome, that rises 425 feet above ground, or take a tent and stay a few nights. I got away from the city for a night, pitched my tent in spot #6 and just sat back in my lawn chair wishing upon falling stars. Okay, so maybe not so “magical,” but it was a lot of fun.

For the adventurers, hiking up Enchanted Rock was, I admit, pretty tough. You can definitely do it, but you might have to take a few breaks hiking up. The view however, is absolutely amazing and makes you “forget about your problems,” at least for a little while. I most definitely recommend going for something fun and active. Only $6 for a day pass, and the big dome behind me in the pictures is it! Also, I hear there is a cave at the top…but I was too scared to go in…take a flashlight!

I’m jealous of wetsuits

Water temperatures at Lake Travis/Austin are a remarkable 64 degrees. Well, that’s not too remarkable, but still it’s cold enough to cause some significant shrinkage. I’ve been contemplating buying a wetsuit. They are only a couple hundred buck and they allow you to get out more. However, the best benefit is how they make you look. They cover up everything from a nonexistent six-pack to unsightly hair on your back. Also, wetsuits make the statement, “Hey, I’m doing things.” I mean you can’t go wrong with a wetsuit. So, they keep you more comfortable, make you look hot, and give you the image of an adventurer. Think about it.

The Hardest Part Was Getting Out

Barton Springs Pool has free admission from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. My roommate and I decided to check out the pool scene and see if people actually take advantage of this offer. We counted about 9 people, which was typical for the time of year according to Darrin the admissions guy who works there. He says it’s incredibly packed from open to close during the summer though. The day before we went it rained so we were warned to swim at our own risk. It was also 49 degrees Fahrenheit which made the 63 degree water all the more enticing. In fact, the best part of the trip was being in the water itself and swimming with the fake mallards.