On the Road

10 must-do activities in Cedar Park, a Texas Hill Country gem

Haute Spot turns up the volume on concerts in its cool, backyard-style setting.

Photo by David Brendan Hall

True to its name, Cedar Park has acres upon acres of gorgeous parks and recreation space that come fully equipped with hike and bike trails, splash pads, lake life, and more — all in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, about 25 minutes north of Austin.

But there’s more to love than just the park scene. Check out this list of the top 10 things to do when you’re in town.

1. Ride a vintage train
Hop aboard a vintage train and journey through the scenic Hill Country with The Austin Steam Train Association.

Punch your ticket any weekend of the year for a ride on the Bertram Flyer or Hill Country Flyer and enjoy seeing the view from a different vantage point.

They also have themed excursions like the Princess Flyer and Teddy Bear Trains for the kids, and various sunset and wine tasting trains for those who are adulting.

2. Zip across Lake Travis
Located just 20 minutes from Cedar Park, Lake Travis Zipline Adventures has five ziplines, three of which are the longest and fastest ziplines in Texas.

Your zipline ticket also includes access to a private beach where you can picnic, swim, play games, or simply relax in a hammock.

3. Get some turf and “surf” time
Scattered among the natural beauty of walking trails at the Cedar Park Sculpture Garden is a unique collection of sculptures from Texas-based artists. The pieces on display vary in medium and rotate annually, so there is always a different scene to appreciate.

Bring your running shoes and hit the Brushy Creek Trail, a 6.75-mile trail with extensive landscaping and scenic views.

The trail has six parks alongside it, which provide additional activities for walkers, runners, and bikers — think swimming areas, climbing rocks, canoeing and kayaking, disc golf, and multiple picnic and pavilion areas.

The Brushy Creek Lake Park is one of the parks along the trail, and you’ll love its beautiful 38-acre lake, sand volleyball courts, and fishing pier.

4. Sign up for lake life
Enjoy some outdoor fun and relaxation on Lake Travis, which is only 10 miles from Cedar Park and well worth the short drive.

This scenic lake spans just over 62 miles and has a relatively moderate climate year-round. It’s a fave destination for boating, fishing, swimming, and more outdoor fun.

5. Be the ultimate fan
For a concert experience that feels out of this world but is within an intimate backyard setting, Haute Spot is the place to be.

More music and entertainment can be found at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, which has boasted some of the best acts since George Strait performed during its grand opening in 2009. It’s also home to Texas Stars hockey and Austin Spurs basketball.

6. Experience the cooler side of Texas
With two NHL regulation ice rinks, On Ice at The Crossover is literally the "coolest" way to have fun in Cedar Park. Come in for open skate or sign up to learn some hockey moves or how to curl.

When you’re done, head over to The Fieldhouse onsite for some great food, drinks, and arcade games.

7. Sip a craft brew
Start at The Grove Wine Bar and Kitchen for a vast wine selection and great food options. The Grove has built an affordable menu with something for every taste, and their accessible yet sophisticated wine program has all your favorites, along with cool finds you’ve never heard of.

For a caffeine kick, Red Horn Coffee House and Brewing Co. offers fresh house-roasted coffees and house-brewed craft beer. They’re also focused on supporting other artisans and offer locally sourced baked goods, charcuterie, cheeses, sodas, kombucha, wine and more.

And to round out those local libations, head over to Whitestone Brewery for hoppy suds, trivia, and live music.

8. Shop local
For retail therapy, Cedar Park has enough retail stores to meet anyone’s needs. But if you’re looking for something unique that you can’t find anywhere else, you’ll want to head to the boutique and specialty shops dotted throughout the city.

Honey & Hay has lovely home and gift items along with fun workshops for floral arranging and wreath-making. And check out Beau Kisses for upscale clothing, jewelry, seasonal items, and more.

9. Schedule some tee time
With numerous public golf courses and driving ranges nearby, a good tee time is easy to find.

Avery Ranch Golf Club is less than five miles away and Crystal Falls Golf Club is just seven miles from town, with other options like Blackhawk Golf Club and Lago Vista Golf Course within 20 miles.

10. Make a splash
The Splash Shack is your family's ticket to year-round fun — out of the sun. The indoor, micro-waterpark is the first of its kind and houses an 8,000-square-foot, 30-foot-tall interactive water play structure.

Plus with a temperature set to 82 degrees, it’s warm but not too warm, so you can soak up those summer vibes no matter the season outside.

For additional information on this list and more reasons to love this destination, click over to Visit Cedar Park Texas.

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Live on Live

Legendary Austin blues club brings the show to you with new indie livestreaming platform

Photo by Daniel Cavazos

Legendary Austin blues club Antone's is launching an independent livestreaming service.

If legendary Austin blues club Antone’s is your vibe, but the drive down I-35 isn't, know we get it. Saving San Antonians the trip, Antone’s Nightclub launched a new service for livestreaming its shows in November.

Kicking off with New Orleans-based funk and jam band Dumpstaphunk, for their special “Phunksgiving” show last month with Michael Hale Trio, the full lineup is delineated on the Antone’s website. Specifics were still loose before the launch, allowing the famous blues club to call the shots. The partner agency that created the streaming service, 3rd + Lamar, created the system to give Antone’s as much freedom as possible.

"Partnering with Antone's to build their livestreaming platform and produce each of their shows is an incredible opportunity for 3rd + Lamar," said the agency’s co-founder Nick Schenck in a press release. "The amazing talent that performs at Antone's – and their fans worldwide – deserve best-in-class live production quality, and we're thrilled to play a part in this operation."

Not that Antone’s needed to stand out more in the music industry (the nearly 50-year-old venue has always been one of the best places to see both local and national talent), but this achievement places it among relatively few venues across the country, especially those that operate their system independently.

The intimate Antone's shows are filmed by four Blackmagic 4K cinema cameras on tracks overhead, which ensure that the whole space is easily visible without having camera operators amid the audience.

“We did over 430 individually ticketed shows in 2019 and we felt like we were bursting at the seams,” said Antone’s owner Will Bridges. “Then when livestreams became more prominent during the pandemic we realized, this is our opportunity to take Antone’s outside of our four walls. … [W]e see people in the comment threads all the time saying ‘If I could only be teleported to Antone’s!’ Well now they can.”

The release emphasizes that the system means Antone’s “fully retain[s] ownership of their content, which can then be utilized at their discretion.” It also calls the service “an add-on option for all artists performing at Antone’s,” positioning the service as not just an audience luxury but a performer’s low-cost marketing tool. Suddenly, artists playing at Antone’s are afforded a choice without needing to be invited to record or pay an independent video team, while reaching even more viewers with no extra time spent advertising.

“Our ultimate goal is to make these amazing musical experiences accessible to everyone. Life is busy, but we want to give everyone the opportunity to participate no matter where they are or what they have going on,” said Bridges. “We want to make livestreams from Antone’s totally commonplace. When we announce our upcoming shows, fans have two options: watch it at the club our watch it at home.”

Livestreams are at antonesnightclub.com, and links also appear with each applicable event across the site. Prices are listed on the website, and livestreams start 10-20 minutes before each show.

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