Austin: What to Do

While the food is definitely a highlight in Austin, your taste buds’ satisfaction isn’t even the half of it. With so much great culture to absorb and shopping to do, Austin is waiting for you to indulge your artistic and materialistic sides. After all, you’ve got to stand out; in a place all about being weird, you can’t just fade into the background.

The Contemporary Austin
823 Congress Ave.
(512) 453-5312
The mission of Austin’s preeminent contemporary art museum is to reflect “the spectrum of contemporary art through exhibitions, commissions, education, and the collection.” With a location-spanning collection that impresses both inside and out, it’s truly, as the museum boasts, a “museum without walls.” Enjoy the work of preeminent contemporary artists as their exhibits cycle through.

Allens Boots
1522 South Congress Ave.
(512) 447-1413
Though Austin is a bit bluer than its red state surroundings, that doesn’t change the fact that if you’re in Texas, you best look the part. Head on over to South Congress to pick up your very own pair of cowboy kicks at Allens Boots. Featuring hundreds of different styles – plus hats and other accessories – it’s your one-stop shop to get you feeling like a true Texan.

Package Menswear
1114 West Fifth St.
(512) 472-0844
You may feel sexy on the outside as you head out on the town, but are you prepared for Mr. That’s Right, Y’all to see what’s going on underneath? Make sure you’re prepared with a trip by Package Menswear, the premier spot for undergarment shopping in Austin featuring dozens of designer brands. Since you’ll be spending so much time in the water on this trip, you should pick up a swimsuit too. Best to be prepared for any sexy occasion.

Hippie Hollow Park
7000 Comanche Trail
With heat as intense as Austin tends to be during the summer, it’s likely even the skimpiest swimwear is going to feel a bit constricting. Take the opportunity to breathe with a trip to Hippie Hollow on Lake Travis. It’s the one legal nude park in Texas — a perfect fit for Austin’s weird sensibility — and has its own unofficial gay section as well. Big festivals like SPLASH have a big presence in Hippie Hollow, and one trip to the park will give you all the reasons why.