They decorate the downtown with a variety of Christmas decorations. It is mostly Main St, but it is…read moreperfectly charming.

Population: 40ish, according to the 2000 census (no 2010 census data found)…read more A long history dating back to the late 1800s. Named after the latest family to own the majority of the property in this tiny 76501 Bell County "community" east of Temple, TX on SH-53 at FM 437. According to the TSHA (https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnz01), Zabcikville was founded by Czechs in the late nineteenth century and was originally named Marekville after the Marek family who owned a store in the area. When members of the Zapcik family married into the Marek family In the early 1900s members of the Zabcik family, the community store changed hands. The sign bearing the town's name--Marekville--posted on the store, was changed to Zabcikville. It may be that Green's Sausage House is the only remaining business in Zabcikville, from a high count of four businesses in the 1940s. What's not to love, just not much to see except fabulous rural Texas countryside. Road trip it and be a legit Zabcikville visitor.

First time coming by to this little alley. This is no way an attraction or exhibit. It's literally…read morejust an alley full of rusty beer caps that have a strong odor of 115 degree old beer and urine lol. There's probably some history and/or years on making this walkway. I don't recommend that you walk through this alley unless you absolutely have to, like you're being chased by a serial killer or pervert. Oh, and if you do decide to walk through it, please wear shoes otherwise, your chances of getting tetanus is pretty high lol. Don't get me wrong, it's still cool to look at it, but I wouldn't make a special trip out here just for this unless you so happen to be in the area like at the many bars that they have here. Paid parking or limited free parking is available.

Make sure you have your tetanus shots up to date! Wear closed-toe shoes. This unremarkable alleyway…read morehas been made more special by dumping bottle caps into it. It's kind of a shame, you can tell that the bottles from the bottle caps weren't consumed in this alleyway, since it's kinda dark, with no music. Instead, I believe the beers were all drank in the Dixie Chicken next door. You kinda feel like Scrooge McDuck diving in all the coins when walking through here. You can just imagine the gallons and gallons of beer that have washed through Aggieland. This gives you some perspective on beer. I wouldn't go out of my way to hang out here. San Antonio has La Tuna with the same deal- bottle caps on the ground. Go next door to the Dixie Chicken if you're looking for a good time. They'll even remove the bottle cap from your bottle for you.

This tree sure looks older than a century. It's massive! The tree branches reach out like octopus…read moretentacles across Academic Plaza. There's a concrete bench in the ample shade afforded by this giant tree. It's a nice place to watch people walk by. If you walk under the canopy of this tree with your loved one, you're bound to get married, the legend goes. Be sure to check out the details on the park bench, with cow skulls and a totally Texas theme! Whoop! Gig 'em! This tree has gotten some expert care throughout the years. You can tell that the Aggie forestry department has given this tree some loving touches throughout time, with metal devices to hold up some branches off the ground. Please don't trip over the tree branches. When I was there, I saw the Aggie maintenance department run their truck into some of the lower hanging branches, but they didn't break. I have a hard time believing that this tree is only a century old.

The Century Tree is one of the most hallowed and beautiful Aggie sites there is. While the exact…read moredate this fantastic live oak was planted is unknown, it's believed to be right around 1900 and as early as 1891. It's trunk is massive, measuring about 11' around, and is reminiscent of that beloved tree with the secret knot from Princess Bride. The "crown spread," or approximate diameter of how far its branches spread out, is right at 100'. And the tree measures 45' tall. These numbers are all from 2016. Standing or sitting under it is shady and serene, and let's not forget all the lore that goes with this tree: couples who walk under it are destined to be married. Yes, my wife and I are among that number. :) Many, many proposals have taken place under this beautiful tree, and rose petals scattered on the ground under its canopy are a common sight. There's a nice concrete bench under it, too, if you're lucky enough to find it unoccupied. If you're walking A&M's campus and unfamiliar with it, a stop by the Century Tree is highly recommended. The Academic Plaza where it resides is a nice area in general, with many other live oaks - but the Century Tree stands out as king of the plaza. We always go out of our way to make a stop here whenever visiting Aggieland. Great historical article on this great tree: https://www.aggienetwork.com/century-tree-125/

April 11, 2026 The universe granted us a really nice night. It's been raining, and gloomy during…read morethe day, but the nightlife came alive and we truly were blessed with GNO. It was warm, a little breezy, but the vibes were there and everyone was happy mingling, drinking, just a typical ATX night out on Rainy. Now yes, some of the charm has left. Little by little every few years something disappears, and something new comes in. The people make up for the "charm" feel. We remember what once was. Little houses that once held family dinners and birthday backyard parties are now bars. Gutted out of the family photos hanging on the walls, to neon signs barring a beer logo. Rainy Street is still charm for those that once knew it and hold it in our hearts. We make the charm because we knew, and we pass that vibe to the college kids (sorry, but you are still kids) that spend their whole weekend night letting lose and being just that, fun kids experiencing life, not corporate life, but life life. It's up to us mature Rainy Street goers to show these kids how it's done. IMO Rainy Street. Bar hoping at its bests. Charming street. Decorated for the season. Come at Christmas, it's a ball! Everything is walkable. Some really nice higher end restaurants have moved in. It's a nice place to start out your night. You will find college kids here. But you'll also see birthday party groups, bachelorette parties, bachelor parties just people having fun, enjoying life. You'll see mature, older men and women with their, "I'm still 28" in my mind. (Me, I'm that woman) They do have a small food truck area too. So when you're looking for something quick, give these food trucks a go. They are pretty good. And they have seating so you can chill, and get back at it. I only saw 1 parking lot. It was $50. For 3 hours. And $55 for 6 hours. Uber in, car pool, or find parking a block or 2 away. Come to Rainy Street. Spend the night here. Grab some dinner, a few cocktails, bar hop up and down the street. Be young, be a kid, life's short.

Remember how cute Rainey Street was? I loved the Container Bar. It was one of my favorites. I wish…read moreit were still there. Don't get me wrong, there are still a couple of places on Rainey I like to go to now and then but it's just not the same. It's so bizarre to me to see big buildings going up. All of the charm is gone. Not to mention it's a very touristy area. And honestly, if I were a tourist, I would want to see it as well. But again, more like it was back in the day.

This is the best place in the world, but don't tell anyone ok?…read more Great lake for skiing, fishing, swimming etc. Good place to live, everyone knows you. Very safe.

Originally debuted at the Creek Show in Austin last year, this piece was updated and adapted for…read moreinstallation in Waco's Indian Springs Park. It is titled "Babble" and is a a collaboration between Baylor University professor Reeve Hunter and Austin artist Lucas Greco. The head shapes are built from corrugated metal with speakers that will play a shifting soundscape of overlapping sounds that include poetry by Waco's DeShauna Hollie, the Wichita people's creation story and readings in nine different languages. It's an interesting temporary piece and I recommend you stop by to see it while it is here. [Review 822 of 2024 - 577 in Texas - 21853 overall]

The ambience is very loud. It can be difficult to hear and you feel like shouting. This ruins the…read moreromantic "date night" feel for me. The service was excellent. Our waitress was "Augie" (short for Augustina) The food was the big surprise. The bread was amazing as was the dipping oil. The garlic butter with honey was wonderful on the bread. We got the tomato soup and it was one of the best I have had in a very long time. We got the eggplant rollitini. The butterfly pasta was the star of the dish. While the eggplant was excellent the butterfly pasta I could have eaten every day. The green beans were a little over cooked but still not bad. I will include a picture of the HUGE slice of chocolate cake I received. I will be eating it for a week. The price for four people was $150. So it was not outrageous. Recommended.

We chose Pignetti's for my wife's birthday dinner because we wanted to see if it would be worth…read morereturning once Temple starts charging for parking. Consider this our "test run." The evening started with a game of Restaurant Hide and Seek. After being seated, we sat for quite a while wondering if we were part of a social experiment--no water, no menus, no acknowledgment. Eventually a waiter arrived and, very honestly, said he was there to take our order because we'd been "ignored." Accurate assessment. We placed our order, and later a woman who appeared to be a manager brought out our appetizer, apologized for no one taking care of us, and said the appetizer would be comped. A very nice gesture--unfortunately one that didn't make it to the bill, where the appetizer showed up like it never heard that conversation. The food itself? Genuinely good. No complaints there. However, my wife's Caesar salad never arrived. She didn't bring it up because, frankly, after the earlier disappearing-staff act, it felt like tempting fate. We paid the bill (about $100), including a surprise 3% credit card fee we didn't see posted anywhere. We opted to take dessert home, mostly because the night already felt complete... enough. Bottom line: the food has real potential, but the service needs leadership, consistency, and maybe a map. It's hard to justify coming back in the future when you factor in parking fees, credit card fees, and the possibility of being politely ignored on a special occasion. It's a shame--good food deserves better service.

Zilker Garden Festival is a fun festival for anyone with a thumb, green or otherwise, hosted in the…read moreZilker Botanical Garden. Not too big, not too small, it's bustling with a variety of items for sale. There are plants of all kinds, potted plant arrangements, outdoor decorative items, locally sourced food and bath and body products, jewelry, clothing, and baked goods for sale. The plants alone are a gardener's dream, and the prices are quite reasonable. There's a food court with picnic tables; the choices are good but expect high prices and little seating, like all festivals. Even better for the true 'greenie' are the professional talks on horticultural and outdoor topics, different on both Saturday and Sunday. As if that's not enough, there's live music too. I'd recommend coming early on Saturday if at all possible, as many plants are sold by Sunday. Leave extra time to walk around and see the gardens after all the booths and you'll be a happy camper. Bring a wagon if you have kids or plan to purchase plants. Don't forget bottled water, cash, and a hat. In 2014, the entrance fee was $7. Parking is in Zilker Park on the south side of Barton Springs, not the botanical gardens. Follow signs to the right for event parking. Parking is $5. Sure enough, the Zilker Garden Festival has been going for over 50 years. And for good reason!

I have gone to the ZGF every year for the past 20 years, but this will be my last year. Parking at…read morethe 4 Pay as you Park meters took almost 50 minutes. For the second or third year, there are more jewelry, craft & home improvement vendors than plant vendors. I don't go to the ZGF to buy a mop or new windows. Very sad to see it decline.

Went to the 2025 juneteenth parade in downtown Killeen....this was the worst parade in the history…read moreof parades.... 1. It was 15 min long .2. Was nothing but a few groups walking 3. The car show was the only thing that had music...... 4. Shout out to Big country with the rims not spinning and having music playing... 5. No bands or floats. 5. I will never support this city in nothing it does ever again period.