Lauren Tabbron shares her favourite things to do in Manchester
Jess Astbury regales tales of festivities in warmer climates.
San Antonio
Probably most famous for The Alamo, the patriotically symbolic site of a nineteenth century battle that greatly weakened invading Mexican forces, San Antonio today is a quaint hub with heavy Spanish influences. Visiting the huge Alamo grounds is free, and you get a chance to see some of the artefacts and weapons used, with an optional tour guide. If you need further visual contextualisation, the IMAX screening of a dramatization of the battle is at a walking-distance.
If history is not for you, take a leisurely stroll along the picturesque Riverwalk lined with cafes, bars and restaurants along a scenic water route which neatly connects the ground-level streets too without having to cross roads. You can also grab a river boat during the day with a tour guide who’ll point out important sights along the way. If you’re feeling brave, go to the top of the 750-foot Tower of the Americas for a killer view of the metropolitan area – though be warned, the clear-glass lift is not for the faint-hearted!
Austin – Part I
The San Francisco of Texas, Austin is both the political and cultural capital of the Lone Star state. The Visitors’ Centre is a good starting point, offering various options for guided snapshot tours of the charming town. It’s perfectly located on the bustling Sixth Street, which is crammed with blues, country and rock live music venues that blast full volume at night, especially at the weekend (FYI, that’s just the tip of the iceberg in Austin’s very active music scene). It’s also where you can find the Driskill Hotel, an architecturally stunning (and apparently haunted!) building with rich political history.
Pop along to the fascinating State Capitol, one of the biggest in the country, which offers free guided tours of the Texas Senate and House of Representatives which anyone is allowed to roam (you can even sit in on their sessions!). For historical buffs, I sincerely recommend the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, an interactive and multimedia experience that’ll immerse you in-depth into Texas’s history for hours that fly by.
Read part two of the Texas: Discovering the Lone Star state on 16th April.
Well, I'm jealous...
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