Lone Star struck
PAT WOODING FALLS IN LOVE WITH WEIRD AND WONDERFUL AUSTIN – THE CAPITAL OF TEXAS
MICK JAGGER is a fan of global music powerhouse Austin, Texas, so I decided to rock up there too and get some Satisfaction.
The capital of the Lone Star State is a huge draw for American travellers, with its Tex-Mex cuisine and Southern cowboy charm.
Add to that the Formula 1 track and legendary SXSW Music Festival, all blending easily with the stunning 21st century glass towers of firms such as Google and Indeed.
It even boasts Tesla’s global HQ, and it was buzzing with crypto currency experts heading for a conference while my tour group was there.
Visitors can also enjoy the Lone Star quality of its 250 bars and clubs with daily and nightly performances of everything from jazz and blues to country, rock and hip-hop.
And don’t miss the line dancing. Many venues give on-the-spot lessons. You don’t need a partner – just join in.
So many reasons to visit... and now it’s even easier to get there with new Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow. I was on board the inaugural journey, heading deep into the heart of Texas.
Seats are selling fast and visiting Brits will be helping to Keep Austin Weird – the city’s slogan which you can find on everything from mugs to T-shirts.
Talking of keeping Austin weird – don’t miss the bat signal as the sun sets!
The city has a huge bat population living under its Congress Avenue Bridge and they come out at night looking like the comic book call for the Dark Knight. They live in ‘batcaves’ which were accidentally formed when the bridge was renovated in 1980.
Name-dropping time – Robert Redford learned to swim in the city’s Barton Springs pool as a fiveyear-old. Covering an area the size of two football pitches, it is fed from underground springs and the water maintains an average temperature of about 21C.
Fellow Hollywood A-lister Matthew McConaughey lives in them thar hills and even co-owns Austin FC.
Country icon Willie Nelson, who was born about two hours north in Abbott, lives near Austin. In the city there’s a statue of the legendary musician who wrote Crazy, made famous by Patsy Cline, and Funny How Time Slips Away, covered by Elvis.
While you’re in this sun-baked city make sure you eat at a trailer or bungalow barbecue. But be prepared to queue!
Aaron Franklin’s on 11th Street has become a state institution. It’s so popular that President Barack Obama called in during his visit in 2014.
One of the best taco trucks is Taqueria El Trompo Mayor, or stop off at Rainey Street which boasts renovated 1930s cattle baron bungalows turned into music bars and restaurants.
To get some historical context, we took a guided mini-bus tour (from $39.99, aotoursaustin.com) – there are bike trips too with mikesbikesandtours.com – to see the city founded in 1835 in honour of Stephen Austin, the settler known as the Father of Texas, spotting shacks worth $1million and the array of renowned street art murals.
Top tip: there are great views from the public library and its rooftop terrace.
Be sure to visit the State Capitol building, where tours are free. Built in 1888 and set in a 22-acre park, its dome is nearly 300ft high.
There are portraits of King of the Wild Frontier, Davy Crockett, plus a tableau of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo depicting Jim Bowie, who died alongside Crockett.
After all that sightseeing, chill out in the Sixth Street area, or “Dirty Sixth” as the locals call it, with live music and a drink. Try the Speakeasy off Congress Avenue for dinner and cocktails, or the Broken Spoke honky-tonk where legends such Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson have performed. Mick Jagger paid a secret visit when the Rolling Stones played in Austin last year.
Want to follow in his footsteps?
You’ll be in good company. Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson met us off the inaugural flight and said: “This is the most successful new route we have ever launched. Austin is an amazing place. Bookings for the new route are already 70% full.”
Austin is already planning for an influx of visitors – it’s a great place for stag and hen dos – with 12 new hotels to open by the end of next year, on top of the 16 already newly completed. There’s a range for every budget and they’re all close to the centre of the action.
We stayed at the four-star 37-storey Fairmont, with great city views, outdoor pool and five restaurants and bars.
Or step back in time over lunch, coffee or drinks at the Driskill Hotel, which was opened in 1886 by local cowboy Jesse Lincoln Driskill, funded with cash from cattle drives.
Austin is also a great base for exploring central Texas.
Close by is the Colorado River, dammed to form seven lakes used by locals and tourists as leisure spots; ride the zipline at Lake Travis – the longest and fastest in Texas – or rent a boat or a Jet Ski, or hop aboard a party barge.
It’s a 90-minute drive from Austin to San Antonio where you can visit the Alamo – a Unesco world heritage site. The siege was a pivotal moment in the Texan settlers’ push for independence from Mexico.
Call in at New Braunfels on the return trip. It has a natural bridge, caverns and a fantastic water park.
Around a 70-minute drive from Austin are the spectacular Longhorn Caverns, formed by erosion from a subterranean river.
You can’t go home without visiting the city’s famous Allens Boots store on South Congress Avenue which has a wide selection costing from $350 up to $1,250. Just like the music bars, there’s a style to suit all tastes.
And don’t forget to buy a Stetson, pardner!