Lonely Planet - 48 Hours in Austin

WHY GO Austin is pure fun. Airstream-trailer food courts, festival-like 6th St, eclectic SoCo shops, parks, lakes and music galore. Packing it all into 48 hours can be a challenge, so we sought out fun-and-funky-B&B owners Chris and Sylvia Mackey to give us the insider lowdown.

You can tell by the naive art that decorates Austin Folk House, one of two B&Bs Chris and Sylvia run near the University of Texas (UT), that this couple has a serious sense of humor. A painted wood relief of a cartoonish devil fishing for souls among beer cans is a favorite. The rooms are pretty traditional, but the unromantic package jokingly offers a six-pack and pizza to drown your break-up sorrows. Sylvia and Chris spend ample time seeking out local entertainment and are happy to share suggestions with guests.

With just 48 hours, Id start with something fairly typically Austin, Chris says. Downtown is not overrated. For the first night, they suggest dinner and a show. Have a cab drop you at the corner of 5th St and N Congress Ave. From there you cant go in any direction and not find a bunch of good restaurants; downtown is thick with them. Almost every kind of food is represented, too. Then youll be near Esthers Follies, a long-running local musical comedy revue that pokes fun at all sorts of subjects. Sylvia likes it because they keep it current and very funny. Obama may be onstage thanking the almighty, Oprah, before a magician singing Chic Chica Boom merengues across the stage and turns a puppy into a ruffle-bedecked assistant. Think vaudeville for the 21st century. Its always an excellent time at Esthers, says Chris.

Or if its Monday night, theres DK Sushi and the sushi pimps karaoke show. Were the type that go out of our way to find strange stuff, and Ive never seen anything like this karaoke show, says Chris. The Korean owner dresses up in a 1970s pimp suit and afro wig and provides chauvinistic, not even remotely politically correct, comic banter. If the singers arent excellent, hell gong them off the stage and down a sake bomb with em. Inappropriate rowdiness is the order of the evening. Women, watch your rears. Some people will leave hating it, Chris says. You can go to Vegas and never see anything this outlandish.

The next morning wake up late, sip your java, watch as the people-parade goes by and become human again at Jos Coffee. The outdoor caf is at the heart of the trendy S Congress Ave neighborhood, or SoCo, where even the places to stay are happenin. In the 1950s this was the outskirts of town but, instead of knocking down the motor-court motels, people updated them. Eclectic Austin Motel has rooms with full waterfall murals, and some sporting giant retro polka dots each guest quarter is more than unique. Their motto: so close yet so far out. Singles are kind of small so pick a double by the pool if you want more space. Up the street, the Hotel San Jos takes a more upscale, Zen-like approach to the motor court. Minimalist rooms of different shapes and sizes gather around soothing green spaces. Theres no restaurant, but the small courtyard wine bar attracts local celebrities such as Sandra Bullock, and bento-box meals are available for delivery.

While youre here, you should definitely do some shopping. SoCo is really exploding, says Sylvia. There are a lot of unique shops, including one dedicated entirely to water pipes. Other eclectic options include a costume shop where you can get that special belly-dancing outfit year-round, a kitschy candy store selling novelties you remember from childhood, and vintage clothing outlets. After youve picked up a snazzy, snapfront 1950s Western shirt, make sure to look for a pair of fire-red lizard skins at Allen Boots. In the 1600 block stop for a snack at the makeshift trailer park, an outdoor food court of sorts in a parking lot. The silver Airstream selling cupcakes was the originator of the trend, but you can also get pizza, crepes, sandwiches etc from about noon to 9pm, Tuesday through Sunday.

Over on S 1st St theres another gathering of classic trailers selling foodstuffs, this one with a canopy of shade and picnic tables. Among them, Torchys Tacos is the best option, according to Chris. Both he and Sylvia recommend the juicy pork tacos and that you read the menu thoroughly. The owners funny-bone pokes out on the names of items like the Republican taco, which has a wiener in it. Theres something known as Austin chic, Chris explains. Its a trendy, yuppified aesthetic with a quirky edge. S Congress, S Lamar and S 1st St all have it.

Some locals resent the well-completed gentrification of formerly boho neighborhoods. Keep Austin Weird bumper stickers promote an individualism some fear may be lost amid the continued influx of newbies to the capital. Sylvia suggests that if you want to check out the still-up-and-coming, you have to head to East Austin. A lot of little restaurants and art galleries are spread around the neighborhood, and new businesses are coming in all the time. In November theres a coordinated East Austin Studio Tour (www.eastaustinstudiotour.com). This used to be the neighborhood locals avoided for being a little dodgy, and its still rather unconventional. According to Sylvia, its what S Congress Ave was 10 years ago. Technically East Austin includes anywhere west of Hwy 290 downtown, but the largest concentration of businesses branch out from 12th St.