1__ 512 Rage Room
Get out your anger with a sledgehammer
Ever feel so angry you want to just smash something? Break dishes all night and not clean them up? Enter the rage room. Here, you can break TVs, laptops, printers, mirrors, furniture, appliances, and if you’re willing to drop the big bucks, even cars. Just rev yourself up, think of the person or thing you hate most, and have at it. Protective gear required. Owner Damon Fogley started the 512 Rage Room out of a warehouse, next door to his other business. He owns a franchise of JDog Junk Removal & Hauling, a company that empowers veterans and military families to run small businesses across the USA. 512 Rage Room similarly centers veterans. Fogley served in Iraq himself and believes “smash therapy” can be a helpful outlet for those coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sometimes we all need a place to deal with overwhelming feelings of anger, anxiety, and stress. When the veterans he works with at JDog had to break down a trashed piece of furniture or other big items, they always fought for the privilege. That’s where Fogley got the idea to expand. There’s something about the immersive experience of the Rage Room, Fogley explains, that people find therapeutic. It consumes all your senses: you hear the sound of stuff breaking, you see the shattered pieces, and you feel the force of your bat or sledgehammer or pickaxe against you. Then, after you’ve burned some calories and taken off your helmet, you can leave the memory of that feeling behind in that room. The staff says, “it’s literally been a big hit.” A new bar and lounge area just opened, where you can watch people unleash their rage, and it’s always been BYOB for drinks after you finish your session. And if one side of the business model is destruction, the other is creation. At the 512 Restoration Room, you can learn how to restore, refinish, and repurpose junk, while keeping it out of the landfill. 10
Address 395 County Road 202, Suite 17B, Kyle, TX 78640, +1 (833) 512-RAGE, www.512rageroom.com, contact@512rageroom.com | Getting there Drive 19 miles south of the lake on I-35, take exit 213 to Kyle, drive 4.5 miles down RM-150, turn left onto County Road 202 | Hours Thu, Fri, & Sun 3 – 11pm, Sat 2 – 11pm | Tip If you liked the force of a pickaxe, try axe throwing at Epic Fun (7101 W Highway 71, www.epicfun.com).
2__ AFS Cinema
Richard Linklater’s vision for Austin film
In 1985, a film lover named Richard Linklater gathered a group of “film freaks” together and started the Austin Film Society (AFS). They were young, inspired cinephiles who were crazy about film, and they all went on to work in the industry. But early on, they had no idea they were about to put Austin film on the map. The society started by screening hard-to-find, experimental films late at night in theaters on the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) campus and in a makeshift projection room above Quack’s Bakery. Over time, AFS grew into what it is today: a supportive hub for Austin filmmakers. In 2000, the organization opened up Austin Studios, a 20-acre production facility, where parts of True Grit, Idiocracy, and Friday Night Lights were shot. Life-changing grants from AFS fund emergent filmmakers in Texas to get their films and careers off the ground. All other contributions aside, the main game of AFS has always been screenings. The dream since the start was to launch a cinema, and in 2015, that dream became a reality. The bona fide AFS Cinema is a two-screen art house theater with crimson red curtains and classic, tasteful cinema design. The now-famous Linklater, who remains the artistic director of AFS, was heavily involved in the building’s renovation, and the features on the walls are a selection from his enormous poster collection. Here at the only dedicated repertory art house in the city, the programming is a combination of classics, first-run indie films, and foreign films. Guests at the cinema include many of Austin’s more prominent film industry names, like David and Nathan Zellner, Cat Kandler, Annie Silverstein, David Hartstein, Bradley Beesley, Bob Byington, Ivete Lucas, Patrick Bresnan, and Keith Maitland. The philosophy at AFS is that in order to be a film town, you need a great cinema and a connected community. This theater provides both. 12
Address 6406 N IH-35, Suite 3100, Austin, TX 78752, +1 (512) 686-3823, www.austinfilm.org/afs-cinema | Getting there Bus 7 or 10 to Airport / Highland; MetroRail to Highland; free parking | Hours See website for schedule | Tip Wander around Austin Public, the center for filmmakers where the city films public access television (1143 Northwestern Avenue, www.austinfilm.org/austin-public).
3__ The Alamo Drafthouse REDЯUM for Instagram
The Alamo Drafthouse is an Austin staple, a landmark movie theater known for its strict rules enforcing proper cinemagoing etiquette. Harsh videos play at the beginning of every film reminding audience members that talking, texting, and arriving late are unacceptable behaviors. Their big twist on the traditional movie theater experience is that heaping helpings of food and beverage are not just allowed, but encouraged – the theater doubles as a restaurant, and their menu is expansive. Try the shakes. Every Alamo Drafthouse offers great food, but the location on South Lamar is the only one that celebrates The Shining. A real-life replica of the carpet from the iconic horror film graces the entrance. Embrace your perverse obsession with one of the scariest movies of all time and imagine you are in the isolated, wintry Overlook Hotel. Jack and Wendy aren’t around, but you can act out the role of their son Danny. Really – the staff has a tricycle that’s always at the ready. If it’s not out, just ask them for it. You can take a turn pedaling around furiously, just the way young Danny zoomed through the corridors. A large, high-definition photograph of the hotel hallway serves as a perfect backdrop for a photo-op with The Shining. It’s visible periodically throughout the year when other posters for new releases aren’t covering it. The rest of the main entrance pops with movie magic too, with 8-foot-tall horror movie posters from the 1930s through the 1960s lining the walls, and massive spaceships and UFOs rescued from carnival rides hanging from the ceiling. A number of the Alamo Drafthouse locations have themes: others in Austin include Close Encounters of the Third Kind in Mueller, Planet of the Apes at Lakeline, and Little Shop of Horrors at Slaughter Lane. In Brooklyn, it’s King Kong to fit the New York story. Go snap a shot at every one in town. 14
Address 1120 S Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX 78704, +1 (512) 861-7040, www.drafthouse.com/austin/theater/south-lamar | Getting there Bus 3 or 803 to Lamar Square; fee parking available | Hours Daily, see website for schedule | Tip So you like horror and cabin fever, huh? Get yourself trapped in the escape room at Lockout Austin (1700 S Lamar, Suite 327, www.lockoutaustin.com).
4__ Allen’s Boots
Cowboy chic on the traveler’s street
A great pair of boots will pass through the hands of more than 150 artisans before it’s complete. They represent a passionate craft, and many are created in León, Mexico, aka the shoemaking capital of the world. You’ll find pairs like this at Allen’s Boots on South Congress, a street popular with tourists and locals alike. As the street changed, this shop has, too. While Allen’s still serves the local workman who lives in a good pair of Luccheses, the shop has become a popular attraction itself. Blake Abott, the general manager, says, “You couldn’t handpick a better location anywhere in the world.” When people walk through the doors for the first time, they usually stop and comment on the strong smell of leather. Then, they pause to take in the enormity of the store. The shop is Texas-sized, after all, and holds more than 10,000 pairs of boots at a time. This includes Allen’s private label brand of boots made just for the store, and you can find boots that are a work of art. But the shop isn’t only frequented by locals and travelers. Here, you’re in the boot shop for both the average Joe and for the stars. Allen’s is popular with people like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, and many more. Signed photos, and pictures of stars in their own pairs of boots from the shop line the wall behind the registers for all to see. If you’re trying to get rodeo-ready, you’re in luck. This store can cowboy you up from head to toe with quality western clothing, hats, belt buckles, and bolo ties. And if you want to take a closer look at Luccheses, they have a special store inside Allen’s Boots. The shop’s employees at both stores know their way around the essentials as well as specialty items, and they can help you find the perfect look for wherever the road takes you next. Is that going to be the rodeo, line dancing, or down the rest of South Congress? 16
Address 1522 S Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78704, +1 (512) 447-1413, www.allensboots.com, info@allensboots.com | Getting there Bus 1, 486, or 801 to SoCo | Hours Mon – Sat 9am – 8pm, Sun noon – 6pm | Tip Watch master boot makers at work at Texas Custom Boots (1601 S 1st Street, www.texascustomboots.com).
5__ Animatronic LBJ The man, the legend, resurrected
Thought you’d never see Lyndon B. Johnson alive in the 21st century? Think again. This life-sized animatronic version is the next best thing to the real deal – the late president moves while speakers play audio of him cracking jokes and telling stories from back on the ranch. The figure was designed in 1997 as part of a seasonal display at Neiman Marcus in Dallas. He gets his unsettling, lifelike mannerisms from the Sally Corporation, now the leading manufacturer of dark rides and ghost trains in amusement parks. All curiosities aside, the collection at the LBJ Presidential Library brings Texas’ most successful Democrat back to life. LBJ’s sense of humor and conversational skills were defining elements of his leadership, and his voice is all over the museum in recordings of old speeches and meetings. 1960s-era phones hang from the wall and invite you to listen in on telephone conversations between LBJ and J. Edgar Hoover, Martin Luther King Jr., and others. Lucky for us, the president secretly recorded many of his phone calls. During his presidency, the American public rarely saw his downto-earth jokester side. Instead, he was well known for the “Johnson treatment,” his persuasive tactic of towering over other politicians to intimidate them – he was 6'4'', after all. However, despite his imposing stature and sometimes domineering presence, those who worked closely with LBJ found him captivating, sincere, and effortlessly funny. There are theories as to why LBJ’s good side was seldom captured by the American media. First and foremost, many reporters couldn’t get past his thick country accent. Beyond that, LBJ was stubborn about his speeches, and he didn’t work well with the camera, so the television did him no favors. Nonetheless, in person he put on a grand show, and you can see many of his performances at the expansive presidential library. 18
Address 1607 San Jacinto Boulevard, Austin, TX 78701, + 1 (512) 474-1958, www.scholzgarten.com, scholzgartenevents@gmail.com | Getting there Bus 10 to Trinity; garage parking nearby | Hours Mon – Fri 11am – 10pm, Sat 6am – 10pm, Sun 7:30am – 8pm | Tip If you found a new love of beer gardens, head over to Banger’s for more sausage and beer (79 Rainey Street, www.bangersaustin.com).
85__ Servant Girl Annihilator On the trail of Austin’s first serial killer
In the early hours of December 30, 1884, the body of a young, Black cook was found in the snow outside the residence where she had been working. Her name was Mollie Smith, and she had been dragged outside and brutally murdered with an axe. This grisly attack would be far from the last, as only a few months later, another Black female cook was slain. While most Austin residents were struck with terror, William Sydney Porter, known more famously by his pen name O. Henry (see ch. 74), wrote in a letter to a friend that the “town is fearfully dull, except for the frequent raids of the Servant Girl Annihilators, who make things lively during the dead of night.” This passage was likely the origin of the murderer’s nickname. In 1885, a third girl was viciously slain across from what is now Scholz Garten (see ch. 84). The details of these crimes are as gruesome as those of Jack the Ripper, though these attacks predated the London killer by several years. The murders continued throughout the next year. While not all servants, every victim was Black. Officials took steps to investigate, but racism was prevalent, and many white Austinites believed it wasn’t their problem. That is until Christmas Eve 1885. On this night, two well-off white women were murdered, and a frenzy shook the town that should have erupted a year earlier. Reporters described what seemed like the entire town pouring into the streets, armed and outraged. The Christmas paper had a headline that read, “Blood! Blood! Blood!” After eight victims, there were no further murders attributed to the Servant Girl Annihilator. One suspect was arrested but freed, and another was shot. The identity of one of America’s first serial killers remains unknown to this day, but you can try your hand as a detective at the Austin History Center and look through reports, books, and newspaper clippings about the murders. 178
86__ Ski Shores Café
The waves bring you right up to the bar
When the Fowler family started Ski Shores Waterfront Café, they helped build the road that took you there. Marion Fowler had moved his family out to the edge of town in 1947, when the area had no electricity and was only accessible via dirt roads. In recent decades City Park Road has become more developed as Austin’s population has boomed, but in the 1950s, this spot along Lake Austin was a getaway for weekend and summer visitors who rented cabins from Marion. Knowing that guests would inevitably need a place to grab a bite, he and a fellow carpenter built Ski Shores as the neighborhood gathering place and grill. In 1954, Ski Shores opened its doors for the first time. It was really just a shack, or as Marion’s son Brad put it, “a glorified hot dog stand.” No matter – the locals loved it. They say it feels like being permanently on vacation at Ski Shores. Named because water skiers could easily come straight up from the lake, the beachfront burger stand still cooks the same fried catfish recipe that was on the menu the day it opened. About half the guests come up from the water in boats, which they can dock in the Ski Shores Marina, and the other half come from the road. John Kelso, famed columnist in the Austin American-Statesman, called Ski Shores “one of the few icons of Austin eatery establishments.” After it closed its doors in 2009, a local restaurant management company revived Ski Shores, keeping all its classic charms intact and adding a few new ones. Today, there’s a side room filled with vintage arcade games, including the 1980s Ms. Pac-Man, numerous toy-grabber claw machines, foosball, and air hockey. Fridays are family movie nights, and live bands play country and folk music on weekend afternoons. Kids can enjoy the beach-themed playground and watch the fish, turtles, swans, and ducks that venture up to the edge of the water to check out the action. 180
Address 2905 Pearce Road, Austin, TX 78730, +1 (512) 394-7511, www.skishoresaustin.com, info@skishoresaustin.com | Getting there West on RM 2222, turn left on City Park Road after crossing under Loop 360, drive 4.4 miles and turn left on Pearce Road, the docks are on your left in about 1 mile | Hours See website for seasonal hours | Tip Take waterskiing lessons on Lake Austin with Ski Life ATX (www.skilifeatx.com).
Kelsey Roslin is a writer who has contributed articles for publications including The Huffington Post, Bustle, Go World Travel, and more. She has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and convergent journalism from Metropolitan State University of Denver. A Colorado native, she moved to Texas to live with her best friend and still isn’t quite used to the heat. She loves crime podcasts and ghost stories. www.kelseyroslin.com
Nick Yeager grew up in North Austin, close to the Xiang Yun Temple and Yard Bar. He is a contributor to the Texas Observer and the Austin Chronicle and an activist for environmental and racial justice in the Austin area. He has a bachelor’s degree in American studies and queer studies from Wesleyan University and is a fan of maps of all sorts, public art, and the “1 Second Everyday” video app. What he really wants to do every day is swim and sit in the Austin sun, so he highly recommends that. www.nicyeager.com
Jesse Pitzler, after separating from the Marine Corps, started his journey as a photographer and cinematographer in Seattle, Washington. He moved to Austin in 2017 to experience the summer heat and continue his education. He has traveled across the United States, creating beautiful visuals for various mediums. As a certified Part 107 drone operator, Jesse is leveraging this new technology in creative and innovative ways. www.dearjesstastic.com