“The stars at night are big and bright / Deep in the heart of Texas.”
The vibrant capital of Texas is known for its legendary music venues, foodie hotspots, and year-round outdoor fun.Everything’s bigger in Texas, including AvidXchange’s annual users conference. In celebration of our upcoming users’ conference, REVOLUTION 2016, we’re counting down our favorite things about this year’s host city, Austin, Texas!
5. The Congress Avenue Bridge
Every summer night, hundreds of people gather to see the world’s largest urban bat colony emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin. Sure, hanging out on a bridge in the hopes of seeing 1.5 million bats fly out sounds a sketch, but we promise it’s awesome. Turns out bats are gentle and, on their nightly trips out from under the bridge, the bat population eats 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of insects, including agricultural pests. For more Bat-News, check out Bat Conservation International.
4. The Barton Springs Pool
Within Zilker Park lies one of the crown jewels of Austin: Barton Springs Pool. The man-made pool measures three acres in size and is fed by underground springs. The pool has an average temperature of 70 degrees, which makes it ideal for year-round swimming. For more information, visit the official website of the City of Austin.
3. Historic Sixth Street
A historic street and entertainment district, Sixth Street is located in downtown Austin between Lavaca Street to the west and Interstate 35 to the east. 6th Street made Austin the “Live Music Capital of the World,” home to music venues like The Parish and Maggie Mae’s. You’ll find a smorgasbord of bars and restaurants on 6th as well, including Midnight Cowboy, a modern day speakeasy, Buffalo Billiards, and my personal favorite, Casino El Camino Bar & Grill. Do me a solid and get The Amarillo Burger.
2. Tex-Mex, Breakfast Tacos, and Barbecue
Speaking of food, you’ll need a month in Austin just to sample all the amazing food spots. After getting your learn on with the brightest minds in AP automation, you deserve some amazing barbecue, and maybe a margarita or three. Allow me to make a few suggestions:
- Rudy’s Country Store & Bar-B-Q — Be sure to get the brisket, the pulled pork, the baby back ribs, the jalapeno sausage, and everything else on the menu.
- Hopdoddy — Burgers. All of them. Eat all of the bugers.
- Home Slice Pizza — Thin-crust slices and pies for dine-in or carry out! Try the White Clam Pizza…
- Torchy’s Tacos / Guero’s Taco Bar — Tacos. All of them. Eat all of the tacos.
- Texas Chili Parlor — As seen in Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, the Texas Chili Parlor is home to hot chili and ice-cold beer. May I recommend the XXX chili with a Lone Star or Shiner Bock?
- Polvos Mexican Restaurant — Enchiladas and a margarita pitcher are requirements here. Sit out on the patio and enjoy the awesome Austin weather!
- Franklin Barbecue — You might have to wait in line for a few hours, but your tastebuds will be rocked by the best brisket in the world.
- Food Trucks / Trailer Parks — There are a plethora of amazing food trucks roaming the streets of Austin. Check the link to the left for a real-time map of trucks and trailer parks near you!
- The Once Over Coffee Bar — In the mood for a delicious caffeinated beverage? Visit my friends at The Once Over Coffee Bar! They’ve got wine and beer too!
1. The Greatest Movie Theaters (and Audiences) in the World
After a long day of talking about invoices and payment automation, take in a movie at one of the world’s greatest movie theaters: The Alamo Drafthouse. The Drafthouse is dinner, drinks, movies and events, all under one roof. Their attention to detail has made them a second home to cinephiles all over the world, earning accolades from Entertainment Weekly (#1 theater in America), Wired.com (Coolest Movie Theater in the World) and Fandango.com (One of the Best Theaters in the Country).
The Drafthouse has a zero tolerance for talking or cell phone use of any kind during movies, and they aren’t afraid to kick abnoxious moviegoers right out of the theater. And instead of ads, the Drafthouse creates custom preshows with content themed to most of the movies they exhibit. With multiple locations in Austin, including The Ritz on E. 6th Street and their new South Lamar facility, the Drafthouse is just a short walk or petty cab ride away!
See Y’all in Austin for REVOLUTION 2016!
Join us May 10-11 at the W Austin Hotel in Austin, TX, for REVOLUTION 2016 and take your business to the next level! This is our chance to connect with you, talk about what we’ve been working on, and how we can improve your experience with our AP automation solutions. We’re packing REVOLUTION 2016 with the content you’ve requested – dynamic demos, splendid speakers, and up to 15 CPE credits to provide you with the most valuable conference experience yet.
