Lake Travis

The Inaugural South Shore Blues Festival this Weekend

Written by Todd Hower | November 1, 2013

You can always find live music in the Lake Travis area and this weekend is no exception. If you’re a fan of the blues or just a fan of festivals, you will not want to miss the inaugural South Shore Blues Festival, happening this Saturday just west of weird at the Iguana Grill.

The weather and views of Lake Travis will be spectacular, seven Austin-based blues artists will be taking the stage, Mexican food and cold drinks with table side service, a Dia De Los Muertos costume contest…and you can buy an adult ticket for $15—say what?

The festival kicks off at 3pm with The Jacqui Walker Band and each band following will take the stage at the top of the hour, every hour. The headliner and 2013 Heart of Texas Blues Challenge Winner – J.T. Coldfire will bring his own style of blues starting at 9pm. The lineup in-between includes Mojo House, Skye Downing, The Every Day Blues Band, Swamp Bats, and Austin Rogue Gypsies—you can read more about each band and listen to their music here.

Schmidt Family Barbecue Now Open in Bee Cave

Written by Emily O'Shaughnessy | October 29, 2013

It’s open! The highly anticipated Schmidt Family Barbecue finally opened its doors in Bee Cave this week. For fans of both Kruez Market and Smitty’s Market in Lockhart this is cause for major celebration.

There’s a long, interesting backstory about how Schmidt Family Barbecue came to land at Hwy 71 and Bee Cave Road. If you’re not familiar with the infamous Lockhart “barbefeud” here’s a cliff notes version: The first restaurant originated from Kruez Market, a local meat market and grocery store in Lockhart in the early 1900s. Years later, longtime employee Edgar “Smitty” Schmidt purchased it from the Kruez family. He successfully ran the restaurant until he retired and sold it to his sons in 1984. In 1999, Edgar’s son Rick moved the market to a new location about a quarter mile up the road. Shortly thereafter, Edgar’s daughter Nina Schmidt Sells opened Smitty’s Market in the old location.

Save Lake Travis – Rescheduled for Sunday October 20

Written by Todd Hower | October 18, 2013

Even with all the recent rains, our water issues have not gone away. The September date for Save Lake Travis was cancelled due to rain, but the weather forecast for this Sunday is partly sunny and beautiful.

Grab your favorite outdoor chair and head over to the Sail & Ski Yacht Club this Sunday evening. Shades Cafe will provide a full service bar (cash only) and the outdoor stage for live music by Lohman’s Crossing Band. Keith’s BBQ and ATX Corndog food trucks will be on the scene.

Besides an evening of fun, you’ll gain a better understanding of how the way water is being (mis)managed in the Lower Colorado River Basin and learn more about what you can do to help and what is already being done.

Did you know?

In 2011, the hottest year on record combined with the lowest inflow of water, LCRA released huge amounts of water from Lake Travis to the rice farmers downstream. It was 3 times the amount of water than the City of Austin used for the whole year.
Austin receives 170 acre feet of raw stored water annually for their customers at a cost of $151 per acre foot. In 2011, irrigators downstream received 433,000 acre feet of stored water at less than $6 per acre foot.
Due to LCRA selling water out of Spicewood Beach wells combined with low lake levels, water has had to be trucked into the community since December 2011.
LCRA’s proposed Water Management Plan does not take into account recent drought years of 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Central Texas Water Coalition (CTWC) supports proper water management of the Lower Colorado River Basin to protect and maintain a safe and reliable water supply.

Flash-Flood Warning: 9 Ways to Stay Safe and Protect Your Home

Written by Todd Hower | October 14, 2013

With many parts of Texas experiencing prolonged drought conditions, it’s hard to think about heavy rains and flash-flooding until we get rain coming down like it did in the Lake Travis area this past weekend.

A common misconception is that flooding only occurs in river or stream floodplains. This is not always the case — flash-flooding can occur anywhere and oftentimes when you least expect it. Urban areas can be particularly dangerous during flash-floods. Built-up areas cannot absorb water as fast as rural or natural areas. This can often result in overwhelmed drainage systems and dangerously fast-flowing water.

A perfect example of this is what happened at Zilker Park. The final day of Austin City Limits 2013 was cancelled due to flash-flood conditions caused by heavy rains. It’s the first time in the festival’s 12-year existence that a show day has been cancelled. Here are 13 Unbelieveable Pictures of ACL Fest 2013 Flooding.

Hecho En Mexico: Lucky Number 6?

Written by Todd Hower | October 8, 2013

The corner space right next to Cho Sushi in the Vista Ridge Shopping Center at Steiner Ranch is occupied by Hecho En Mexico — one of five restaurants taking a shot at serving the sophisticated palates of the Steiner Ranch community and Lake Travis area residents.

Hecho En Mexico took over the space in the fall of 2012 after the short-lived La Fuentes. When you’re craving some old school, gooey cheese, gravy smothered, traditional Tex-Mex, this is not the place. This is interior Mexican with an Oaxacan flair. You’ll discover unique and traditional flavors that you won’t find anywhere else in the Lake Travis area.

Lake Travis

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