Cool Houses Austin » Fun Things to see in Austin

ACL Festival 2009

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:01:58 +0000

ACL Music Festival Zilker Park Outdoor Marquee

Calling All Music Fans! It’s ACL Festival time again! October 2-4, 2009, will bring 65,000 music fans a day to beautiful 350 acre Zilker Park located at 2100 Barton Springs Rd. near downtown Austin. The festival also is projected to inject some $30 million into the city’s economy! Who says music doesn’t pay? Austin City Limits Music Festival has gone from a small mostly Austin musicians festival in its inaugural debut in 2002 to one of the nation’s top music events which sells out ticket capacity months in advance. What a line-up is in store for 2009 lucky ticket holders! This year fans will have 8 stages and 130 acts to choose from including well-known headliners like Dave Mathews, Pearl Jam, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Levon Helm, Ghostland Observatory, Mos Def, and many more! Tickets sold out in August, but a few one day passes can still be had on places like Craig’s List . For a complete list of headliners for this year’s festival, click on the following link, Austin City Limits. If you are just visiting, then enjoy our beautiful city while you are here and call us if you would like to know more about the city or need a list of current properties for sale or rent in Austin! Vicki E. Phillips, Real Estate Broker/Owner of Cool Houses Austin@ 512-665-7778 for more info! We rent apartments, too! Ask us about the new move-in specials!

Dick Nichols Park Austin, Tx.

admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:06:42 +0000

If you are thinking of living in Southwest Austin, do yourself a favor and check out this beautiful park where you can hike and bike on a well-kept 2 mile trail, play tennis, basketball, volleyball with a sand-pit, take the kids to the elaborate playground, and even swim in an outdoor heated pool year-round! The pool is free in the summer and has a $1 entry fee for children and seniors in the fall, winter, and spring. Regular winter adult admission to the pool is a nominal $2.00. What a bargain! There are also large reservable areas for large groups and parties. Dogs on leash are welcome in the park as well, so bring your furry companions for a run!

Hike and Bike Trail Dick Nichols Park winds through delightful oaks and cedars. A truly delightful park for southwest Austin residents to enjoy! Come out and play!

The photos below show the incredible size of the pool with its many lap lanes and for those who prefer a more leisurely pace, there is a huge open swim area that is reserved for those who prefer to do water aerobics or perhaps swim with their children. Both sides of the pool are heated in the winter swim season (October through May).

Dick Nichols Park is located at 8011 Beckett between Convict Hill and Davis Lane. From Mopac, take William Cannon West to Beckett and go (left) South on Beckett.

Dick Nichols Pool

A gorgeous fall day at Dick Nichols Pool

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

admin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:09:12 +0000

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center is a native plant botanical garden located in Southwest Austin just off Loop 1. With its incredible array of native plants, water features including an aquaduct and viewing tower, it truly is a delightful treasure for Austin! And don’t forget to check out its art gallery to see what is currently on display. Until October 4 you will find the wonderful, magical origami of Joan Son. Some of her images are below. What a joy to behold an 8 ft. kimono made out of 900 pieces of paper!

And for you gardening buffs, be sure and mark your calendars for October 9-11. It is the center’s Fall Plant Sale & Gardening Festival! Sure to be a hit!

Earth Robe by Joan Son

Old Pecan Street Festival 2009

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:17:05 +0000

The Old Pecan Street Festival is celebrating its 31st year downtown on 6th Street. Great art (250 exibitions), local handcrafts, festival food, and over 80 acts on five stages to take in all in two days! Whew! There will be plenty of fun to be had for the kids, too. From a petting zoo to pony rides to flying high on the huge jumper areas, and at the last festival, there was even a climbing wall erected on the street! Just goes to show that the kids are way more adventurous than some of us attending the festival! Some of our favorites from the last festival: McClintock Photographics and the whimsical and fun folk art of Wayne Ayers. We also love the gorgeous watercolor originals by Patrick Sullivan who does wonderful portraits as well. We love art here in Austin! Don’t worry if you missed the Spring Festival. The next Old Pecan Street Festival will be September 26-27th of 2009. See their website for more info. And remember, if you want more information on living and playing in Austin or the surrounding Hill Country, just drop us an email or better yet, call us at 512-665-7778. Enjoy the slide show and the music of Austin’s own (and my favorite Latino band) Del Castillo from their same titled CD just released in 2009.

old-pecan-festival-20091

Austin Museum Day

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:07:52 +0000

Every year the city of Austin hosts a free day to attend any and all 28 of its wonderful museums. Sunday, September 20, 2009, is the day this year! So, if you are visiting our lovely city or a local, get on out and enjoy some of these great museums. Our favorites this year to visit: The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center at 4801 LaCrosse Ave. (just off South Loop 1 past Davis Ln.), The Texas Music Museum at 1009 E. 11 Street, and the Austin Museum of Art at 823 Congress. Both are having special events all day for this free event. For a complete list, click on the following link: Austin Museums. Have a wonderful time, take the kids, take yourself! It is a treasure that the city of Austin wants to share with you and your family!

Gruene Market Days

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:21:33 +0000

Have you visited historic Gruene, Tx. lately? Do you love antiques and collectibles and hidden little towns that just take your breath away? Well, if you haven’t been to this charming little hill country town located on the beautiful Guadalupe River, hop in the car for a trip back in time to this delightful litte gem located just 30 minutes north of San Antonio and about an hour south from Austin. Gruene Market Days are held on the 3rd full weekend of each month February – November from 10-5pm. Not only will you find beautiful outdoor plants and homemade jams and jellies to delight, but also wonderful local artisans displaying their art for sale. And if that isn’t enough, you can explore the shops that line the streets and eat at some of the wonderful award winning restaurants like The River House Tea Room which in my opinion is one of the best restaurants in Central Texas! Gruene also has delightful little shops lining both sides of main street. What a wonderful place to shop for those unique gifts that are sure to surprise and delight the lucky recipients. And just think, you are supporting someone’s dreams when you purchase something he or she has created with their heart and hands. And if you wander over to Gruene Hall which boasts the proud moniker of “ Oldest Dance Hall in Texas”, you can grab a cold drink and enjoy live music, too! Who knows who will be playing there? You might just be lucky and catch Lyle Lovett! What a great place to spend the day and evening!

Enjoy the slide show and be sure and visit Gruene, Tx on one of our beautiful hill country weekends! [[Show as slideshow]]

Arbor Trails

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:35:28 +0000

Arbor Trails Austin, Tx.

Locatd southwest of the William Cannon exit off Mopac is a delightful hidden jewel for runners, walkers, and bike riders, the Arbor Trails Hike and Bike Trail. With its crushed granite (gentle on our joints), beautiful landscaping, and canopy of oaks and cedars, you forget that you are just a few hundred yards off Mopac and William Cannon. It is also a pet-friendly trail where most owners do clean up after their pets, so that is wonderful as well! There is even a delightful water feature on the backside of the trail (yes, it still has water!) and the sunsets are just gorgeous from this spot. Rest benches are located in several spots along the trail and the loop goes around the Arbor Trails Shops, so you can grab a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants like Chuy’s, Cheddar’s, Dimassi’s Mediterranean Grill, Firehouse Subs, Panda Express, Red Brick Pizza, Smoothie King, etc. which are located inside the hiking trail. You can also shop at Costco and Steinmart or Wine Styles while you are there! So much to offer and right here in our very own Southwest Austin neighborhood. Local subdivisions to check out if you want to be able to just walk to the trail, Western Oaks and Westcreek.

Call us for more info as we walk this trail almost daily!

Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:25:12 +0000

Celebrating its 11th year serving Austin, the award winning Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market is located at 3200 Jones Road, Sunset Valley (just off the 290 W access ramp between Brodie Ln. and Westgate) in the parking lot of the Toney Burger Center. It is open every Saturday morning rain or shine from 9am to 1pm. There is even weekly live music hosted by Jimmy Joe Natoli. Recently voted as one the top 5 farmers markets in the country by Eating Well Magazine, this wonderful market is a jewel in our Austin crown. So if you are searching for the best organic produce, grass-fed meats, fresh cheeses, unhomogenized milk and butter, fabulous fresh mushrooms, look no further this Saturday. The market also features wonderful local artisans for gift shopping and great specialty foods prepared on the spot, so you can enjoy a wonderful breakfast or lunch while you shop! Truly, a delight that we are so fortunate to have right here in Southwest Austin!

Home Depot’s Do-It-Herself Workshops

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:22:17 +0000

Hey want to attend a really cool workshop and learn about how to make your outdoor area a very cool and beautiful oasis this spring and summer? Well, check out the workshops that Home Depot offers to “women- do- it- herselfers! This Thursday night at 7 pm, at Austin area Home Depot stores, they will be teaching about outdoor plants in the Central Texas area, organic gardening, and much more: From their site:

Yard and Garden Maintenance

This month, our FREE Do-It-Herself workshop focuses on your outdoor space. Join women in your community as you learn all the skills you need to unlock your creativity while you grow and maintain a yard that reflects your style.

Workshop Highlights:

Effective watering and fertilizing techniques
Creating colorful accents with containers and baskets
Go organic and grow your own vegetables

Thursday, May 14, 2009 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Austin City Art Festival 2009

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:32:12 +0000

Our lovely city of Austin, proved to be the perfect setting for some very mesmerizing and incredible art from artists selected from all over the country. The Austin City Art Festival 2009 sponsored by the Austin Museum of Art. The festival took place downtown at the 1st Street bridge beside the beautiful Colorado River, and included fine art, live music, and even a wonderful array of food vendors, too. From the gigantic kinetic wind-driven colorful animals of Fredrick Prescott to the delicate handblown glass of Joe Nielander, it was a feast for the eyes and the soul! Local artist extraordinaire, Jay Long, was also on hand to showcase his beautiful owl and cat art…If you haven’t seen his work, you have to check him out! And best of all, if you can’t spring the $12,000 for an original, you can do like Cool Houses Austin and take home one of his signed lithographs for a tiny fraction of the cost of the original! And of course, there was live music because this is the Live Music Capital of the World, but hey, our art shows are pretty phenomenal as well! Check out the slide show and the artists as well…And who knows, you may just end up with one of those life-size sculptures by Fredrick Prescott in your front yard! Click on the link below to see the show!

art-city-austin-2009