I am a mini-golf enthusiast. I love the low-stakes fun and attainable challenge of the game. It’s easy to play, which makes it good for groups of all ages. You’ll also find some fun, themed decor. Plus, the feeling of getting a hole-in-one is priceless. You’d never see me doing that on an actual golf course!

In the last few years, I made it a goal to try all the putt-putt spots in Austin, which is the best kind of research. This post features 10 Austin mini-golf courses, so check out this list and pick one (or all) to try!

Quick Notes

• While outdoor courses tend to be more spacious, they typically are not shaded, so plan accordingly.
• You’ll typically get a paper scorecard at the entrance to keep track.
• The course difficulty rating I used is out of 3: 1 = easy, 2 = slightly challenging, 3 = challenging.
• The Dirdie Birdie and Holey Moley are the busiest courses, but you can make reservations. Popstroke is also one of the busiest but does not have reservations.

Austin’s / Putt Vegas at REVL (Pflugerville)

I love that Austin’s has multiple course options. With two outdoor courses and one indoor course, you’ll get your fill of putt putt. The outdoor courses are spacious and varied.

The REVL area is more upscale and adult-oriented, with a bar and big-screen TVs for sports, but it is part of Austin’s complex. This is where you’ll find Putt Vegas. Each hole is on a platform, and you’ll keep score on the touchscreen monitors at each hole, the only spot in Austin with a digital scorecard!

• Setting: Outdoor and indoor
• Number of holes: Two 18-hole courses outdoors, One 12-hole course indoors – Putt Vegas
• Par: Not noted but I would guess each hole is 2
• Course difficulty: 2
• Mini-golf cost per person: $8 for outdoor courses, $12 for the indoor course (pricing varies if you get an unlimited attractions wristband)
• Other amenities: Venue also has arcade games, carnival rides, laser tag, bowling, and more
• Food: bar, grill, and weekend buffet
• Parking: Large free parking lot
• Address: 16231 N Interstate Hwy 35, Pflugerville, TX 78660

The Dirdie Birdie

The Dirdie Birdie is a fun, interactive course. Each hole has its gimmick, from putting past a windmill on a replica of the Texas Capitol to a Rube Goldberg hole. The course is a bit challenging, but I love the creativity. This spot at the Domain has a bar and restaurant attached.

• Setting: Indoor
• Number of holes: 12
• Par: 31ish
• Course difficulty: 3
• Mini-golf cost per person: $18
• Food: Restaurant and bar attached
• Parking: Free garage
• Address: 10910 Domain Dr, Suite 120, Austin, TX 78758

Duke’s Adventure Golf

When I think of a classic course, Duke’s Adventure Golf is what I envision. A spacious course with water features and just enough difficulty to make you feel accomplished and challenged.

• Setting: Outdoor
• Number of holes: 18
• Par: 36
• Course difficulty: 2
• Mini-golf cost per person: $9 for adults, $6 for kids 5 and under
• Food: Food truck next door serving tacos and shaved ice
• Parking: Free parking lot
• Address: 1716 E Slaughter Ln, Austin, TX 78747

Holey Moley Golf Club

Holey Moley Golf Club comes from Australia and has quickly opened several locations in the U.S. Each hole has a theme, like grandma’s house, complete with a wallpapered restroom or the space hole that feels like you’re putting on the moon.

• Setting: Indoor
• Number of holes: Three 9-hole courses
• Par: Each course is 27
• Course difficulty: 3
• Mini-golf cost per person: Mon-Thurs: $14 for one course, $22 for two courses, $26 for three courses; Fri-Sun: $15 for one course, $27 for two courses, $36 for three courses
• Kid note: Under 21 allowed until 8 pm daily
• Other amenities: Karaoke, live music, space for big groups
• Food: In-house bar and restaurant
• Parking: Street
• Address: 807 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78702

Main Event

If you’re looking for something easy, Main Event is the choice. This indoor course feels a bit narrow at some holes, but the black lights and glowing features are cool. However, the course feels low-budget. Even in the glow, you can tell pieces of the course have fallen apart.

• Setting: Indoor
• Number of holes: 18
• Par: 40
• Course difficulty: 1
• Mini-golf cost per person: $10
• Other amenities: Venue also has arcade games, laser tag, and billiards
• Food: In-house bar and restaurant
• Parking: Free parking lot
• Address: 13301 US-183 Hwy, Austin, TX 78750

Memorial Miniture Golf (Buda)

If you like military history, you’ll enjoy the special plaques and iconic war images at each hole. This is a hard course due to the many random slopes and bumps. The holes could be a little more interesting, and the slopes add a little excitement/frustration.

• Setting: Outdoor
• Number of holes: 18
• Par: 60
• Course difficulty: 3
• Mini-golf cost per person: $14 for adults; $10 for veterans, military, seniors, and kids 4-12 years old; free for kids 3 years old and under
• Other amenities: Each hole has a plaque that gives more information on a significant military event
• Food: None
• Parking: Free parking lot
• Address: 1710 N Farm to Market 1626, Buda, TX 78610

Monster Mini Golf (Round Rock)

This chain has locations all over the U.S. and Canada. Their glow-in-the-dark course has spooky decor.

• Setting: Indoor
• Number of holes: 18
• Course difficulty: 2
• Mini-golf cost per person: $13 for adults; $11 for kids, seniors, military, and college students
• Other amenities: Arcade games, laser tag, and bowling
• Food: None
• Parking: Free parking lot
• Address: 3916 Gattis School Rd, Round Rock, TX 78664

Peter Pan Mini Golf

An Austin classic, Peter Pan Mini Golf has been open since 1948. Here you’ll find many fun sculptures. The east course is supposed to be easier than the west course. Because of its central location, this course gets a bit busier than the others.

• Setting: Outdoor
• Number of holes: Two 18-hole courses
• Course difficulty: 2
• Mini-golf cost per person: $11 for one course or $17 for two courses per adult, $8 for one course or $14 for two courses for kids 5 and younger
• Other amenities: BYOB
• Food: None
• Parking: Free parking lot but small and gets full quickly
• Address: 1207 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704

Popstroke

This national mini-golf chain, co-owned by Tiger Woods, opened its Austin location in 2025. Unlike the others on this list, there are no gimmicks or obstacles, and it visually mimics a golf course. The challenge is provided through hills and “sand pits.”

Popstroke does not have reservations, and the pace can be slow during a busy time. It was busy on a Saturday night; it took 3.5 hours to play both courses.

• Setting: Outdoor
• Number of holes: Two 18-hole courses
• Par: Both courses are 41
• Course difficulty: 4
• Mini-golf cost per person: $30 for adults, $20 for kids, $24 for seniors and military
• Other amenities: Venue also has pickleball, table tennis, sand volleyball, and lots of seating and big screens for watching sports
• Food: In-house restaurant and ice cream window
• Parking: Free parking lot
• Address: 13000 Harris Ridge Blvd, Austin, TX 78753

The farthest spots on this list are in Buda and Round Rock, and farther out, Centex Mini Golf is in Georgetown if you want another option.

Looking for more fun activities in Austin? Check out these posts:

• Best Places for Creative Classes and Art Workshops in Austin
• How to Host a Fabulous Wig Party at Coco Coquette
• 10 Fun Austin Bachelorette Party Activities

The post Best Spots to Play Mini-Golf in Austin appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Blue Genie Art Bazaar has long been one of my favorite places to shop during the holidays. They moved into their current location off Airport Blvd, across from the ACC Highland campus a few years ago. Did you know over 400 artists apply to be a vendor each year? About 200 are chosen and all are local to Austin or regional.

What I love about Blue Genie Art Bazaar is shopping for many local artists in one place! I’ve discovered many of my favorite artists/companies and found a lot of great gifts at the bazaar. Where you spend your money makes a difference, so I encourage you to keep your money local.

Blue Genie Art Bazaar also has an online shop for those who don’t want to shop in person. You can have it shipped to you or pick it up in person.

Ok, I’m sure you’re curious about my top picks! I could easily find something at every booth, but here are 29 booths you might like.

For crafty fun:

• A Brighter Year – coloring books and things
• Mountains of Thread – embroidery kits

For fun things:

• Kathyphantastic – stickers, magnets, and cards
• Jollie Ollie – hair things, drink sleeves, and more
• Cake Shack – fake cake

For art and art goods:

• Felice House – Western and nature art
• Regone Studios – prints of your favorite Austin restaurants
• Tawa Threads Co – colorful art inspired by National Parks
• Victrola Designs – cool prints
• Live Oak Glassworks – stained glass
• Kimball Prints – funny dish towels
• Wanderlight – light up nature scenes

For gifts that are food or food-related:

• Madhu Chocolate sells chocolate and I love their chai tea
• Southern Concoctions makes cocktail kits
• KESSHO has Asian-inspired bean-to-bar chocolate

For wearables that aren’t jewelry:

• Espacio ATX leather goods and hats
• Popfizzcheers for hair accessories

For house decor:

• Horsemen Co is for plant lovers
• Authenticaa makes metal ornaments that come with cute cards
• Boyd’s Custom Fabrication for candle holders and woodwork
• The Gardener’s Wife has dried flowers
• StipplePOP has some very cute ornaments

For jewelry: 

• Rebekah Vinyard Jewelry – delicate statement pieces
• Mimi’s Origamis – folded origami
• Asa and Rae – pretty clay
• Aylsbury Street – clay jewelry
• Charity Ridpath – recycled plastic folders
• Indigo & Lily Co – pressed flowers

For things that smell good:

• Latika – soap and lotion

If you want more ideas, here’s the full list of exhibitors.

One last bonus: there is free parking available in the nearby parking lots! Hoorah!

I hope you shop locally this holiday season!

Need more gift ideas?

• See this previous Blue Genie Art Bazaar post for more vendors.
• Check out my BIG Holiday Gift Guide!

The post Local Holiday Shopping at Blue Genie Art Bazaar appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

It’s one of my favorite places to shop because they curate the vendors and showcase hundreds of local Austin and regional artists and artisans. May Market Fridays through Sundays through May 29, 2023, so put it on your schedule to stock up on gifts. It’s free to attend and they have lots of free parking.

I visited the first weekend the market opened and spotted some of my favorite vendors and some new favorites! I won’t share what I ended up purchasing because most are gifts I’ll soon give, but I know you’ll find plenty of options as I did.

Here are 18 artists/booths to check out when you go to May Market.

Espacio Handmade

This artist is focused on leather products, like keychains, luggage tags, and plant holders. I love the clever ways they incorporate leather.

Little Wonder Co

I love how this artist takes their illustrations and puts them on fun things like tote bags and pennant flags. I especially like their Austin Is Cool book for kids.

KathyPhantastic

Of course, I have to give a shout-out to my friend Kathy of KathyPhantastic. She watercolors designs and makes them into stickers, magnets, note cards, art prints, and tea towels. She always has something new! I love that many designs are Asian-related, like a bowl of ramen or an egg tart.

A Brighter Year

A twist on coloring books, A Brighter Year has coloring stickers and mini coloring books. It’s a great activity option for kids.

MGS Arts

I loved their wood ornaments that look like stained glass. It’s a cute decoration!

Danika Ostrowski

These natural landscapes are beautiful, but I also love that they’ve been made into puzzles.

Freeleaf

I was loving this artist focused on rope. The hanging woven decor pieces vary in size and the woven plant pot holders are a great decor piece.

Rebekah Vinyard

A Blue Genie regular, Rebekah Vinyard’s jewelry is minimalistic yet statement. I like her ear jackets.

Victrola Design

I love Victrola Design’s screenprinted designs. The art would look great hung up or notecards would be a nice surprise in the mail.

Landry McMeans

I’ve long admired these art prints. The triptych sets would be a great statement piece.

Nohemi Wood Designs

I love this wood art! It’s made with various colored layers pieced together.

A Real Peach

I loved these art prints of flora and fauna.

The Happy Hooker

Maybe one day I’ll learn to crochet, but until then, I’ll greatly admire The Happy Hooker’s collection of goods. How cute are the ice cream keychains or the flower earrings?

Que Rico

So many funny designs at Que Rico. You’ll find them on t-shirts, koozies, mugs, bandanas, and hats.

Kaleidobloom

This artist plants flowers in her garden and then makes them into art. You’ll find originals and prints here.

Studio Orch

This artist creates her art through printing. Love the cutesy designs like the VW vans and animal butts.

Frankie Jean

While Frankie Jean does have their own shop, you can shop the popular hats here! They also have more than hats – art prints, banners, and tote bags also.

Sweet Thyme Design

So many fun gifts at this booth. You’ll find embroidery kits, decorative spoons, colorful bandanas, earrings, and more.

Go visit to see all of the vendors! There are many more options for art, jewelry, and more.

Blue Genie Art Bazaar May Market
Friday-Sunday, April 28 – May 29, 2023
6100 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 
https://bluegenieartbazaar.com/may-market/

The post 18 Artists to Check Out at Blue Genie Art Bazaar’s May Market appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Austin is very blessed to have an abundance of craft beer options, and it has grown incredibly since I first wrote about my love of craft beer in 2012. Back then, it was easy to have a goal of visiting all the breweries. Now, I consistently have at least 10 breweries to visit because new breweries are always opening. It’s a great problem to have. This list has 62 Austin brewery locations!

Must-Visit Breweries in Austin

Ok, now you’re thinking, 62 breweries?! I only need one or two recommendations! Let me narrow it down for you with a quick list.

• Jester King Brewery – Known for its beautiful acres of land and its farmhouse and barrel-aged ales. GOAT? Yes, they have goats!
• Austin Beerworks – Known for its artistic cans and fun beers
• Pinthouse – If you love IPAs and pizza. They have multiple locations
• Meanwhile Brewing – Hill Country vibes in the city and has the best selection of food trucks
• Austin Beer Garden Brewing (AGBG) – They won best brewpub three years in a row at the Great American Beer Festival along with multiple awards for their beers
• Zilker Brewing Company – I’m consistently impressed with the number of beers they release. IPA lovers should try Heavenly Daze.

Austin Brewery Crawls

You can join a brewery tour company for your beer shindig, but to be entirely in control of where we go, when we go, etc., and make it as affordable as possible, I suggest renting a bus or finding a designated driver. You can easily hop to a few breweries to try out their beers.

In the brew-borhood of North Austin, you’ll find five breweries in a two-mile radius.

In the Hill Country, Jester King Brewery, Beerburg Brewing, and Last Stand Brewing Company are all on Fitzhugh Road and very close to each other.

In South Austin, you’ll find proximity between Meanwhile Brewing, Independence Brewing Co, and Pinthouse. Across I-35, St. Elmo Brewing Company, (512) Brewing Company, and Vacancy Brewing are within walking distance.

I also recommend the Red Line Brewery Tour by taking the Capital MetroRail to visit different areas. There are six rail stops that will get you to eight breweries. The stops are usually two or three blocks away. Here’s the list:

• Kramer Station: Circle Brewing Company and Hopsquad Brewing Co
• Crestview Station: Black Star Co-op Pub & Brewery
• Highland Station: The Brewtorium Brewery & Kitchen
• MLK Station: Oddwood Ales
• Plaza Saltillo Station: Zilker Brewing Company and Lazarus Brewing
• Downtown Station: Central District Brewing

Below, the breweries are divided by area, and at the bottom of this post is a handy map of all the Austin breweries. Having a food option is important for breweries and I’ve noted if a brewery has a permanent food truck or an in-house kitchen.

I’ve included an * for my favorites/recommendations in each area.

Please check brewery websites and social media accounts before visiting for the most current updates and hours!

North Austin Breweries

I’m slightly biased because the North Austin Breweries are the closest to where I live – this is my favorite area for a brewery crawl. These breweries also have solid food trucks!

1. *Austin Beerworks
Address: 3009 Industrial Terrace, Austin, TX 78758
Website: http://austinbeerworks.com/
Food: Can-tina (In-house taco truck)

2. Celis Brewery
Address: 10001 Metric Blvd. Austin, Texas 78758
Website: https://www.celisbeers.com/
Food: Backdraft Pizzeria (pizza)

3. *Hopsquad Brewing Co
Address: 2307 Kramer Ln, Austin, TX 78758
Website: http://hopsquad.com/
Food: Dough Squad

4. *Big Country Organic Brewing Co
Address: 2400 Patterson Industrial Dr, Pflugerville, TX 78660
Website: https://www.bigcountrytaproom.com/
Food: In-house kitchen for burgers, tacos, wings

Central/Downtown Austin Breweries

This is my second favorite area to visit for breweries. Zilker Brewing Company and Lazarus Brewing Co. are within walking distance from each other on East 6th and both have solid beers.

1. Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches
Address: 3220 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78723
Website: https://www.batchatx.com/
Food: kolaches and klobasneks

2. Black Star Co-op
Address: 7020 Easy Wind Dr, Austin, TX 78752
Website: https://blackstar.coop/
Food: In-house burgers and snacks

3. Blue Owl Brewing
Address: 2400 E Cesar Chavez St #300, Austin, TX 78702
Website: http://blueowlbrewing.com/
Food: across the street from La Barbecue

4. The Brewtorium
Address: 6015 Dillard Cir A, Austin, TX 78752
Website: http://thebrewtorium.com/
Food: In-house kitchen with German-inspired snacks

5. Central District Brewing
Address: 417 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701
Website: http://centraldistrictbrewing.com/

6. Central Machine Works Brewery
Address: 4824 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
Website: https://www.cmwbrewery.com/
Food: In-house sandwiches and pizza

7. Hi Sign Brewing
Address: 730 Shady Ln, Austin, TX 78702
Website: http://www.hisignbrewing.com/
Food: Burro Cheese Kitchen (grilled cheese)

8. Holdout Brewing
Address: 1208 W 4th St, Austin, TX 78703
Website: https://holdoutbrewing.com/
Food: In-house burgers

9. *Lazarus Brewing Company
Address: 1902 E 6th St, Austin TX 78702 and 4803 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751
Website: http://www.lazarusbrewing.com/
Food: In-house tacos and Mexican

10. *Oddwood Ales
Address: 3108 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78723
Website: https://www.oddwoodales.com/
Food: In-house pizza

11. *Pinthouse
Address: 4729 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78756
Website: https://pinthousepizza.com/
Food: In-house pizza

12. Southern Heights Brewing Co.
Address: 6014 Techni Center Dr, Ste 2-101, Austin, TX 78721
Website: http://www.southernheightsbrewing.com/

13. The Stay Put
Address: 73 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
Website: https://www.stayputbrewery.com/
Food: Nearby food trailers on Rainey St

14. *Zilker Brewing Co.
Address: 1701 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
Website: http://www.zilkerbeer.com/
Food: Spicy Boys Chicken (fried chicken and Thai)

West Austin Breweries

1. Infamous Brewing Company
Address: 4602 Weletka Dr, Austin, TX 78734
Website: http://www.infamousbrewing.com/
Food: In-house snacks

2. Oasis Texas Brewing Company
Address: 6550 Comanche Trail #301, Austin, TX 78732
Website: http://otxbc.com/
Food: In-house burgers and salads

Hill Country Breweries

This area on West 290 is popping up with breweries like wildfire! These breweries are located in Dripping Springs, Driftwood, and Cedar Valley. With plenty of land out here, there’s a lot of room to build a brewery setup and create a destination for guests to enjoy the Hill Country. You’ll find many breweries on Fitzhugh Road.

1. 12 Fox Beer Co
Address: 4700 W Fitzhugh Rd, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Website: https://12foxbeer.com/
Food: In-house barbecue

2. Acopon Brewing Co
Address: 211 W. Mercer St., Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Website: http://www.acoponbrewing.com/

3. Bell Springs Brewing Company
Address: 3700 Bell Springs Rd, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Website: https://www.bellspringsbrewing.com/
Food: In-house snacks and sandwiches

4. Family Business Beer Company
Address: 19510 Hamilton Pool Rd, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Website: https://familybusinessbeerco.com/
Food: In-house pizza truck

5. Fitzhugh Brewing
Address: 15435 Fitzhugh Rd, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Website: https://www.fitzhughbrewing.com/
Food: In-house bar food, pizza, salads

6. Ghost Note Brewing
Address: 23663 Ranch Road 12, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Website: https://www.ghostnotebrewing.com/
Food: Betty Mae’s Gulf Coast Kitchen (seafood, cajun/creole)

7. Hitmaker Brewing Company
Address: 11160 Circle Dr, Austin, TX 78736
Website: https://www.hitmakerbrewing.com/

8. *Jester King Brewery
Address: 13187 Fitzhugh Rd, Austin, TX 78736
Website: http://jesterkingbrewery.com/
Food: In-house pizza

9. Last Stand Brewery
Note: they also have a location in South Austin
Address: 12345 Pauls Valley Rd, Austin, TX 78737
Website: http://www.laststandbrewing.com/
Food: In-house sandwiches, bar food

10. Suds Monkey
Address: 1032 Canyon Bend Dr, Ste A, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Website: https://sudsmonkeybrew.com/
Food: In-house pizza

11. Twisted X Brewing Company
Address: 23455 W RR 150, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Website: https://www.twistedxbrewing.com/

12. Vista Brewing
Address: 13551 Ranch to Market Rd 150, Driftwood, TX 78619
Website: https://vistabrewingtx.com/
Food: In-house snacks and sandwiches

South Austin Breweries

1. (512) Brewing Company
Address: 407 Radam Ln, Austin, TX 78745
Website: http://www.512brewing.com/

2. The ABGB (Austin Beer Garden Brewing)
Address: 1305 W Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
Website: https://theabgb.com/
Food: In-house pizza and sandwiches

3. Hi Sign Brewing
Address: 730 Shady Ln, Austin, TX 78702
Website: http://www.hisignbrewing.com/
Food: Burro Cheese Kitchen (grilled cheese)

4. Independence Brewing Co.
Address: 3913 Todd Ln #607, Austin, TX 78744
Website: http://independencebrewing.com/
Food: Hajima Street Kitchen (Korean)

5. Last Stand Brewing
Note: they also have a location outside of Austin, listed under Hill Country
Address: 7601 S Congress, Building 6, Austin, TX 78745
Website: https://www.laststandbrewing.com/
Food: In-house kitchen serving bar snacks

6. *Live Oak Brewing Company
Address: 1615 Crozier Ln, Del Valle, TX 78617
Website: http://liveoakbrewing.com/
Food: The Black Forest (German comfort food)

7. *Meanwhile Brewing
Address: 3901 Promontory Point Dr, Austin, TX 78744
Website: https://www.meanwhilebeer.com/
Food: Besame (ice cream), Distant Relatives (barbecue), Pueblo Viejo (tacos), Side Eye Pie (pizza), Songbird (sandwich/salad)

8. Nomadic Beerworks
Address: 3804 Woodbury Dr, Suite A, Austin, TX 78704
Website: https://www.nomadicbeerworks.com/
Food: In-house panini sandwiches

9. *Pinthouse
Address: 4236 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704 and 2201 E Ben White Blvd, Austin, Texas 78741
Website: https://pinthousepizza.com/
Food: In-house pizza

10. *St. Elmo Brewing Company
Address: 440 E St Elmo Rd G-2, Austin, TX 78745
Website: http://www.stelmobrewing.com/
Food: Spicy Boys Chicken (fried chicken and Thai)

11. Vacancy Brewing
Address: 415 E St Elmo Rd 1-D2, Austin, TX 78745
Website: https://vacancybrewing.com/
Food: SXSE Food Co (Southeast Asian) – See Chef’s Tasting here

North Austin Suburb Breweries

Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Liberty Hill, Taylor, Georgetown – they like beer too! I have a few left to visit in this area, but so far my favorites are Bluebonnet Beer Company and Rentsch Brewery.

1. Barking Armadillo Brewing
Address: 507 River Bend, Georgetown, TX 78628
Website: https://barkingarmadillo.com/
Food: Rotating food trucks

2. *Bluebonnet Beer Company
Address: 1700 Bryant Dr #107, Round Rock, TX 78664
Website: https://bluebonnetbeerco.com/
Food: Rotating food trucks

3. Bull Creek Brewing
Address: 7100 FM 3405, Liberty Hill, TX 78642
Website: http://www.bullcreekbrewing.com/

4. *Pinthouse
Address: 2800 Hoppe Trail, Round Rock, TX 78681
Website: https://pinthousepizza.com/
Food: In-house pizza

5. Red Horn Coffee House and Brewing Co
Address: 13010 W Parmer Ln #800, Cedar Park, TX 78613
Website: https://redhornbrew.com/
Food: In-house sandwiches

6. *Rentsch Brewery
Address: 2500 NE Inner Loop Ste 3105, Georgetown, TX 78626
Website: https://rentschbrewery.com/
Food: Rotating food trucks

7. San Gabriel River Brewery
Address: 500 Chaparral Dr, Liberty Hill, TX 78641
Website: http://www.sangabrielriverbrewery.com/home

8. Slackers Brewing Co
Address: 12233 Ranch Rd 620 N #204, Austin, TX 78750
Website: https://slackersbrewing.com/
Food: In-house sandwiches and snacks

9. Strange Land Brewery
Address: 2500 NE Inner Loop, Georgetown, TX 78626 (they share a location with Rentsch Brewery)
Website: https://strangelandbrewery.com/

10. Texas Beer Co.
Address: 201 N Main St, Taylor, TX 76574
Website: https://www.texasbeerco.com/

11. Whitestone Brewery
Address: 601 E Whitestone Blvd, Suite #500, Cedar Park, TX 78613 and 15390 W State Hwy 29, Liberty Hill, Building 2 & 3, TX 78642
Website: http://www.whitestonebrewery.com/
Food: Van’s Damn Tasty Tacos & Ronburguesas (tacos and burgers)

Austin Brewery Map

Use this Austin brewery guide to find a brewery near you!

• Blue = North Austin
• Green = Central/Downtown
• Red = South
• Purple = Hill Country
• Orange = West
• Yellow = North Austin Suburbs

What’s your favorite craft brewery in Austin?

Save this post for later!

The post Ultimate Austin Brewery Guide appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

A few years ago, I embarked on a year-long farm-to-table challenge to discover local foods and learn about the people that produced them. This resulted in picking peaches, playing with goats, and being a beekeeper, among many other experiences. (See it all here.) I knew I would continue exploring local growers beyond that year and in early April, I had the chance to visit a flower farm in Austin.

I am very particular about flowers. This stemmed from a season of working at a floral design company where I made wedding arrangements and statement arches. From then on, I knew exactly what flowers I wanted for my wedding, and I gained an appreciation for the beauty and art of flowers.

With my recent visit to Grassdale, a local flower farm, I was able to merge my passion for local farms and my love of flowers!

Get ready for lots of pretty flower pictures!

Why Support Local Flowers

Similar to my posts about supporting farm-to-table and local farmers, supporting local flowers focuses on the people in your neighborhood. Supporting local flower growers means…

1. You’ll support your local farmer

Farm work is non-stop hard work. Farmers contend with the natural elements like weather and bugs while keeping up with the daily needs of growing. For a flower farmer, it’s a constant cycle of seeding, tending, harvesting, and selling. Farming is a passion and without farmers, our agricultural system would fall apart. Buying from small, independent, and local farmers means you’re supporting their livelihoods and keeping money in the local economy.

2. You’ll learn about seasonality and different varieties

Grassdale grows flowers year-round, and certain weather means specific types of flowers. On my visit, I learned about the quick, short months of ranunculus season, and the way the farm has tested different flowers and methods to fit the hard Texas soil and Texas summer heat. What shows up at the farmers’ market for sale may not be what you expected because of the season or any farm issues that happened during the week, but you can expect some beautiful, thoughtfully grown blooms.

3. You’ll support the environment

Where do I start with this one?! The majority of flowers, especially ones found around holidays like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, are grown outside of the U.S. This means they travel a long way to get to your home, which means emissions of air pollutants from many planes and trucks. The ideal timing is from the field to the vase in three to five days, which means flowers are shipped daily. 

As you can imagine, with large-scale farms, pesticides are heavily used to ensure a perfect product, and they are exposed to everyone in the process, from farmworkers to you.

Other issues about flowers grown in other countries include child labor, exposure to toxins, and unfair pay. Read more about environmental and human impact in this Smithsonian Magazine article and this TED article.

4. You’ll get better flowers

Mass-produced flowers are bred to grow strong, produce the best color, and withstand the long trip to your store. They’re bred for hardiness. In breeding, other characteristics, like fragrant smells, are naturally bred out. Because many local farmers are organic, you’re getting flowers that are authentic to their original form (or closer) and with little to no pesticides. Don’t forget to smell the flowers!

Next time you go to the farmers’ market or need flowers, look for a local farmer.

Visiting Grassdale, an Austin Flower Farm

I had noticed Petals, ink at the farmers market and naturally, decided to learn more about them online. After following them for a while, I saw they opened up tickets for farm tours, so I jumped at the chance to visit.

Grassdale is located about 25 minutes from Downtown Austin. We meandered around the farm as founder Gretchen O’Neil told us more about her story. Inspired by growing up around flowers and working on a small flower farm in Vermont, Gretchen continued working with flowers when she moved to Texas. She was living downtown when the seven-acre lot in Manor went on the market in 2015. She took a chance and needless to say, the farm and her floral company, Petals, ink, blossomed.

With Darlin the farm cat following behind, we explored the field of bluebonnets and wildflowers and rows of ranunculus, sweet peas, anemones, delphinium, and poppies. I learned about a new flower – butterfly ranunculus, whose petals seem to glimmer.

When you visit, don’t forget to say hi to the donkeys! They are very happy about being fed carrots.

The final thing to do after exploring the farm is to pick a bouquet to take home! These pretty blooms brightened up our house.

How to Find Local Flowers

Let’s put what we learned into action! As I’ve mentioned previously, the easiest way to find local flowers is to check your farmers’ market vendors. That’s how I found Grassdale. They sell their flowers as Petals, ink at the farmers market.

In the Austin area, you’ll find these in addition to Grassdale:

• Good Juju Flower Farm (Austin)
• Prickly Pair Flower Farm (Lampasas)
• Arnosky’s Texas Specialty Cut Flowers (Blanco)
• Wild Vine Floral (Austin)
• Winkelmann Flowers ​​(San Marcos)
• Barton Hill Farms (Bastrop)

In the Fredericksburg area, you’ll find Windmill Meadow Farm and Wildseed Farms.

I hope you get some local flowers to enjoy and brighten up your house!

The post 4 Reasons to Support Local Flowers + My Cheery Austin Flower Farm Tour appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

For January, I started easily with “watch a foodie show.”

And easy it was! There are so many food shows out there, from competitions to travel shows, on every streaming service. I’ve been watching food-focused shows for years and they’re a good stress relief and inspiration source. Here is a sampling of the many food shows out there.

Chef’s Table (Netflix)

If you love chef stories and fancy food, Chef’s Table is your show. You’ll see plenty of celebrity chefs, learn about what inspires them, visit their award-winning restaurants, and ogle some slow-motion food shots. Get excited about future travel by learning about a restaurant. There’s also a Chef’s Table BBQ if you love barbecue! I loved seeing the episode about Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, Texas and hope to visit one day.

Great British Baking Show (Netflix)

This show is really fun! Take a group of home chefs, make them bake familiar and unfamiliar things, and send them home one by one until you find the best of them. First aired in 2010, the Great British Baking Show is one of many competition shows and appeals to me because I like baking more than cooking. You’ll see a lot of interesting baked goods from around the world. But be warned, you’ll be itching to bake something after a few episodes!

Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles (Prime Video)

Something a little different for this list, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles is a documentary. It follows Chef Yotum Ottolenghi as he produces an art-inspired food event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Five pastry chefs from around the world are brought to the event to create a unique display inspired by the gardens of Versailles. I would have liked more food shots, but it was interesting to learn about these chefs and see them in action. This documentary made me miss food events!

NYT Cooking (YouTube)

The New York Times is a media company, so it makes sense for them to produce food videos to accompany its other content. They have tons and tons of videos on their YouTube featuring chefs, writers, and lots of recipes.

Ugly Delicious (Netflix)

Chef David Chang takes you around the world to talk about food culture and history. Each episode focuses on a different dish like pizza or crawfish. The commentary is important to think about where food comes from and where it’s going. I shared a little more about the show in this post.

America’s Test Kitchen (Tubi)

This show first aired in 2011 and is still going strong! The 30-minute episodes show you the best cooking techniques and products. As the title suggests, their team has done a lot of research to find the best! Since airing, they’ve also produced cookbooks, like The Complete America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook, which is a bestseller.

Eater’s Guide to the World (Hulu)

Miss traveling? Me too! This show takes you to several places around the world (Casablanca, New York City, and Tijuana are some of the places), taking you to the hip restaurants and helping you travel through the screen. Actress Maya Rudolph is the narrator so expect plenty of comedic bits.

Salt Fat Acid Heat (Netflix)

This show comes from a book of the same name and it is equally educational and packed with tidbits to make you more knowledgeable in the kitchen. Cook and author Samin Nosrat teaches you the four elements of cooking, the foundations, that will help you think like a natural chef. Each episode – there’s one about each element – takes you around the world, shows you the origins of ingredients, and makes your mouth water with the yummy food shots.

Parts Unknown (Hulu)

Twelve seasons and 104 episodes of Anthony Bourdain traveling the world and intimately introducing us to cities and countries we’ve only heard about. The commentary is thoughtful and the food is unfiltered. You’ll feel a little braver about traveling somewhere and eating something new after watching this show.

Selena + Chef (HBO Max)

I watched a few episodes of this new show because I’m a Selena Gomez fan. The premise: stuck in quarantine and wanting to learn how to cook, Selena videos calls a chef to teach her to make a dish. They’re cooking in their kitchens at the same time, with multiple camera views, so you’ll learn how to make a dish and feel glad you’re not the only one that struggles in the kitchen. What, only me?

Here are some other show recommendations:

• The American Barbecue Showdown (Netflix)
• No Passport Required (PBS Video or Prime Video)
• MasterChef Junior (Fox Now)
• Street Food (Netflix)
• Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home (Prime Video)

What’s your favorite foodie show? Have you watched any of these?

I’m trying a new ingredient next month. I’ve got some ideas and I think it’ll be a fun one!

Here’s my fearless foodie challenge for the year. I hope it inspires you to be more food adventurous!

The post What Food Shows Do You Watch? appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

The holidays look a little different this year, but it doesn’t mean you won’t have any fun. Places like Mozart’s have spent lots of time planning to make their holiday experiences safe. Mozart’s invited me (complimentary) to see this year’s light show and check out the delicious show menu.

Mozart’s Coffee Roasters is a popular coffee shop on Lake Austin. Their spacious patio is a popular spot for studying college students and those who work remotely. With their menu of coffee drinks and snacks, the shop is the go-to place to enjoy the sights while being productive. They’ve perfected their annual light show, coordinated with music, and it’s become an Austin tradition. Doesn’t enjoying holiday lights while drinking a warm beverage sound like the ideal way to get into the spirit?

From now until January 6th, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy Mozart’s light show. The show is running a little differently this year because they have new safety protocols.

• Advance reservations for a 1-hr time slot are needed to get a table and start at $10. Parties up to six people can be seated together.
• Time slots are available 6 – 11 pm.
• All guests are required to wear a mask when not seated.
• Tables are spaced distantly and sanitized in-between.

When you go to the light show, be sure to order some of Mozart’s favorite treats like hot chocolate! Warm up with a peppermint hot chocolate or the big one, the Christmas-in-a-cup, which comes in a campfire mug. It’s got a brownie and cookie in it!

For snacks, the bread pudding is delicious and the cinnamon sugar pretzel is bigger than your head!

And don’t forget to get some cocoa bombs to take home! Made in Austin, it’s a hard chocolate shell with marshmallows inside. Put it into a cup, pour hot milk over it, and enjoy the chocolate goodness!

I’m glad I got to see the light show this year and hope you experience it for yourself. 

Details for Your Visit

• Free parking is available in the Oyster Landing parking lot.
• Dogs (one per table) are allowed!
• There is a stroller parking area outside of the seating area.
• Select menu items are available gluten-free and vegan.
• See more information on their website.

Do you have any favorite light show memories?

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One of the most riveting art pieces I’ve ever seen involved a naked man playing his guitar while taking a bath.

That man, Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson, also happens to be the creator of The Visitors, the riveting art piece. It’s an installation video art piece that features nine different videos playing simultaneously on different screens. Each video features an artist or musician, located inside a different part of the same house, playing their part in the performance of a song. The 64-minute performance repeats the words “Once again, I fall into my feminine ways.” You can watch a snippet of it to get an idea of the set-up (here’s one the San Francisco Museum of Art made), but it is nothing compared to walking around the dark room, catching glimpses of each person’s performance and being surrounded by the haunting song.

Ragnar Kjartansson’s art varies by medium and many feature repetitive performances, showcasing artists’ endurance and providing the audience a strange and cathartic experience. My experience with The Visitors captivated me and was the main reason why I knew I would be seeing The Contemporary Austin’s latest exhibit.

S.S. Hangover featured a hand-painted and restored Icelandic fishing boat, a captain, and a six-piece brass band playing a dreamy, elegant looping tune over a few hours. At The Contemporary Austin’s Laguna Gloria location by the lake, the boat was towed to the middle of the lagoon and anchored for the performance, each set about an hour.

The exhibit didn’t move me as much as The Visitors did, but it enticed the audience to stop, listen, and focus. Hearing the slow repetition, you wonder if there will be more than this melody. Pulling in a metaphor about life, maybe there isn’t more than this simple tune, but it asked you to slow down and enjoy the moment for what it is. The performance could be a basis for meditation, and if you let go enough, you’d find something you weren’t expecting.

Coming to see S.S. Hangover was the perfect opportunity to wander the museum, especially since it was a perfect spring day in Austin. The Contemporary Austin has a handful of permanent and visiting exhibitions at its sculpture park at Laguna Gloria. (Pictured below are Elmgreen & Dragset’s Watching on the far left and Ai WeiWei’s Iron Tree Trunk on the far right.)

Laguna Gloria is a beautiful historic landmark with lake views, the Driscoll Villa, and a short trail with sculptures to discover along the way. Walking along the trails is an ideal way to see art, and map in hand, it felt like a treasure hunt.

My favorite sculpture there is a permanent exhibit called Water Woman by Wangechi Mutu. It also looks beautiful from behind because she looks out into the lagoon.

The whimsical sculpture of Crying Miffy by Tom Sachs is fun. Miffy came from a children’s book and later became a cartoon character on TV and in a movie.

Liam Gillick’s Raised Laguna Discussion Platform is a colorful exhibit near the water.

Art challenges what you know and think. Some art pieces don’t speak to me or I don’t understand them, but I can appreciate the imagination of the artist and his courage to put ideas into the world. You never know what you’ll be drawn to, and it’s similar to specific chords or lyrics of a song or a mesmerizing dance performance.

Terry Allen’s Road Angel

Carol Bove

When I do like art pieces, it sparks my imagination. It makes me want to create. It reminds me that everyone is creative if she allows herself the time and space. (Photos of sculptures left to right: Paul McCarthy’s White Snow #3, Tom Friedman’s Looking Up, Monika Sosnowska’s The stairs.)

If you feel like you’re lacking creativity, go visit a new museum and see what you discover. In Austin, we’re lucky to have a handful of museums and art exhibits around town, and they are fairly accessible in location and cost. Austin appreciates and fosters art, and I hope that’s something residents and visitors take advantage of here!

What’s your favorite art piece you’ve discovered in your hometown or in your travels?

The Contemporary Austin
Two locations: Laguna Gloria (3809 West 35th Street, Austin, TX 78703) and Jones Center (700 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701)
Admission fee of $5 per adult covers entrance fee to both locations.
Website: https://www.thecontemporaryaustin.org/

P.S. Speaking of art, my other favorite pieces in Austin are Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin and James Turrell’s The Color Inside.

The adventure’s not over. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

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In 2014, I explored Greece with my friends MJ and Linda. Our 10-day trip took us to Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, and Crete. We ate incredible food and watched many breath-taking sunsets. We got lost while trying to read Greek road signs, drank craft beer, marveled many historical sights, wandered the bright white pathways, and greeted every street cat and dog we encountered.

As with my Spain trip and video, I shot clips in hopes to create a summary video, and here it is! Check out this Greece Travel Video to get a view of our trip and inspire you for yours!

I wish I had taken more video, but I’m glad I took plenty of photos to look back on the memories of this trip. We planned this trip through tips from the Internet and friends. Our trip was a bit of a whirlwind because of the number of places we crammed into a week, but we saw some key places in Greece that are unforgettable. Be sure to check out my other posts about Greece for more recommendations on activities and restaurants.

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

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Want to travel to Spain? In 2013, I went on an unforgettable trip to Spain with three friends. Two weeks, nine cities, seven cathedrals, four museums, three castles, and many more famous sights. Our group was a bunch of foodies so there were meals and meals of delicious food.

I shot a lot of video clips during that trip with the intention of creating a summary video and I’m glad I can finally say I’m checking it off the list! If you’re wondering about the video quality, I shot this on my old point-and-shoot camera I got in 2006. Ha!

Before this trip, I had traveled a handful of times (domestic and international, mostly family vacations), but this experience sparked a new inspiration for travel. Spain is an incredibly beautiful country and one of the few places I’ve visited and am itching to return. Our whirlwind trip made me wish for more time and I know there are many more beautiful cities and areas to visit in Spain.

My friend and travel mate Sarah planned the majority of this trip and we relied a lot on Rick Steves’ Spain guidebook. The book contains invaluable recommendations and tips. If you’d like to see photos from my trip and read tips about traveling Spain, check out my Spain posts:

• Eating and Drinking Through Spain
• 7 Lessons Learned About Spain and Travel
• Top 10 Favorite Sights in Spain
• Barcelona: My Favorite City in Spain

View more of my videos here.

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

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