Although she currently lives in California, Mariella will always consider Texas home. She lived in Austin for 15 years and still sprinkles her language with Texanisms whenever possible, much to the amusement of those who don't consider 'ya'll' a proper pronoun. She's worked on a whole bunch of Lonely Planet travel guidebooks—fifteen at last count, but it's hard to keep track—and has a mystery novel out under a pen name, which she'll gladly tell you about if you buy her a beer.
Year after year, Austin grows in popularity, and it’s easy to see why. Its laid-back charm and “Keep Austin Weird” zeitgeist make visitors feel welcome no matter where they’re from or what they’re looking for. The town is known for its live music, of course, but its appeal goes much deeper than that. It’s a city where you can just...
Austin is dubbed the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’— you won’t hear any argument from us. There are 250 or so venues around town, and even when there’s not a music festival going on, you can still hear live Austin music every night of the week. On a slow night, you’ll have your choice of dozens of performances, and...
Finally planning your first trip to Austin? Well, it’s about time! From live music to Tex-Mex, dive bars to art museums, there are plenty of things to discover and explore—during your downtime from just hanging out, of course. If you’re ready to have some fun but not sure where to start, read on for some of Austin’s must-do experiences. See...
Of all the generalizations you’ll hear about Texas, there’s only one that always holds true: it’s big. If Texas were a country, it would be the fortieth largest in the world—which means there’s room for it to be pretty much whatever you want it to be. There are wide, open spaces and jam-packed cities, pretty beach towns and sprawling ranchland....
I love flying because it can get you places your car just can’t, but at the end of the day nothing beats a good old-fashioned road trip for sheer serendipity. When I was driving through British Columbia, my friend and I saw a sign for a store advertising, “Goats on the Roof.” Of course, we took the detour, and we found, much to our glee, that there were indeed goats on the roof—lots of them. You just don’t get that with more organized forms of transportation!
I do okay traveling alone, but I much prefer traveling with someone else, because when you see something awesome, you want someone to share the moment with. The one exception? I love driving long distances by myself because it feels like a form of meditation. You have no choice but to be present in the moment!