Yelp asked me, "How was Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge?" and I thought to myself, "You know what? It was…read morelovely and I shall tell the people!" It's not just a way to get across the Colorado River (a.k.a. Town Lake or Ladybird Lake), it's a destination all to itself, with views for miles, interesting characters, live entertainment, and multiple features to delight urban architecture nerds. If you've never been, add this to your Austin bucket list, stat. Before the ADA-compliant, vehicle-free PPB opened in 2001, runners and walkers had to scurry for their lives on the skinny, unprotected sidewalks bordering the Lamar Bridge. Believe me when I tell you it was NOT a pleasure, so if you needed to get across with your life, your other options were to go a couple of miles west to the shaded pedestrian bridge under Mopac or go another mile east to the protected walkways of South 1st Bridge. In fact, the PPB is named after James D. Pfluger, a local architect who designed much of our beloved downtown hike & bike trail and was killed by a car while walking across the Lamar Bridge. These days, locals and visitors can safely pass over the water between Riverside Drive and Electric Drive (near the Seaholm District with Trader Joe's and the Central Library), whether on foot or non-powered wheels, while taking in magnificent views of downtown, the graffiti'd rail bridge, the lake, and the hill country. There are memorial benches and sturdy railings for rest, waste & recycle bins, planters with seasonal vegetation, and if you visit at the right time, you'll likely get to hear some of why Austin is called "Live Music Capital of the World" for free, or with just a few coins in the tip jar. Sometimes, vendors are there with water and other cool treats for a hot day. Headed toward the north side of the bridge, you're faced with a few choices: take the left fork all the way to Electric Drive, take the right fork and the stairs to the trail on the north shore of the lake, or take the right fork to the curly-queue that winds down to the trail (best for bikes, strollers, and skaters). Once you hit the trail, you can also choose to trigger the crossing signal and walk across Cesar Chavez to join the concrete Lance Armstrong bike path east toward the beautiful Austin Central Library. Or even better, keep running west to Mopac, circle under, and come back to make a full 5k (3.1 mile) loop. As a runner, I have countless great memories of crossing PBB with friends, whether starting an evening social run from The Loop Running Company on Sandra Muraida Way, or cutting over during an early Saturday morning long run with ATX Runners. I've seen the views and experienced the variety of crowd densities at dawn, midday, dusk, and late-night, each time with its own ambiance. If you find yourself in this part of downtown, it's a great place to stop and take it all in. This is one of those spots that remind me why I still live in Austin after all these years.

Clean and spacious bridge with phenomenal views!! Close to downtown, parks, and hiking/biking…read moretrails!! The perfect place to stroll with family, friends, or pets!

The Rector Cemetery in Manor, Texas, is a historic burial ground, preserving the town's pioneer…read moreheritage and honoring early settlers who shaped the community's culture and identity. I love it because it offers a tangible connection to the past, and it beautifully reflects the town's roots and the stories of those who came before us.

This is an old cemetery from the 1800s and does have some notable local names buried here. Though…read moreit may have been located off the beaten path a long time ago, it is now surrounded by a local golf course. The cemetery itself is quite small, probably less than 50 feet in either direction and sadly it's quite overgrown within the perimeter. The best way to gain access is to park at the church which sits not far from the golf course and walk down Lexington Street to the small road that leads into the golf course. The cemetery is surrounded by a new tall perimeter fence and is locked to restrict access. It is also surrounded by an old iron fence within the perimeter. On the fence itself is a great deal of information which tells you a lot more than I can. So check out the photos below which includes some scan codes which tell you even more.

Getting lost can yield good results sometimes. I was in route to another destination and just…read morehappened into this marker. It outlines some history of Cedar Park. Pretty cool... Inscription: "In 1873, George and Harriet (Standefer) Cluck purchased a large amount of land in this area, which they found to be rich in cedar trees and limestone. Their ranch and home became the central point around which the Cedar Park community developed. A post office was established in 1874 and was named Running Brushy. Harriet Cluck served as an early postmistress. When the railroad came through Running Brushy in 1882, the community's name was changed to Bruggerhoff to honor a railroad official. Five years later, the current name was adopted. Cedar Park was the scene of much growth and activity during the latter years of the nineteenth century. A community school and church building was constructed, and by 1892, a landscaped park had appeared along the rail line. George Cluck noticed the increasing popularity of barbed wire and opened a cedar yard in which he made and sold cedar posts. Cedar Park did not see much growth during the first part of the twentieth century, and by 1960 nearly all traces of the earlier community had disappeared. During the 1970s, however, the growth of Austin led to a population increase in this area, also, and the city of Cedar Park was incorporated in 1973."

A short 5-minute hike up the hill leads you to the Pennybacker Bridge Overlook. What a treat...you…read morehave the opportunity to see spectacular panoramic views of the bridge with water meandering down Lake Austin and magnificent Texas Hill Country views. This viewpoint has become one of the most photographed spots in Austin, especially at sunset. It is very common to see folks take wedding/engagement, graduation, family and other photos here. It has such a dramatic spectacular backdrop.

This is a beautiful spot on the highway to pull over and see the beautiful city of Austin. The city…read moreis out in the distance, but with the mountains on each side, it just looks like a snow globe picturesque view! There are a few parking spots. But I've seen people park on the side of the highway if the spot are all taken. I did try to view the fireworks from here July 4, 2023, but it was a no go. You can hear them, but you can't see them. But, come any other day, and it's perfect.

Have you heard of the Three-Legged Man or Robert McAlpin Williamson? I had not until today as I…read morediscovered his statue in the Georgetown, TX courthouse square. According to a nearby store owner he was also known as Three Legged Willie. This bronze statue is a little unusual and a bit quirky, to say the least. This statute is featured prominently outside the Williamson Museum on Austin Avenue. This statue captured my attention because I did not know if my eyes were playing tricks on me or this man actually had three legs. Was possible...yes...probable...probably not. The Williamson statute has three legs: one straight, one bent backward, and one wooden peg. The shop owner shared the story behind the Three-Legged Man. Apparently, after polio when he was young caused one leg to be drawn back. Williamson then used a wooden leg to stand and walk. Even with this physical limitation, he became one of Texas's most influential leaders. Williamon was a Texas Ranger, judge, newspaper founder, and senator. For his leadership and hard work, Williamson County was named after Robert McAlpin Williamson.

Just 100 yards from RM620 you'll spot a small driveway with a gate which leads down a gravel road…read moreto this cemetery which occupies about an acre or two. I spotted the cemetery on Google maps and decided to review it in hopes that it would also be included in the Google maps description, which Yelp helps to facilitate. There are many recent graves here and there are some who are reinterred here due to the building of Mansfield Dam nearby. There are graves that go back to the early 20th century and as recently as 2023. This looks to be an active cemetery with additional space for more. Towards the rear of the property, you'll find family plots with the names of Tounguegate and Hudson and others. There are several service members buried here and many graves are covered in pea gravel. The grounds are pretty much overgrown with weeds, and the grave sites are for the most part aligned, but there is some randomness. There are no amenities here nor is there a Texas historical sign denoting anyone of note. Some graves show signs of visitation, but not all of them.

The Pennybacker Bridge, also known as 360 Bridge, is one of Austin's most notable landmarks and a…read morerequired stop for anyone visiting or living in Austin, TX. The bridge is located at Lake Austin along Loop 360 (the Capital of Texas Highway), the bridge combines a unique structure with sweeping Hill Country views. It is simple in structure yet spectacular when combined with the Lake Austin water views, which never gets old. Today we simply wanted to be one with nature. What a fanatstic starting point! No matter what you call the bridge, one thing that is certain is that you will likely admire the architecture of the rust-colored steel arch design. That weathered looks allows the bridge to easily blend in with the rolling hills and Lake Austin. It is an equally visually appealing structure whether you are driving across it or admiring it from afar. Parking is very limited along Capitol of Texas highway. What spectacular way to start your morning or end your evening!

A quintessential barely-a-hike excursion that is a must-see if in Austin, especially if its your…read morefirst time in the city. Despite it not being my first time here, I always enjoy coming here and taking friends who haven't been. Hiked up here in chanclas and a maxi skirt, so anyone can do this as its only a 0.5 mi hike, super chill. The view is gorgeous, you have the Pennybacker overlooking the river. Not quite as spacious on the trail or as shaded as Mt. Bonnell, but still very much worth a visit as it doesn't take much time at all to take in the views and then descend. There's limited parking at the bottom but there's a stoplight prior to this area so it wasn't hard to enter or exit prior to oncoming traffic.

Geological history. I dig it. This is a rather unique marker. It's not the usual painted steel,…read moreit's literally carved out of the stuff that they're marking: Pink granite. The marker reads, "1979. This 866 foot dome of solid pink granite covering 180 acres contains the largest quarry of its king in the United States. This mountain, like all granite formations, was once melted rock similar to lava. As the molten rock cooled thousands of feet below the Earth surface, it hardened into large crystals of quartz, feldspar and several dark colored minerals." "Whenever strength, durability and beauty of finish is required, granite is a favored building stone." "The mountain was part of a grant made to Texas colonist William Slaughter. The site became famous commercially when a dispute arose in the 1880s of a type of stone to be used in the Capitol in Austin [50 miles southeast]. The issue was settled in 1885 when Governor John Ireland resisted demands to use non-native limestone." "Following this decision, a special track was built to haul the granite to the rail line in Burnet. The stone was generously donated to the State by quarry owners G.W. Lacy, N.L. Norton and W.H. Westfall." "Today, granite from this quarry here is shipped to all parts of Teas, the U.S. and foreign countries for use in monuments, shafts, jetties and buildings. It has been used in the Galveston sea wall and in new state buildings near the Capitol in Austin." [Review 17400 overall - 415 in Texas - 918 of 2022.]