One Tuesday earlier this month was a gorgeous day to experience San Antonio’s cultural and historic treasures. My clients were a legal scholar and his wife from London. We enjoyed great conversations about Blackstone’s law commentaries whilst steering past longhorns grazing and llamas guarding on the scenic Hill Country route west and south. At our …
In a far-reaching adventure in late November, I led another small group of Russian professors half-way across the Lone Star State. On a Wednesday and Thursday, we went east and west and south and back for nearly 700 miles in all directions. Once more, they enjoyed the benefit of a translator, Natalia K., their associate …
The second weekend of October saw the 150th anniversary celebration of the German-Texan Heritage Society‘s headquarters. Perched high on a bluff overlooking Waller Creek, the rammed-earth structure was originally a free school, one of the first established in Austin. Added onto in the 1870s, the school included a residence for the teacher and his family. …
Last Thursday found me leading an all-day trek to points due west of Austin. My clients came from Cozumel to attend the Austin City Limits music festival and wanted to see the countryside and city before and after the fest. Also along was “Esméralda,” a young woman interested in becoming a tour guide. I piloted …
The unofficial slogan of the Capital City is “Keep Austin Weird.” Even though a couple other local tour companies tout this motto by selling shirts, caps, and stickers, nobody but the Texpert actually offers a journey to the odd side of town. My KAW trip visits several exemplars of only-here places. Consider these highlights for …
This past winter, I had the pleasure of appearing on KLRU‘s show Downtown, a weekly exploration of the district that’s “as Austin as it gets.” My segment dealt with the writer William Sidney Porter, who went on to further fame as O. Henry after he left Austin. His time in our fair city was one …
My two clients yesterday wore identically patterned dresses, but in different colors of lightweight material. Both from Green Bay, Wisconsin, they had already figured out how to stay cool in Texas in August. One had just moved to this metro area and was welcoming her visiting friend. An amateur photographer colleague of mine was also …
My friend and fellow geographer Kevin Anderson delivers noontime lectures on ecological topics every month for the CER. This past Monday was Discovering the Colorado: Environmental History of this Texas River. Kevin also leads occasional tours along Waller Creek, the informal eastern edge of the original Austin city, and never ceases to extol Life on …
Last weekend, Sunday to be precise, I spent 14 hours touring all over Central Texas a group of high-tech visitors from Russia. These computer experts, several with Ph.Ds, were guests of one of Austin’s sterling test and measurement companies. Nine folks filled my ‘Burb and a trailing car driven by one of the Russians. Helpfully, …
The Captain’s daughter was getting married in Austin this weekend, so he treated his friends and family to a Downtown Tour Friday and Saturday. After a scrumptious lunch at Hula Hut, the first day’s contingent saw 6th Street, the Capitol grounds, UT, the Drag, LBJ Library, and Hyde Park. Saturday, another batch of the same …