Conner Floyd (Chance, Y&R) shares the must-see sights from his hometown of Austin, TX.
The Capitol Building
“A really beautiful building to visit and the grounds are super-nice as well. It was my mom’s favorite place to take pictures. All our graduation photos were in front of the Capitol. They have these tours, which I used to go on for school field trips.”
1100 Congress Ave; (512) 936-8746; tspb.texas.gov/plan/tours/tours
The Bat Bridge (Congress Avenue Bridge)
“This is one of the famous tourist attractions in Austin. At sunset, a few bats begin to come out from under the bridge, but after sunset, hundreds, maybe thousands, of them pour out. It’s kind of cool and spooky because, well, they’re bats!”
100 S. Congress Ave.; (512) 327-9721; www.austintexas.org/things-to-do/outdoors/bat-watching
6th Street/Red River Entertainment District and The Rustic Tap
“There are great restaurants and an eclectic shopping in this area, but it’s at night when it comes alive. The nightlife on these streets is fantastic. There are bars and clubs with all types of music. A lot of really big music artists pop in every now and then. There are also these little fire pits around 6th Street, so that’s where I usually start before heading out to the bars. I love hanging out at The Rustic Tap. It’s one of my favorites.”
Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q
“I love Texas barbecue very deeply. I think the best place is Rudy’s because they give you so much food. It’s a chain and while some people prefer hole-in-the-wall places, Rudy’s has never disappointed me.”
Multiple locations in Austin; rudysbbq.com
Bullock Texas State History Museum
“Again, a destination spot for school field trips. It’s pretty cool and has exhibits and collections and an IMAX theater. It’s also nice being in the main lobby area because the architecture is really amazing. One of my friends got married in one of their venues earlier this year.”
1800 Congress Ave.; (512) 936-8746; www.thestoryoftexas.com
The Driskill Hotel Haunted Tour
“There are a bunch of haunted tours in Austin but I like the one that takes you through The Driskill because it’s got a rich history of ghosts and scary stories. It’s always fun doing a little ghost hunting.”
604 Brazos St; www.driskillhotel.com/offers/ghostcitytour
Texas Longhorns Football, University of Texas
“My parents went there so I grew up a big UT football fan and their stadium is unreal. I’ve had a handful of friends who’ve played on the team, so it was fun going to their games. I still catch a game if I’m in town at the right time.”
2139 San Jacinto Blvd.; (512) 471-4602; texassports.com/sports/tickets
Zilker Metropolitan Park
“Zilker is a huge beautiful park and there’s so much to do there. There are picnic areas, disc golf, volley ball courts and botanical gardens.”
2100 Barton Springs Rd.
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library
“This is a must-see. His library is full of interesting information and exhibits about his presidency. It’s also part of the UT campus.”
2313 Red River St.; (512) 721-0200; www.lbjlibrary.org
Hamilton Pool Preserve
“It’s a natural pool that’s separated from the Pedernales River. It has this nice waterfall and a lot of people go in there to swim and hang out. It’s almost like your little personal beach.”
24300 Hamilton Rd., Dripping Springs, TX; (512) 264-2740
Lady Bird Lake
“There are some really great bike-and-hike trails and you can also walk on a boardwalk along the shore of the Colorado River for some really nice scenery.”
(512) 974-6700; www.austintexas.gov/page/lady-bird-lake
Lake Travis
“Lake Travis is the best place for water recreation. Growing up, I was always on that lake. We’re big boat people, so we liked to cruise around, do some wake surfing and tubing or hop on a jet ski. You can park your boat in one of the many coves and hang out with other people and their boats. If you don’t have your own boat, you can take a boat tour. Some of my best times I’ve had on the lake is renting a pontoon boat to cruise around with 20 friends, or more if you get a double-decker. You can get a crowd on there and stop at one of the restaurants for lunch or dinner. It’s a full-day experience being on the water.”
4370 Mansfield Dam Park Rd.; (512) 261-5121; laketravis.com
