This year’s Austin Marathon and Half Marathon were held on Valentine’s Day. According to the race announcers, over 10,000 participated in the half and about 5,000 did the full Marathon. In a nod to the holiday, the race bibs were heart-shaped.
Several thousand Boy Scouts and their leaders participated in the annual Report to State parade on Saturday morning. As usual, the parade formed on the Congress Avenue Bridge and then headed north on Congress Avenue to meet officials in the State Capitol.
Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve is a picturesque and tranquil oasis just a short drive from downtown. This 23-acre city park sits between Lake Austin and West 35th Street, right next door to Laguna Gloria. Mayfield is a favorite destination for families, students, nature lovers, and photographers.
Downtown Austin construction projects are moving right along since my last update a few months ago. Several new buildings have now been started, and others are nearing completion. Austin will be adding a tremendous number of offices, condos, apartments, and hotel rooms over the next few years. Here’s the latest status…
Mid-winter might seem like an odd time for an entry about an outdoor swimming spot, but I wanted to document my recent tour of Barton Springs in Zilker Park.
Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
As you might have heard in the national news, the late musician, David Bowie, received a uniquely-Austin tribute this week. Sometime on Wednesday morning, downtown’s Bowie Street was mysteriously renamed to David Bowie Street. The changed sign hangs over Fifth Street near the Whole Foods headquarters building…and suspiciously near the South by Southwest offices.
Musician Alejandro Escovedo apparently likes to celebrate his January birthday with a lot of friends. This is the fourth year in a row that he has produced a January concert at the ACL/Moody Theater. All four have been quite different, but Bill and I have enjoyed each one. This year’s show was called A Thousand Kisses Deep: The Leonard Cohen Influence.
Yes, I know it’s January now, but I’m stretching out the holiday season with just one more Christmas-related entry. This is because I happened to visit downtown’s Mexic-Arte Museum just before their Nacimientos: Traditional Nativity Scenes from Mexico exhibit closed last week.
