Stipulated: The perfect travel time for a three-day weekend getaway is four hours. More, and you waste your vacation. Less, and you’re still near home. Hence our new series, The 4hr. Rule, dedicated to revealing the best destinations that are far away, yet still close to home.
It was a warm night in Austin, Texas, going on 9 p.m.
Your correspondent was at the Ginger Man, talking to the man behind the pine.
“The only thing wrong with Austin,” the barkeep told me, “is it’s surrounded by Texas.”
It’s an old saying down there (made popular by Richard Linklater), and it gets to the root of Austin’s appeal — a knee-slapping hootenanny in the middle of Texas’s stuffy cotillion.
And you should go. That’s why we made you a beautiful (and mobile-friendly) guide to exactly what to do in Austin.
Inside, we set you up with a personally vetted three-step plan.
No starred ratings. No stultifying descriptions. Just the essential facts you need for an epic three-day weekend.
First, the hotel. It’s a funky boutique. Every room has a record player and a selection of vintage LPs.
Second, the barbecue. A place named the best in the country by our friends at Bon Appétit.
And third, the watering hole — and we’re not talking about a bar.
Austin: it’s basically where you wanna be when winter arrives.
The flight’s only two-and-a-half hours.
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