How to find a last-minute room in Austin for SXSW

by Jessica Marati on

Over the past several years, the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Music, Film and Interactive Conference & Festival in Austin, Texas, has topped the event calendar for industry insiders, along with anyone eager to discover the Next Big Thing. This year’s festival, which runs from March 9 to 18, promises to be the most intense yet, with hundreds of panels, workshops, concerts and events on the official schedule.

But Austin, it appears, isn’t ready for the visitor boom brought on by the two-week spectacle. In December, organizers announced that SXSW rooms had sold out in local hotels for the Interactive and Film portions of the festival, with three months left before the start of the event. Last minute attendees, in particular, have been scrambling for places to crash.

SXSW organizers have stepped in with an option. In true “interactive” spirit, the SXSW Housing Desk is encouraging individuals who booked a hotel room with two beds to offer their additional bed to a friend or colleague, or swap for a room with a single bed. They’re maintaining a waiting list for people who wish to be informed when a room opens up this way; you can get on it by emailing housing@sxsw.com.

And then, of course, there are the online options. Thousands of enterprising Austin residents are making significant chunks of change by offering their homes, spare rooms, couches, and even air mattresses to desperate attendees. Airbnb reports a 44% increase in Austin host sign-ups since January, and more than 3,000 nights have already been booked. But Airbnb’s Austin listings don’t come cheap; inflation has led to nightly rates of $200 to $2000 per night. A more lo-fi option is Craigslist’s Austin vacation rentals listings, which offer up new places seemingly by the minute and have lower average rates than those found on Airbnb. Or, try issuing a desperate plea on Facebook or Twitter. You’ll certainly have lots of company.

[image by Merrick Ales via SXSW.com]

National Parks Foundation picks 5 most romantic park getaways

by Kraig Becker on

Valentine’s Day may be over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to incorporate a little romance into your life, especially if it happens to involve travel as well. Earlier this week, the National Parks Foundation selected their five most romantic national park escapes, and they are so good, they’re practically guaranteed to score you points with your significant other.

The five romantic getaways include watching the sunset at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in California; paddling together through Florida‘s Everglades National Park; taking a scenic wagon ride in Oxon Cove Park, Maryland; going birding along the Padre Island National Seashore in Texas; and strolling along the beach in the Virgin Islands National Park.

What I like about this list is that it incorporates a little something for everyone. Active couples can paddle, hike or even snorkle, while those looking for a bit more relaxed experience have several options as well. These parks are scenic, and somewhat lesser known, but most definitely romantic all year round. I’ve personally been to several of the places on the list, and can attest to how wonderful they are – both as a couples escape and as an adventure travel destination.

So, if you missed the mark on Valentine’s Day, or are already planning ahead for next year, this is a great list to give you some ideas. Of course, if you’re a hopeless romantic at heart, why wait? Start planning your romantic national park getaway now.

Photo of the Day- Predawn Houston

by Chris Owen on




Today’s Photo of the Day comes from Flickr user Theodore Scott who brings us this “view of Houston from Buffalo Bayou Park, shortly before dawn,” from an impressive photostream.

Called “Houston’s most significant resource”, a major enhancement project is underway to improve aesthetic and recreational opportunities while simultaneously regaining the waterway’s flood conveyance capacity and environmental qualities.

Upload your best shots to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Several times a week we choose our favorite images from the pool as Photos of the Day.

Proposed national recreation area could mean vistors, revenue for Texas

by Kraig Becker on

According to a study by the National Parks Conservations Association, a proposed national recreation area along the Gulf Coast of Texas could bring a host of benefits to the state, including more visitors, jobs, and revenue. The creation of this new recreation area would also have the added benefit of protecting the coastline from hurricane damage, while preserving the fragile ecosystems that exists there.

Plans for the so-called Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area came about when prominent local businessman John Nau and former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker put together a team to investigate the possibilities of creating such a preserve. The proposed site would span four Texas counties, including Matagorda, Brazoria, Galveston, and Chambers. That region was specifically chosen for its outstanding opportunities for outdoor recreation and the existing infrastructure of both publicly and privately managed lands.

When the NPCA got wind of the plans back in December, they immediately went to work conducting their own research on the possible economic impact of the new national recreation area. Their findings bode well for the future economic healthy of the region. The organization predicts that creating the NRA would triple the number of visitors to the region in the first ten years alone, which translates to a projected $192 million in local revenue, along with more than 5200 jobs.

Economic gains aren’t the only touted benefits for the new NRA either. The designated lands would also serve as a buffer from powerful storms coming out of the Gulf of Mexico, helping to mitigate damage to property further inland and keeping flood waters to a minimum as well. Furthermore, residents living in and around the recreation area would also see a rise in their quality of life too. Having a fantastic, and federally protected, outdoor playground in their backyard, provides unhindered access to nature that might not be there if the land isn’t protected.

The NPCA report notes that the designation of the new National Recreation Area won’t result in the economic benefits alone, but will lay down the ground work to facilitate development of the region. A coordinated approach to that development could turn the Texas Gulf Coast into a premiere outdoor destination however, which could attract hundreds of thousands of visitors on an annual basis.

Having visited this area myself, I can say that it is already a good destination for outdoor enthusiasts. That said however, it has the potential to be even more amazing if it garners the national recreation area designation. That would not only protect it for future generations to enjoy as well, but help facilitate the development of an infrastructure that will make it more accessible as well.

[Map courtesy Dan Servian, Direwolf Graphics]

Galveston palace more than another old building

by Chris Owen on

Bishop’s Palace is the oldest and best-known building in Galveston, Texas. Currently open to the public, the 50+ room structure hosts much more than a boring, historical tour of some old house that requires a lot of imagination in order to visualize what life was like way back then. Instead, visitors are briefly transported back to the 19th century on a tour that includes an up close and personal view of the grandest moments of Victorian life.

Ranked among the top 100 homes in the United States, Bishop’s Palace cost $250,000 to build in 1893 (that would be about $6,250,000 today) and first served as home to the family of Walter Gresham, a former Confederate colonel and U.S. Congressman.

This home got its nickname as the “Bishop’s Palace” in the 1920’s, when the then-Diocese of Galveston purchased the house for $40,000 as a home for Bishop Christopher Byrne who always felt very humbled to live in such a “palace”.

Currently being operated as a museum and historic home by the City of Galveston, the building hosts bronze dragons and other sculptures, luxury materials and furnishings, and impressive fireplaces brought to Texas from around the world.

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The interior spaces are grand with exotic materials like a pair of Sienna marble columns flanking the entrance hall. The first floor rooms have fourteen foot ceilings and an octagonal mahogany stairwell that is forty feet tall with stained glass on five sides, lit by a large octagonal skylight. A massive fireplace in the front parlor is made of Santo Domingo mahogany.

The Victorian castle-like home was cited by the American Institute of Architects as one of the 100 most important buildings in America and was among the first to try out the then-new technology of a gas fireplace, electric lights, and running hot water.

The building is owned by the Galveston-Houston Catholic Archdioces, and is managed as a museum by the Galveston Historical Foundation. Tours of Bishop’s Palace are $10 and the facility is available for rental for weddings, receptions, and parties.

Photos: Chris Owen