aquarius Gemini Taurus Pisces Cancer Virgo

Puerto Rico kets from near the beach.

Tender Pisces appreciates a step back from the world, and San Juan’s stunning ocean and beaches make the perfect backdrop for a restful vacay. They will also love little trin-

With lush scenery, and tons of coves to explore, privacy loving Cancer will feel right at home in Tulum. Plus, this place is known for amazing food and breakfast.

Costa Rica is one of the most eco-friendly places to visit, which warms every earth loving Virgo’s heart. With all the fresh produce, they will be living their sustainable dreams.

By Joseph Li

tepping into Austin, you are met with a busy and bustling city at work. Large amounts of people are everywhere, crowding the streets and stores.. This may seem frightening, uncomfortable, and claustrophobic to an unsuspecting visitor. Just northeast of the city however a quiet but admirable area. An area with places that will grant you the peace and relaxation you deserve.

Turning onto West 35th Street, a collection of four of the most interesting places in Austin awaits. The first one of these Camp Mabry, the third-oldest active military installation in the state. This area is around 375 acres large and is home to tons of military vehicle displays, both indoor and outdoor. There are all sorts of them including helicopters, fighter jets, and tanks. Some of them can be seen in the big field alongside the highway with a large red track that visitors can jog around on. Many more are found inside of the Texas Military Forces Museum which contains plenty of exhibits, artifacts, and more. If someone happens to visit on the right day, Camp Mabry may be hosting a reenactment of a battle in a former war. Costuming, gunfire, actual planes and more are displayed in these events, so feel free to drop by.

One of the most unique parks and historically significant parks can be found on this road, and it’s called the Mayfield Nature Preserve. Recognized as an official historical landmark, this park houses a cottage surrounded by luscious gardens and pools filled with all sorts of different creatures like turtles or fish. Most notably and what the park is most known for, this place is home to an abundance of peacocks which originate from the 1930’s that roam around all over the park, sometimes sitting in trees or on the roof of the cottage. Visitors will stop by all year round to snap photos of these majestic creatures, and in the right season, the peacock chicks can be seen waddling around with their parents. The park itself is surrounded by the Mayfield Nature Preserve which is a set of hiking trails untouched by the concrete bases of humanity. Allison Mayfield purchased the cottage all the way back in 1909 and the park has been deteriorating for years on end, but luckily there is a group dedicated to restoring the park. For this article, I’ve interviewed Blake Tollett who is the head of the Mayfield Park Community Project. Blake has been deeply involved in this organization for quite some time now.

“When I moved to Austin in 1973 to attend graduate school at the university I briefly lived in the neighborhood and subsequently bought a home in the neighborhood in 1977. As time and opportunity permitted I became involved in volunteer organizations such as West Austin Neighborhood Group and the Friends of Deep Eddy Pool. Those associations led me to become a member of the Mayfield Park-Community Project (MP-CP) back in the early 2000s of which I am currently the leader”.

“MP-CP’s function as a volunteer organization focused on the rehabilitation of and advocacy for the park’s historic cottage and gardens is to me a legacy project”, Roam Spring 2023 23

The group is dedicated to restoring the cottage to its former glory as close as possible while also improving the quality of life around the park, “Mr. Gutsch and his assistant Mr. Arredondo did all of the extensive masonry at the park by themselves over probably several decades. Their work was ambitious but unfortunately somewhat lacking in experienced masonry techniques. As their rock work deteriorates over time MP-CP works in coordination with the Austin Parks & Recreation Department (PARD) to do repairs and reconstructions as necessary. In addition to masonry projects, MP-CP does garden projects such as the recent installation of a small specimen rose garden and the rehabilitation to their period of historical significance of the lily ponds” .

Along with being a very nice park, it also helps combat the dread of the concrete city looming somewhere over the horizon.

“The Austin metro area encompasses more than one million folks and we are the 11th largest metro area in the country. The two acres inside the historic rock walls, the cottage and gardens, as well as the contiguous 21-acre preserve make Mayfield Park a much needed respite for both residents of as well as visitors to the city”.

Directly next to Mayfield is a bizarre park owned by The Contemporary, filled with all sorts of strange and admirable sculptures.

“Laguna Gloria is unique because it is an outdoor art space on the water; it also boasts a 100-year-old historical villa. It has many unique natural features, and original contemporary sculpture scattered throughout its 14 acres. No other art space is quite like LG”. A single step into the park will leave you surprised as a gigantic metal sculpture looks as if it’s made out of aluminum foil towers over you. This specific sculpture is titled “looking up” and was created by Tom Friedman in 2015. All sorts of these pieces of art are found all over the

18 acres of the park, all with their own plaques where you may read the context behind the piece. For this park, I’ve interviewed the Administrative Manager for the Contemporary Austin Art School. This park hosts a very large variety of art classes ranging from all sorts of different levels to choose from.

“We offer classes for all ages in painting, drawing, sculpture, metalworking, ceramics, weaving, papermaking, screen printing, printmaking… I recently took a Mosaic class that I really enjoyed”. Although the park is mostly quiet and empty, it attracts many visitors over time. “Depending on the day of the week, anywhere from 50 to several hundred people come every day between visitors, students, events, rentals, etc. There are between 50-150 students that come to class every day”.

The admin states that

It’s not just the art or the classes that’s there to enjoy, but also the abundance of life. Colorful flowers bloom everywhere while large trees provide lots of shade throughout the area.

Last, for a wide, extensive view of the city, Mount Bonnel is the most ideal place to visit. Citizen Steve Li claims that they “love to stop by and take in the view”. From up there, a large portion of the city can be seen in distance while the river flows near the bottom with some houses near the shores. There are all sorts of spots alongside the cliffside trails to admire the beauty of the river, so feel free to snap a few photos.

These places will give you the most ideal vacation experience in Austin and bring out the beauty of the city. Hopefully, you now have some sort of idea of how to spend your time in Austin. Be aware that these are not the only fascinating places in Austin as there are many more scattered all throughout waiting to be discovered, and it’s up to you to get out there and explore.

Toppings (Choose Any)

Relish Piccalilli Sauerkraut Coleslaw

Grilled Onions

Grilled Cabbage Scallions Oyster Crackers

ENJOY!

Tomatoes

Chilli Beans Jalapeños

Cream Cheese

Shredded Cheese Peppers Bacon

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Condiments (Choose Any)

Roam