Archives for March 2014

A Lake Travis Lifestyle Giveaway: Welcome JuiceLand

Written by Todd Hower | March 21, 2014

Do you like smoothies?

You’re not alone. To keep up with the growing demand for their delicious concoctions, JuiceLand, one of Austin’s top-rated juice bars and healthy meal eatery, has officially opened in the Lake Travis area — and Lake Travis Lifestyle is going to welcome JuiceLand to the neighborhood and give you a chance to try some of their delicious blends with the this month’s giveaway.

But first, how about we meet JuiceLand, an Austin original serving our needs for fresh, healthy, and convenient nutrition?

JuiceLand founder Matt Shook partnered with a friend and opened the first location in 2003. Back then it was called “Daily Juice”. The Austin original went through some corporate restructuring in 2011 and the name was changed to what it is today. What started out as a little place to grab a juice after a dip in Barton Springs has grown into seven Austin area locations. And lucky for us, the newest store is located right here in the Lake Travis area.

Krause Springs: One of the Best Swimming Holes in Texas

Written by Mandy Spivey | March 20, 2014

It’s finally Spring in Texas, and as the weather warms up, so will the Lake Travis area swimming holes. It won’t be long before temperatures start to creep into the 80s and 90s, and you’ll be ready to head out to one of the best swimming holes in Texas, Krause Springs in Spicewood.

A short drive out to the Texas Hill Country, it’s just a little over 30 miles West of Austin off Texas Highway 71 West, and well worth a visit. The 115-acre property has been privately owned by the Krause family for over 50 years since its founding in 1958, and serves as a great place to swim, camp and hang out on a muggy Texas afternoon.

Centuries-old bald cypress trees offer plenty of shade to shelter you from even the hottest of July afternoons. There are numerous picnic tables and grills throughout the site, in addition to newly-remodeled indoor bathrooms and shower facilities. If you plan on an overnight stay, there are campgrounds with electric hook ups and space for tents, campers and RVs.

Amplify Austin: A Festival of Giving

Written by Emily O'Shaughnessy | March 19, 2014

Austin has plenty of great festivals, but there’s one this week that is unique and much different from your typical fest. Amplify Austin is a 24-hour “festival of giving” that encourages locals to give to participating non-profit organizations during a specified 24 hour time period. The “I Live Here, I Give Here” campaign promotes a sense of community pride and philanthropy.

Of course, giving is encouraged year round, but this campaign strives to make a huge impact over a one-day period. It works. Last year, in its debut year, Amplify Austin raised over $2.8 million going to over 320 nonprofits of all sizes. This year, there are nearly 400 nonprofits participating, with a total goal to reach $4 million.

This year’s Amplify Austin runs from 6pm March 20 to 6pm March 21

Cafe Blue: Fresh Seafood in Lake Travis

Written by Todd Hower | March 18, 2014

This is one of those places that I would usually save for a date night, but after a family day of shoe shopping at the Hill Country Galleria and a craving for oysters, it was decided (by the adults) that we were going to have a family date night at Cafe Blue.

I called to see if there was a wait and even though it was a busy Saturday night, they were able to have a table ready for us within 20 minutes. So we wrapped up our shoe shopping at Dick’s Sporting Goods and headed over to Cafe Blue.

Our kids seemed to be getting into what my daughter calls her food mood (which is not a mood you want to be around). As we were deciding on an adult beverage, our server was very keen to recognize the situation. He brought out a loaf of warm bread with butter to take care of our “starving” children and asked if they could get something started for the kids.

The etch-a-sketch on the backside of the kids menu kept them occupied until the food arrived. Because I didn’t think of Cafe Blue as a family-friendly restaurant, it was all unexpected — but extremely refreshing.

Lake Travis Area History: Lakeway

Written by Todd Hower | March 17, 2014

At the outer edge of Austin’s city limits, 16 miles West of the city, sits the quaint community of Lakeway, Texas. What began as a relaxing resort town for vacationers and retirees, is now a growing city that has more than doubled in population since the 1990s. This exurb, although still relatively young, has a colorful and vibrant history consisting of many types of people settling in the Hill Country throughout the centuries.

The earliest settlers to the Texas Hill Country and Lakeway shared land with Native Americans, most notably the Tonkawa and later the Apache and Comanches. Looking around the lakeside community from its major road hub, Ranch Road 620, there are views of the surrounding hills and cedar fields so vast that you can almost imagine the first of the Tonkawa people to settle down in the area.

Making use of the natural flint found in the ground to make their tools and arrowheads, the indigenous people were also known for their pottery and copper jewelry. In time, more aggressive and warring tribes would push the natives out of their habitats and east of the Edwards Plateau.

Archives for March 2014

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