Adventure Austin by LASA Ezine

a d v en t u r e a u s t in Ezine Fal l 2020

Tabl e of Cont ent s 4

Tabl e of cont ent s BY THE TEAM

MEET THE EDITORS BY THE TEAM

Let t er f r om t h e edit or s

BY THE Team

Ch il l vibes By al l an Kaung

14 4

Al er t and awake f or t h e day BY Al l an kaung

Fr om Pl at e t o Pl at t er By nel l kaminski

A pr el ude t o t r uck f ood By nel l kaminski

Mur al s ar ound aust in By nit ya ver gis

A guide t o aust in Mur al s By Nit ya Ver gis

Th e h ear t of t exas' h ist or ic h al l ways by Syl via r andazzo

keep aust in bat t y By Syl via Randazzo

32 5

Meet t h e Edit or s nel l My name is Nell and I live in Austin, Texas. I am currently a freshman at LASA. In my free time I enjoy dancing, running, hanging out with friends, and watching movies and shows. I have a cat named Neo and a dog named Toby. My favorite subjects in school are algebra and geography, and my favorite color is pink!

Al l an

My name is Allan and I live in Austin, Texas. I enjoy playing video games with friends and exercising with my dad during my spare free time. Unfortunately, I do not have a pet right now, but I am planning to own a dog in the future when I have my own living space. My favorite subjects are English and Japanese. I am currently a freshman at LASA of the year 2020.

My name is Sylvia Randazzo. I have lived in Austin my entire life, and I love this city so much. I am in my freshman year at LASA High School, and in my free time I play soccer, draw, or play video games with my friends. I love coding, and I love to create, whether by drawing, painting or playing Minecraft. I have four pets, a dog named Ariel, two cats named Alex and Nutmeg Pepper, and a bearded dragon named Grapefruit.

Syl via

nit ya

My name is Nitya and I live in Austin, Texas. In my free time I enjoy swimming, running, watching TV, and spending time with friends and family. At the moment, my favorite subjects are algebra and biology. My favorite colors are periwinkle and sage.

Let t er Fr om t h e Edit or s Dear Reader, This magazine will act as a guide for Austin tourists, newcomers, or anyone unfamiliar with our city. We strive to offer the most popular locations to visit, along with the many fun activities you can do. Are you hungry after traveling through and seeing the amazing city of Austin? We have many restaurant recommendations to fill your stomach with delicious cuisines. Along with a few cafes to wind down from a long day. We, at Adventure Austin, will ensure that you have a great experience in Austin, Texas. This city has so much to offer, and we will guide you through the many options that Austin provides.

Sincerely, Allan, Nitya, Nell, Sylvia

Although most of Austin is closed, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope you still enjoy it from the comfort of your computer. Art by Sylvia Randazzo.

9 Cover image provided by Nell Kaminski

c h il l v ibes

By Allan Kaung

Behind the Scenes of Comforting Coffee Shops in Austin

A showcase of Figure 8 coffee beans and the brewed result of them. Image provided by @figure8coffeepurveyors on Instagram.

elaxing jazz music settles the mood. The rich smell of well-made espresso becomes stronger as the waiter brings you your desired cup. A luxuriously creamy, earthy and smooth chocolatey liquid leaves a lingering aftertaste, warming up your body with easement. You close your eyes and take in the beauty of comfort. Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors and Spokesman are one of the most top-rated coffee shops in Austin as of 2020. Each shop is known to provide amazing distinct coffee and a great environment. They both go through many processes to produce a quality experience to ensure customer happiness. Ryan Hall has owned Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors since 2014 alongside his wife, Kathleen Hall. He said that one of the main goals is not only to provide the best coffee they can, but to also be a friendly face in the neighborhood every single day. ?I guess the best way I have put it in the past is seeing coffee like an early day or a morning ritual,? Hall said. ?A lot of times when people are getting their coffees, we are the first people that they've even seen in the entire world all day. So we always have to make sure that we are nice and as friendly as possible, it would be a real shame if we ruin someone's day.? Hall states that a lot of time gets put into the quality of

Ryan Hall sitting outside of Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors. Image provided by Kathleen Hall

their coffee. In order to provide the best coffee for their customers, the coffee is handled by many people from different countries before being roasted. ?One thing that's pretty unique about coffee that doesn't really typically happen with really fine whiskies or wine, or even food, is that coffee touches many people's hands before it actually gets to us here, ? Hall said. Farmers and regional cooperatives put a lot of money and time into ensuring that the coffee is not only able to taste great, but can also be farmed consistently. Hall understands that the process of getting good coffee is long and expensive. ?A lot of farmers, because they have small plots of land, what they'll do is they may only grow 10 hectares of crops at a time, especially in places like Ethiopia. They

bring all that coffee to a co op, their regional Co Op,? Hall said. ? The cool thing about those guys, because their business and their livelihood depend upon it, they have a real vested interest in the quality of the coffee. So they put a lot of money into those communities to make sure that not only is the coffee tasting great but that the trees are being raised and grown and the crops are yielding more.? Trey Ramirez has been the owner of Spokesman Coffee Roasters since 2017 with over 20 years of experience in the cafe and restaurant industry. He agrees that customer happiness, along with good coffee, is the key factor to a successful shop, but there should also be more involvement with the community. ?We try to be a welcoming hub for the neighborhood that we're in and to host community events (before covid) around our regular customers, artists and other gatherings that are important to us,? Ramirez said.

The artsy decors of the walls and structures of Spokesman?s interior. Image provided by Brandon Kaung.

Ramirez also recognized that the knowledge of how coffee is grown, processed, and imported, is important for great coffee.

?One thing that's unique about coffee is that it touches many people's hands before it gets to us.?

?We are dealing with our diminished capabilities during COVID in similar ways that others are; sanitizing all surfaces, operating on a takeout basis only, and asking that all guests use masks to ensure both staff

while hanging out in our space,? Ramirez said.

Hall has a goal of increasing roasting capacity in the future. With the amount of coffee they have to put per hour, the roaster is not able

- Ryan Hall ?Great coffee is achieved by learning and sharing the knowledge of the journey coffee takes to get to your cup,? Ramirez said. ?Growing, processing, roasting and brewing. Coffee is special and it's nice to share that story with the people that drink our coffee.? Another factor in maintaining the laid-back environment of a coffee shop is music. Hall believes that music can set the mood for everyone. He also states that connecting with people is important. ?I think you have to breathe and just have good chemistry with people and read other people really well,? Hall said. ?And I strangely think that really good music is one of the things that people really enjoy and respect. I think that can change the vibe really quickly.? With COVID-19 striking the year of 2020, Hall has taken safety measures with their shop, disallowing people to dine inside.

The outside of Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors. They are preventing customers from going inside because of safety precautions as of when this picture was taken, Nov 2020. Image provided by Brandon Kaung.

and guest safety,? Hall said.

to keep up.

Ramirez still allows people to enter and stay in the cafe, but he provides safety rules for anyone who chooses to come inside.

?We're actually, even despite COVID in terms of our roasting arm doing so well, that we're actually kind of beginning to see that we are exceeding the capacities of our roasters,? Hall said, ?So we put about 10 pounds of coffee at a time, and it's doing about 40 pounds an hour. And even then that is still not at this point, keeping up. So that's a good problem.

?We have limited and socially distanced seating in our two cafes. Employees take their temperatures before working, we have hand sanitizer for our customers and we encourage everyone to wash their hands and to be safe

Customers working on their laptops inside of Spokesman. Socially distanced during the COVID pandemic. Image provided by Brandon Kaung.

Now, we might explore some options for picking up a larger roaster.? Ramirez has a goal of expanding his business to have more people drinking and using their coffee in the future. ?Hopefully we can continue getting our coffee in front of more people, either by selling our coffee to stores, online, in cafes or restaurants and in our own shops,? Ramirez said.

technological advances that might change anything for us in the future. Maybe deliver coffee by drones.? There had been advice to visit coffee shops beginning with the letter F, which Hall explains is because a few of them had opened during 2014 to 2015 on the east side. And they all happened to start with an F.

?There's sort of a wave of cafes on the east side in 78702. And they kind of all opened around the 2014-15 kind of era,? Hall said. ?And so that is something that I've heard a handful of times that people are like, well, if you ever use I-35 and you want to get a cup of coffee. Just remember you can always go to any shop that starts with F.? It has been a struggle to continue business normally during the COVID pandemic of 2020, but both shops have been working hard to ensure that their sales go smoothly. Not only are they looking to survive this pandemic, but to improve their shops even more beyond 2020, providing customers with ultimate comfort.

The inside of Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors pre-COVID times during the afternoon. Image provided by Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors

Hall believes that once the pandemic is over, there will be some sort of surge for social hubs because people are wanting to get out of the house. He thinks that delivery by drones could be possible in the future. ?I think initially, people probably will be very excited just to get out of the house and soak up social vibes that they haven't been able to do largely this year,? Hall said. ?I can't think of any

Al er t and Awake f or t h e Day h o w mu c h c a f f ein e is in y o u r f a v o r it e c a f f ein a t ed d r in k s ? a l o o k in t o f o u r po pu l a r d r in k s . By Allan Kaung

Red Bul l An average Red Bull has around 80 milligrams of caffeine per serving. The typical serving size of a Red Bull is 8.46 fluid ounces. The Red Bull was the first successful drink in the energy drink industry.

Daily Intake: 20%

Espr esso Sh ot An espresso shot has around 77 mg per serving size. Each shot consists of 1.5 fluid ounces. A typical cup of coffee usually holds a little over 8 fluid ounces.

Daily Intake: 19%

Image courtesy of

Spoon University.

In f o r ma t io n c o u r t es y o f c a f f ein e In f o r mer , pr ec ed en a n d men t a l f l o s s .

0 t o 40 p u t a or af e f t es t h s i c s i a d day t he f s p er m a t s! r adul y m il l ig h t h ea l mo st

Coca Col a The Coca Cola Classic has 34 milligrams per serving, with each serving containing 12 fluid ounces. Coca Cola tried to once replace coffee in 1988 with an aggressive marketing campaign. Daily Intake: 8%

Monst er Ener gy The Monster Energy Drink contains around 160 milligrams of caffeine per serving. Monster Energy Drink was invented after the Red Bull in 2002. Each serving size contains 16 fluid ounces.

Daily Intake: 40%

Beh ind t h e Pl at e and pl at t er The Not So Small Struggles and Successes that Make a Small, Local Restaurant

By Nell Kaminski

Baguette et Chocolat has changed their interior layout to better accommodate pick-up and take out orders. Due to COVID-19, they no longer allow customers to dine in.

Image provided by Baguette et Chocolat

ibrant art lines the walls, and

the bustle of busy workers and customers causes color to flash before your eyes. Festive music rings out in the background, muddled by the sound of Spanish being thrown throughout the air. From the moment the smell of quesadillas and enchiladas hits you on your way through the door, you know you'll be doing some good business here. Austin has a constantly growing food scene, filled with local restaurants of all cuisines, styles, and price points. While being successful is amazing, getting there can be much more difficult. Monica Ruiz, co-owner and co-founder of Austin restaurant, Hecho en MĂŠxico, has an abundance of experience with the food industry, as she has been running her own restaurant for 12 years and working in restaurants her whole life. She currently balances her working time between the two locations, one in southwest Austin, and one in central Austin. After years of experience, Ruiz knows all about the difficulties that come with owning a restaurant, especially a small, local one, but she also knows all about the rewards that accompany it too. ?Staffing right now has been the hardest thing because we?re so small,? Ruiz said describing one of her restaurants biggest hardships.

?Wecannot compete with large restaurants? -RuizEspecially in a city as large as Austin, finding staff can be extremely difficult due to the amount of different places willing to hire. Anne-Lise Pham-Dimh, a native of France who is also co-owner and founder of Baguette et Chocolat, located in Bee Caves, agreed. When they first opened, they were always on the lookout for new, dedicated workers. ?We had to grow, we had to hire a baker? we had to hire a few more people and we had to buy much more equipment as well,? Pham-Dimh said in regards to her struggles when she first opened. Now, more so than ever, staffing is very difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New restrictions placed on work space limits the amount of workers allowed in a given space at once, and reduced business leading to reduced income, has led to not being able to pay for as many employees. Ruiz and Pham-Dimh both had different approaches to the situation that, of course, were not ideal, but were the best they could do given the situation. "We had to take hours away from a lot of the staff, but we wanted to keep

everybody, we did not want to let anybody go, so we tried to distribute hours evenly to everybody, so that we could keep them on payroll, keep them employed,? Ruiz said. Her restaurant also created new opportunities for her staff due to the increase in online and take-out orders. ?Right now I would say 50% of our business is to go orders and 50% is dine-in... We have people now specifically for taking phone orders and bagging orders. We did not have that before, we just had waiters, bartenders, bussers,? Ruiz said. Restaurants, and businesses in general, have had to adapt to in person restrictions. For many, this means offering online order options and low or no contact pickup. COVID-19 has caused declines in the amount of business places receive. Less business leads to less income, making it difficult for workplaces to continue as usual.

?Wehad to cut some of our staff because all of a sudden we went from lots of business to almost no business at all? -Pham-DimhHer restaurant had to let some staff go due to how abrupt their

Image provided by Baguette et Chocolat The pain au chocolat, regular and pain au raisin croissants are made fresh daily, alongside all other foods.

?When wehave peoplesaying they lovewhat you do, it just makes your day" -Pham-Dimh"You can make a mistake and that's not a good thing but it happens,? Pham-Dimh said. ?Sometimes people tell you ?this didn?t go as expected?and that?s never a good thing to hear. You take it very personally, so when someone tells you a compliment or ?this was really good?, or? text us that they had a good experience, we can't ask for more.?

business drop was. Like Ruiz, her restaurant also has adapted job-wise around the pandemic. ?We decided to put our menu online,? Pham-Dimh said. ?It was lots and lots of work to put our menu online? No more dine in, only to go? We get used to seeing people with masks. [We] wash our hands a thousand times a day. [We are] bringing orders to customers, to their cars.? On a more positive note, both restaurant owners can agree that running a business can be very rewarding and uplifting. When asked what the most rewarding part of owning a

restaurant was, Ruiz said ?I think meeting people and creating something unique that we make from scratch daily.? All the items on the menu at Hecho en Mexico are inspired by Ruiz?s childhood in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico, so her dishes are unique to herself and her culture. What inspired her to open a restaurant in the first place was ?loving the food [and] the culture? that her business is now based on. For Pham-Dimh, the most important part of owning a restaurant is getting appreciation and gratitude from customers.

Pham-Dimh and Ruiz pride themselves on always making sure to put their best work forward, because pleasing their customers is everything to them. They strongly believe in the common phrase, ?quality over quantity.? ?We [the restaurant] don?t have any attention, it?s very small, and we like it the way it is,? Pham-Dimh said. ?What we like is to have quality come first. As long as we can do quality we are happy. We don't want to be too big. We are very small and we try to do things as best as we can. We are very proud of doing everything here from scratch. As long as customers are happy with our work it makes our day.? Her restaurant is cozy, and the food must speak for itself, and

hard work is the best way to do that. Closer to the rush of Austin?s craziness, Ruiz must often compete with larger, well-known food companies. ?It?s about how you take care of your customer. You could have five tables at night per shift and you take really good care of them

then you?re gonna make really good money at that particular table. It doesn?t have to be twenty tables to make good money. It?s just the quality of service that you give your customers,? Ruiz Said Hecho en Mexico has two locations that are currently open during the pandemic. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 9 am -10 pm, and Friday and

Saturday from 10 am - 10 pm. They currently offer take-out and dine-in meals. Baguette et Chocolat has one location open in Bee Caves. They are open Wednesday through Saturday from 7am - 4pm, and Sundays from 8 am - 2 pm. They currently offer take-out and delivery to select zip codes.

?It doesn?t matter about thequantity of guests that comein but it?s about thequality,? -RuizMonica Ruiz and the other two co-owners and co-founders of Hecho en Mexico stand outside the Montopolis location of Hecho en Mexico. They partnered with the Sustainable Food Center (SFC) to help provide affordable groceries during the pandemic.

Image provided by Hecho en Mexico

in ust A ! An ri t e o v Fa

A Pr el ude By Nell Kaminski

To Tr uck Food Hot History For Sale 1691

1872

1917

New York City began to regulate street vendors selling food from push carts.

A horse drawn freight wagon becomes the first diner.

The US army begins using mobile canteens (field kitchens) to feed their troops.

1950

2006

2014

Ice cream companies began to sell their treats out of ice cream trucks.

Wikipedia added "food trucks" to their list of website entries.

The National Food Truck Association was formed.

Information provided by Mobile-Cuisine

Hey Cupcake!

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Quick Stop, Quick Facts!

Food trucks are motorized vehicles or trailers that sell and serve food. Some are equipped to make and prepare the food in the vehicle while others sell frozen or already made food. Food trucks are restaurants on wheels. You don't go to the food, the food comes to you. Food trucks are especially popular in Austin. They show up at outdoor events. There are even some food truck parks in Austin! One popular park is the Barton Springs Picnic, deep in the heart of downtown.

mu r a l s a r o u n d a u s t in h o w mur a l s a r o un d a ust in a f f ec t t h e c it y By Nitya Vergis

Image provided by Wiley Ross

Wiley Ross' mural at The Ranch at west 6th and 5th street.

s you drive through your

city, the chances are, you?ll see multiple murals. These murals are seen on the sides of restaurants, apartment complexes, cafes, bars and more. These murals are hard to miss, as most of them are very big and vibrant. Specifically, in Austin, it?s hard to miss many of the very famous murals scattered across town.

Todd Sanders is one of the artists that painted one of Austin?s most famous murals titled, Greetings From Austin. Sanders is the Roadhouse Relics shop owner, one of Austin?s landmarks, where he sells weathered, vintage-appearance neon signs. He opened Roadhouse Relics in 1997, and in the same year, the well-known ?Greetings from Austin?mural was painted on the south side of the building by Sanders alongside two other artists, Rory Skagen and Bill Brakkage. Murals are such an integral part of Austin; they all represent different things to different people. ?When I bought the [Roadhouse Relics] building in 1997, it was a crumbling old fruit stand that the roof had caved in on,? Sanders said.

"In trueSouth Austin spirit, the Greetings from Austin postcard mural was painted beforethecollapsed roof was replaced.? -SandersAs Sanders said, ?There are many murals in Austin, but this one represents the entire city with a pictorial representation of various

seen more as a tourist attraction. Many artists view Austin as a place they can showcase their work.

?I started sign painting while studying advertising and graphic design at Sam Houston State University. My mother influenced me to become an artist, and my father encouraged a work ethic,? Sanders said, ?During a spring break trip in 1990, I decided I would move to Austin. I moved here in 1992 and worked for a neon sign company.

Greetings from Austin Mural located on the side of the Roadhouse Relics building. Image provided by Roadhouse Relics

aspects and locations in the city that tourists and locals love. For tourists, it instantly identifies the city they are visiting.? To many people, the Greetings From Austin mural is used as a landmark, to others, it might be

While working there, I made my first vintage style neon piece as dĂŠcor for a local restaurant. In 1995, I opened the first neon studio dedicated to creating weathered, vintage-appearance neon signs.?

For artists, tourists and residents, Austin is a special and unique place. Artists may come to Austin for their career while tourists may come instead for the enjoyment and beauty.

?Yes, [ I seepeople stopping by to get pictures at the mural] every day. Sometimes with multipletour buses and lines for photos.? -Sanders-

Another famous mural in Austin is the Willie Nelson mural in Downtown Austin, near 7th and Neches Streets. The mural is a tribute to Willie Nelson, painted by artist and musician Wiley Ross. Willie Nelson is an American icon and a Texas native, so this mural is unique in many ways. Different artists have different styles of working. Some artists try to be socially relevant in current times while others strive towards aesthetics and timelessness. ?I try not to be too literal because it becomes dated? like they said in V for Vendetta, ?Artists use lies to tell the truth while politicians use them to cover the truth up,?? Ross said. While painting murals provides artistic satisfaction, it is a time-consuming task requiring patience and perseverance.

It is clear, from the attention it receives, this mural is very ?The Willie Nelson [mural] took popular. The intention of the mural was never to get so big as about a week just to [paint him]. It pretty much depends on how soon it did. the client needs it done,? Ross also said, with a laugh, he prefers to ?Absolutely never [thought the have a deadline to work towards, or mural would become as popular he?ll never get it done. ?Of course as it did]. We painted it for fun to I?m super proud of the Willie Nelson, showcase Rory & Bills mural but I think a lot of that is because it business." Sanders said is so well-known. One of [the murals] that I?m really proud of is Along with all its popularity, the the mural at the ranch on west sixth mural has meaning in the city; it and fifth. I?m proud of that one just because there was a lot of represents Austin uniquely. commitment for that one.?

When asked about his personal opinion on the importance of the mural to Austin,

?Therearemany murals in Austin, but this one represents theentire city with a pictorial representation of various aspects and locations in thecity that tourists and locals love. For tourists, it instantly identifies thecity they arevisiting.? -SandersRoss creates many murals based on clients?requirements and some home projects for his enjoyment. Artists have different connections to their work. Some artists create murals for their love of art, while some others do it as their livelihood. Ross said that he likes to work on unique projects around his

home in his free time. He uses ordinary objects to make sculptures, paints murals in his garage, and more. ?Usually, the mural that I?m most proud of is the one that I?m currently working on,? Ross said. ?If somebody bought a painting from me, as long as they paid

When asked about his message to those aspiring to do work like him, Ross shared profound advice that applies to anyone who desires to do something, not just aspiring artists.. ?Keep doing it, fail, and fail, and fail and just keep doing it. There

One of Wiley Ross' personal murals in his garage

me, I could watch them set it on

are so many people that could

fire, and I wouldn?t have a problem with it? [The mural] is just the product. Once it?s out, I just move on... Every once in a while, there will be a connection with my mural, but it won?t be necessarily more emotional or sentimental.?

do great things with their life

"You learn from your failures; failures area blessing actually.? -Wiley Ross-

Image provided by Wiley Ross

if they just didn?t give up? The more that you do something, the more probability you have. I just kept doing it. I mean, people give up so early, they take a couple of hits, and they?re done,? Ross said

a g u id e t o a u s t in mu r a l s

New to Austin? Here are all the best murals and places nearby!

SMILE! This fun uplifting mural is perfect for a picture and you can enjoy a nice big cupcake from Hey Cupcake! next to it.

Photo Courtesy of: Hey Cupcake!

Torchys Torchy's almost has a cult following. Enjoy a tex mex style taco in soco after a long day of exploring Austin.

Lovefrom Austin This cute mural is a great insta worthy shot right after you've indulged in some fun souvenir shopping at the local shop - Prima Dora.

Photo: Munna hive miner

Hey Cupcake Satisfy your sweet tooth with an iconic SoCo cupcake after taking a quick pic with the smile mural.

Greetings from Austin This mural is exactly that, a greeting from Austin. Stop by this mural and get a great pic.

Photo Courtesy of: Roadhouse Relics

Amy's IceCream This austin original Ice Cream shop is known for its famous mexican vanilla flavor. Enjoy some ice cream from here while on your SoCo adventure.

Loveyou so much This mural is easily the most popular in Austin. Get your picture by yourself or with your loved ones before stopping to grab a drink from Jo's coffee right after.

Photograph by Carmen M Fischer

Williefor Pres This funny, colorful mural on the side of a men's store proposes the country singer for president. After taking a look at this mural stop by Home slice and get a slice of their NY-style pizza. Delish!!

t h e h ea r t o f t ex a s ' h is t o r ic h a l l w a y s How the capitol building connects Texans to their history By Sylvia Randazzo s you walk through the doors of the Texas State Capitol, you are thrown back in time. You are standing where countless others have stood. Within these walls, laws have been passed that decide the fate of the entire state. In the rotunda, portraits of all the past governors surround you, and you can almost feel their presence.

The Texas State Capitol is located in downtown Austin, Texas, and has been standing there for over 100 years. The State Preservation Board has the job of restoring, maintaining, and preserving the capitol building, as well as the Capitol Visitors Center and the Governor's Mansion, to make sure it serves as a good look into Texas' history. The State Preservation Board also provides educational tours of the Capitol and Visitor's Center, targeted at an audience ranging from tourists, to long term Austinites, and to school children. Ali James is the Curator of the Capitol, and has worked for the

The Texas Capitol rotunda is one of the most serene places at the capitol. Looking up, visitors can see a sheet-metal star with lettering of the word "Texas" around it. Image provided by the State Preservation Board.

State Preservation Board for 29 years. She said that many different people go to the Capitol, and they are all welcome, but many students visit on field trips.

Texas.We see lots of school kids from Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. We even see some from as far away as the panhandle and all the way down toward the Rio Grande."

"We have a lot of different kinds of visitors to what we call Capitol Square," James said, "We actually see a lot of folks being bused in from schools all over

Although the fifth and seventh graders who are taking Texas History are some of the most common visitors to the Capitol, people from around the globe

also come. "We also see visitors from around the country," James said, "We literally have, every given year, someone from all of the 50 states. We certainly have all kinds of major countries from around the world. People especially from Germany, France, Great Britain. Certainly China, Korea. We have a lot of individuals from around the world to the point where we actually translate our brochures into multiple languages because it's just so great to be able to share the building and the site with people from around the world." As a result of the variety of people who visit the Capitol, there are many reasons why they

The Goddess of Liberty stands on top of the Texas Capitol Building. Image provided by the State Preservation Board.

go. "In terms of what they like best, I think that's going to depend on the individual and why they're visiting," James said, "We often hear the school children who come to visit really like the opportunity to see the Texas Senate and the Texas House actually discussing potential laws that they are hoping to pass. We see people from all over the state of Texas come and meet with their

The Austin skyline makes a beautiful background for the Capitol Building. Image provided by the State Preservation Board.

representatives. I think that you can probably find something to appeal to virtually any visitor from all walks of life." The Texas House of Representatives and Senate aren't the only things drawing people to the Capitol. "We have the corridors of the Capitol where people love to congregate," James said,"We have the rotunda, where we see the portraits of the governors of the state of Texas and the presidents of the Republic of Texas. One of my favorite places is the tour guide office, because it was the treasury of Texas." There are also many monuments located on the Capitol Grounds, many of which are meaningful to people.

"There are so many monuments," James said, "We have more than 20 on the grounds. And I think that they mean so much to so many people in different ways. The Alamo monument was actually placed in 1891. There's also a very meaningful monument, just catty corner from the Alamo monument, to volunteer firemen. It's a beautiful monument. There's a fireman at the top of the monument, holding a lantern. And the monument is more than 100

years old." Although the Capitol Building is very important to Texas history, a visit to Capitol Square wouldn't be complete without visiting the Capitol Visitor's Center. "We really tried to design the exhibits and the films in a way that would be kind of an introduction to Capitol Square," James said, "So that if you didn't happen to be a native Texan, or if you just had a couple of hours

The Capitol Visitors Center is a building full of history. Located on the Capitol Grounds, The Capitol Visitors Center provides visitors with a fun tour full of historic facts. Photo taken by Sylvia Randazzo.

to be at Capitol Square to learn about Texas history in the Capitol, it could really give you some answers to your questions." Elizabeth Garzone, who is the Tour Guide Trainer and has worked for the State Preservation Board for 13 years, talked about how every tour of Capitol Square is a unique experience, based on the interaction between the tour guide and the audience.

"Theoretically, every tour can be different because every audience is different," Garzone said, "You could go on a tour of the Capitol one day, and turn around the next day and go with someone else. You might go the same route. The underlying theme might be the same, but you're going to get a totally different experience because you have a different person and a different passion." In addition to the tours changing based on the audience or the tour guide, there are also plenty of specialized tours. "We have the women in Texas history tour," Garzone said, "We have Heroes of the Texas Revolution. We have trailblazing African American tours, Hispanic Heritage tours, an architectural tour, Artists of the Texas Capitol tour, and then we have seasonal tours. We have one that deals in November with Texas Veterans. We have one in December, that is our holiday tour." Although the Capitol and Grounds are currently closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, James and Garzone encouraged visitors to visit the State Preservation Board's website for activities and information about the Capitol.

"If you go to the Preservation Board website, the tsp.texas.gov, you'll notice that there are several online activities. We try to manage expectations, because normally we would love for people to come to the Capitol grounds, but they're just closed right now," James said, "Yeah, go online. That's as good as we get at the moment." This is the first time the Capitol has been closed to the public for an extended period. "This is unprecedented times," Garzone said, "I mean, they might have been closed a little bit during the Spanish flu pandemic, but I have never seen anything on that."

"This is unprecedented times" -Garzone-

Although we are in uncharted territory, the Capitol will continue to be a window into Texas' history. "The Texas Capitol has stood there through time, for 132 years, " Garzone said, "It's gone though snowstorms, heat. So it's gonna stand through this."

Everyone enjoys a different part of the Capitol, whether it's the monuments on the grounds, the senate and house, or the Visitor's Center, but many people think that the rotunda is the best place, with the portraits of the past governors spiraling up the walls. "I think my favorite part is actually the rotunda," Garzone said, "Not only the magnificence of it, but you're surrounded by all the governors and all the eyes of all the governors. And each governor tells a story of their period in history. So you could basically go back in time, all the way to the Texas revolution to the eyes of the men and the women on the wall." The capitol is a great view into history, but it's also breathtaking to realize how many people who affected history have been there before you. "When I go to work, I get in there, sometimes, before the buildings open to the public, so I'm walking down those corridors," Garzone said, "It's just me there, and I hear my footsteps in the hallway, and I'm alone. And it's almost like, who's walked these halls before me? And, what is their essence? Whose voices have echoed off the walls? It's pretty spectacular seeing that the building was completed in 1888. You've got giants of people that have worked there, the various governors and legislators and just very historic people. So it's awe inspiring."

Keep Aust in Bat t y By Sylvia Randazzo

Austin is well known for the colony of bats living under it's bridge in downtown. Many people love to spend dusk waiting for the stream of bats to emerge. A summer trip to Austin wouldn't be complete without watching the bats start their nightly hunt.

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People gather on Congress Avenue Bridge to watch the bats fly out from under it. Image provided by Sylvia Randazzo

The Mexican Free-tailed bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk and fly over the trees. Image provided by Sylvia Randazzo.

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The bats begin to fly from under the bridge just before the sun sets, and they can travel as far as the coast and back in a night. Photo courtesy of CultureMap Austin. Information courtesy of the Statesman, BatsInAustin.com, and pbs.

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