One last Austin post to wrap things up! Although the highlight of my 7 days in Austin was undoubtedly Vida Vegan Con, I was also in Austin just for the sake of being in Austin. The only other time I'd been in Texas was in 1999, for the few hours it took me to drive through the panhandle on I-10 with my college boyfriend. I remember stopping at a DQ (I still wouldn't be vegan for another six months at this point) and passing by a slick little two-seater sportscar in the parking lot. On the floor of the passenger side was a five-gallon bucket, about 75% full of spent shells (not the kind you get at the beach).

So naturally, I was looking forward to the 'weirdness' (at least by Texan standards) that Austin promises. And it did not disappoint! Being a weirdo myself, I found Austin to be generally delightful, creative, and fun, if altogether way too hot and bizarrely erratic in the sidewalk department.

Here's what I'd recommend to any out-of-towner looking for a fun experience in Austin: 

I get the distinct impression that Sixth Street is to Austinites a bit like what Fisherman's Wharf is for San Franciscans. If that's the case, then Museum of the Weird is just as much a fascinating, authentic gem shining out from the cheap plastic tourist rubble as our own Musée Mécanique is. Opened in the grand tradition of the American dime museum, the MOTW features a modest but impressive array of oddities from a bygone era, from Feegee mermaids to Bigfoot tracks. A wax statue of John Merrick (aka The Elephant Man) calmly watches over an honest-to-goodness Egyptian mummy (who, once authenticated, will be returned to Egypt). The self-guided tour is brief, at half an hour tops, and consists basically of a crowded hallway crammed with the aforementioned curiosities. However, once you reach the end of the hallway, a tour guide appears, and that's when the weird really begins. I won't spoil it but suffice to say it was an electrifying experience. 

I learned about HOPE Outdoor Gallery while researching all the cool stuff I was going to do in Austin. My first stop when planning a trip, and I highly recommend it to anyone about to go on vacation (or looking to get inspired on where to go), is Atlas Obscura. According to AO, the living art project started as a neglected construction site where the foundation for condominiums had been laid and abandoned. Tucked away on a leafy side street just a stone's throw from the massive flagship Whole Foods grocery store, the concrete walls now explode with colors and shapes. A small, equally colorful trailer sits on the property selling additional artwork and, while I was there at least, blasting death metal. Because it is a living work of art, it's worth going whenever you can, because it will never be the same. It's also worth going whenever you can because, with the "recession" now "over," the private property owner is going to be itching to get construction going again. There's no official website, but here's a map. It's open 24/7, because it's outdoors!

Although this is touted as an up-and-coming 'shopping district' in certain tour guides, I found West Second to be a little sparse, and with plenty of generic filler like Urban Counterfitters. That said, there are a handful of more unique shops I definitely enjoyed, and the area is worth a look!

Toy Joy is the crown jewel in what will hopefully become a thriving shopping district. It's a cramped, chaotic, and truly enjoyable toy store for all ages. In fact, there were more adults than children when I went. It's incredible how much they're able to fit into a relatively modest storefront, but there's a solid variety of offerings: from wooden playsets to graphic socks, Japanese mascots like Rilakkuma and Pusheen, board games, MMRPGs, and more. It's a great place to get unique gifts for your friends and for yourself. 

I knew Alamo Drafthouse was a place where you could go and see movies and drink beer, and while I think it's obviously a great idea, I didn't get why everyone was talking about it all the time. Until I saw a movie there. This is definitely a step up from the only other 'full service' theater I've enjoyed, the New Parkway. First off, you get to choose your seat when you buy your ticket- this has always struck me as a far better method than the chaotic 'first come, first served' tradition of most theaters, and frankly, takes a lot less hassle out of trying to find open seats upon arriving in the theater itself. Secondly, each row is equipped with a lovely chest-height counter for food and drinks, under which and in front of each seat is an inconspicuous tray with low-level lighting for your menu and order slips. My waitress came over to introduce herself and explain the whole deal almost as soon as I sat down- all you need to do is write down your order on a piece of paper, stick it in the little tab at the edge of the counter, and she will bring you alcohol and food while you watch a movie. And yes, there is a vegan menu. I was only in the mood for one beer, which I bought at the counter with my ticket, so I did not experience the joy of full-service movie-viewing, yet. But I will soon! 

How could this get any better, you ask? Alamo seals the deal on my crotchety old heart by having a super strict no-cell phone policy: no calls, no loud-ass alerts or ringtones, no taking it out of your pocket to assault an entire theater with a glowing blue screen just so you can make sure you didn't miss an important Facebook alert. You will be kicked out. Seriously, if you can't deal with not looking at your phone for two goddamn hours, stay the fuck out of the theater-- it's a relief to find film lovers who feel the same way!

Naturally, I'm thrilled to know that Alamo Drafthouse plans to open a branch here in San Francisco! I can only hope that they have some exciting treat in store for us like they did with their new South Lamar location in Austin- although I saw Mad Max: Fury Road (ridiculous and amazing) at the classic 'Ritz' location on Sixth Street (pictured above), I made a special trip to the South Lamar lobby just for the carpet. Yes, the carpet: a custom-ordered recreation of the 70s-tastic hexagonal hallways of the Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. It thrilled me to no end to stand on it. And then quickly scamper away, because that thing is creepy A.F.

This little stretch is where it's at! There's a small but intensely awesome cluster of businesses I highly recommend visiting if you're in town. First off is Bouldin Creek Cafe, a large restaurant with indoor seating, outdoor seating, bar seating, and a quiet little nook off to the side for the very studious. Their menu is equally as large and completely veganizable. The first time I went I was positively overwhelmed by all the options. 

For dessert, head south to a little cluster of food trailers in a grassy lot, where you'll find the hilariously named Bananarchy. It's fairly straightforward- frozen bananas dipped in chocolate and a variety of other toppings, with a number of vegan options. Naturally, there is a menu item named for Gob Bluth. Across the street from Bananarchy you'll see a menswear shop named New Brohemia and a record store named End of an Ear. It's hard not to like a city that enjoys its puns.

Just a few steps further south is Rabbit Food Grocery, Austin's premiere all-vegan grocery! They have everything your heart could desire, from soy curls to fair-trade chocolate. Because I've been relatively spoiled over the past year with the Bay Area's own V Republic, I wasn't as desperate to load up on foodstuffs as I have been on past trips out of town. Even so, Rabbit Food set forth a solid offering of things I had to snap up, including some awesome John Waters-themed greeting cards and beautiful cork and faux-leather handbags from Pixie Mood. I also grabbed a bottle of Sweet Ritual salted caramel sauce, since it's a local Austin delicacy- be sure to check The Vegan Sweet Beat in the next couple of weeks for a full review from Ashley and Elysse!

The South Congress shopping district is within walking distance of South First and is a few blocks of unique, locally-owned stores with an emphasis on antiques and vintage. Regrettably, Austin's old stuff is just as overpriced as San Francisco's, and if you're a vintage hound looking for a big score, you probably won't find it here. That said, there are still some good finds here and there. One of the most enjoyable stores I visited was Uncommon Objects, a vintage 'mall' with several individual sellers. Many of the displays are set up chromatically, which is pleasing to look at, and it's there that I found a porcelain glove mold for less than half of what I'd been quoted at the Alameda Antiques Fair.  I was soon the weirdo with a severed arm in her luggage. 

No mistaking it: Austin is a taco city. Sure, there are plenty of restaurants worldwide that offer a delectable variety of tacos, and plenty of cities in the United States celebrate the awesomeness of this simple yet versatile snack. But none embrace and thoroughly imbue the taco into a way of life like Austinites can and do. Enchiladas, burritos, tamales, tortas-- these are all but mere distractions, serfs in the Royal Court of Taco. Just to confirm this, Foursquare recently released data from their app that reveals, according to their users at least, the most popular regional food on a state-by-state basis. Texas' food? Breakfast tacos. 

My most memorable tacos in Austin were at the never-not-delicious food truck Arlo's, parked at Cheer Up Charlie's, one of the greatest bars I have ever been to in my entire life. I also enjoyed the highly futuristic touch-screen taco ordering system at the Whole Foods flagship on Lamar, as well as their extensive and generous salsas y condimientos bar. While I enjoyed many more tacos through my trip, I regretfully did not get the chance (yet) to try Cool Beans ATX or The Vegan Nom, and while I ate at Bouldin Creek Cafe twice, I was too overwhelmed by their enormous vegan-friendly menu to even consider classic tacos. Oh well, just means another trip to Austin, right?

One of the first things I began hearing about when I landed in Austin was Topo Chico. It's the drink to have in Austin, second only to a can of Lone Star. It seems simple enough- carbonated mineral water imported from Monterrey, Mexico- but like tacos, the love of Topo Chico in Austin transcends mere taste. It's a way of life.

I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of sparkling water. That said, I couldn't help but fall for Topo Chico's charms. The bubbles aren't as big or as harsh as other waters, and I'll be damned if it isn't immensely refreshing on a sweltering Texas summer day. It's a bit of a tongue twister for the uninitiated, though- the first time I ordered one I meekly said "a Topo... Topo.. Chee...ko?" My friend Amey, also from California, boldly pronounced it "Topo Pipo" and from there it stuck. Now we're both on a mission to find Topo Pipo here in Northern California! Our fellow aficionados, a.k.a. the Topo Pipo Posse, have similar missions to locate the fizzy water in their respective communities.

Of course I have to have a hot sauce on this list! Texans love hot sauce, and that's a condiment love I can majorly respect. It sure beats the bizarre Dutch love of mayonnaise. I enjoy keeping my own stable of hot sauces at home, and was only too happy to add to it. I enjoyed a visit to Tears of Joy, a hot sauce specialty shop on the touristy strip of 6th Street, and picked up a few different mini bottles, as well as some habañero popcorn and some "Alligator Hammock Cooter Rubb."

But it wasn't until I tried Yellow Bird habañero hot sauce at Bouldin Creek Cafe that I knew I'd found The Austin Hot Sauce for me. I don't know what it is about habañeros, but they make up some of my favorite hot sauces- I think it's the sweetness that goes along with the intense sting of what is one of the world's hottest peppers. Yellow Bird does it right- they know that the secret to a truly spectacular habañero sauce is using a carrot base! Not only does Yellow Bird come in generous, Texas-sized bottles, it's made right there in Austin itself! Yellow Bird also has serrano and jalapeño flavors, both of which I need to try just as soon as I make my way back to Austin. Good thing I've got 19.6 oz to last me till then!

Ostensibly one of the cool things about Americans being from so many places is that not only do you get a combination of different cultural foods and traditions, but you get different takes on those foods and traditions from state to state. California's Mexican food is completely different from Tex-Mex. I think San Francisco, specifically, is your classic burrito town, whereas Austin is taco city all the way.

Another way this manifests is the Texan love of queso. 'Queso' merely means 'cheese' in Spanish, but Texan queso in particular is very specifically a type of spicy, liquid nacho cheese, often augmented with chunks of tomatoes and/or peppers. It's very Texan and very delicious. The newest location of Wheatsville Food Co-op has an enviable hot foods and salad bar, and nestled in amongst the sensory overload of all the delicious things I wanted to get, was a piping hot vat of vegan queso. Speaking of Wheatsville...

For all our amazing options here in the Bay Area, there is a sad dearth of quality raised (yeasted) vegan donuts. Your only hopes are for Pepple's Donut Farm to feel like churning out a few dozen on a weekend, or for a friend flying home from Vegas to stop at Ronald's for you on the way to the airport.

That's why I'm so incredibly jealous of Austinites and their access to Red Rabbit Cooperative Bakery donuts at Wheatsville. These donuts are divine- fluffy, soft, impossibly fresh, and with that unmistakably yeasty tang of a good raised donut. They come in your traditional flavors, such as maple-walnut, coffee, chocolate, and apple fritter. But where Red Rabbit really shines is in their specialty flavors: Austin creme (a modified Boston creme donut) and- get this -peach. A peach donut! It's like someone hacked into the appetite center of my brain and decided to give me a very special present. I also tried a maple-chocolate glazed donut at the Vida Vegan Con bazaar, which the Red Rabbit dude told me was a 'mistake' flavor. I BEG TO DIFFER GOOD SIR.

I'd literally been seeing and hearing about Wheatsville's in-house popcorn tofu for about two years online before I had the chance to try it myself. Let me tell you, it lives up to the hype. The magical food fairies at Wheatsville take bite-sized chunks of tofu, dip them in some kind of otherworldly breading make of spices and unicorn tears, and cook 'em up crispy. They come in regular and Buffalo varieties, and you can grab them by the cup or in one of Wheatsville's specialty sandwiches. I ordered both sandwiches for the trip home- the po' boy I ate on the plane, and it was fitting that I was soaring through the air like a goddess, because that's how that sandwich made me feel. The buffalo popcorn tofu hero was my lunch the next day, and even after sitting in my fridge all night, the bread was soft, the tofu chewy and delectable, and the vegan bleu cheese tangy and perfect. 

Wheatsville knows it's got something special, and I applaud them for it. You keep on churning out that popcorn tofu, guys. I'll keep coming back to eat it up.

Oh hey, remember that thing I said further up about America being awesome because we have so many different culinary traditions? Kolaches are another great example. Apparently Texas was at one point home to quite a number of Czech immigrants- who knew? Not me! The kolache (pronounced koh-LAH-chee) is one of the enduring foodstuffs to come out of this wave of immigration and become part of the Texas way of life. 

A kolache carries on in the grand global culinary tradition, from pierogies to pupusas, of "meaty/veggie stuff crammed inside of carby stuff." Kolaches in particular look like a baseball-sized dinner roll, golden brown on the outside, and stuffed inside with different types of traditional and 'Texan' fillings. I had two kolaches from Capital City Bakery, a vegan 'ham and cheese' variety, and loved them! Although after waiting in line for a good half hour, I was too jittery from hunger and excitement to get a proper photo, as you can see above. Definitely get them warmed up, they're better that way. 

Despite always having wanted to since being a teen goth super into Anne Rice novels (don't judge), I've never stepped foot in New Orleans or Louisiana as a whole. Of the many things about that city that intrigues me, the unique culinary flavor to develop from Louisiana's singular history has been a constant. Ever since watching the first season of Tremé, I've had an unquenchable hunger for beignets. Which is weird, because I had never had them before- how can you crave something you've never tasted?

Naturally I was thrilled to find Baton Creole, a donut-box-pink food truck on East 6th Street, just a short walk from downtown Austin, which offered authentic creole cookin' with vegan options! I ordered the jambalaya on a stick, the long-anticipated beignets, and (of course) a Topo Pipo. It was just as charmingly Southern as I'd hoped it would be- as soon as I finished placing my order, the woman at the counter called out to some customers waiting behind me: "your etoufee is ready, y'all!" 

The jambalaya on a stick was heavenly. It was spiced tofu on a skewer, rolled in dirty rice like a corn dog is rolled in batter, and then deep-fried, with a squirt of delicious Remoulade and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro. Genius! I was worried about there being too much food when my order was ready; travel and hot weather usually do a number on my stomach. But after my first bite of jambalaya that was no longer a concern. I ate the whole thing, no problem, it was that good. The beignets were everything I'd ever hoped for. I mean, you just can't go wrong with deep-fried sweet dough dusted in far more powdered sugar than is necessary. They reminded me a bit of New Mexican sopapillas, or Navajo fry bread. FYI, apparently the brick-and-mortar location of Baton Creole uses a different, non-vegan beignet recipe, so be sure to head to the truck if you want your heavenly little sugar clouds to be cruelty-free!

It took me way too long to get to Sweet Ritual, the all-vegan ice cream shop in Austin- I didn't go until my final day. But the important thing is that I made it, and that I had a coffee milkshake for breakfast, because I am Living Healthy. Sweet Ritual has a dazzling variety of flavors to choose from, all of which are made from peanut, almond, or coconut base instead of dairy. Or you can also just get plain old soft-serve, or one of their tasty custom shakes. Next time I visit Austin I'll be sure to carve out space for several trips to Sweet Ritual, to give myself a fully well-rounded experience.

Before coming to Austin, I knew only two types of pizza: New York and Chicago. Being from the Bay Area, I have no dog in this fight. We're just happy to eat whatever the rest of you bring with you when you inevitably flee your snowy winter hellscapes for our comfortably mediocre year-round fog. My mind was blown to learn that apparently, there is Detroit-style pizza. 

That's what's on offer at Via 313, which has a food truck directly across the street from Baton Creole on East Sixth Street. Detroit-style, for the uninitiated, is a square personal pan pizza with a thin and greasy crust, and the cheese underneath the sauce (what the?). If pressed to name this particular 'style' of pizza, I'd say "middle school cafeteria." That said, Detroit-style tastes way, way better, even if it looks the same. Via 313 can make nearly all of its menu offerings vegan as well as omnivorous, and there's a lot of seating and drinking next door at the Violet Crown Social Club. The kind folks of Via 313 will even deliver your pizza to you in the bar! It's dreamy bar food, and I imagine it even tastes delicious sober, too!

Thanks, Jojo, for the delicious photo of your birthday pizza! It was too dark and... drinky... for me to take a picture when I had mine.

With that, I sadly close this chapter on Austin. It was a truly memorable week, one I'll cherish forever in my memories. What's more, now that I've got the lay of the land (and, more importantly, the Capitol Metro public transit system), I'm even more motivated to return someday soon and catch up on all the stuff I managed to miss. So, Austin, farewell for now, but hopefully not for long.

I may be slightly biased, because I think Jojo of Vegan in Brighton is one of the most wonderful people in the world, but Jojo of Vegan in Brighton is one of the most wonderful people in the world. She is also living the dream- traveling the globe, sampling vegan delicacies from every culture, and being completely swarmed by adorable bunnies on a Japanese island (video evidence to follow). She took a break from her jet-setting lifestyle to drop by Austin and share some tips and tricks with those of us aspiring to be permanent vacationers!

Jojo was born with the travel bug- even as a teen growing up outside of London, she would go with her friend to Gatwick Airport just to watch the planes and fantasize about someday being on one of them. When she got old enough to take trips by herself, she says, she was the only one positively loving every second of the 27-hour bus ride (OOOOF) from England to Pamplona, Spain.

Jojo is also a huge collector, starting with her childhood collection of anything green. Today her biggest vices are Pez dispensers and nail polish (that one hits close to home with me). Obviously, having a big collection of your favorite things isn't exactly compatible with the footloose traveler's lifestyle. Jojo had to make some hard decisions about possessions versus experience- studies show that in terms of happiness and excitement, experiences outweigh possessions. When you think about it, Jojo says, "we don't sit around and talk about our TVs or our possessions- we talk about the experiences we've had." When you push yourself out of your routine and your comfort zone, amazing things can happen.

Jojo blogs about her travel experiences in order to remove roadblocks to veganism and to make vegan travel as straightforward, fun, and accessible as possible. She shared some handy tips on traveling as a vegan and how to blog about your vegan travel experiences effectively. 

The three components of vegan travel blogging are:

• Discover- discover the vegan ins and outs of the place you're visiting
  
• Create- create blog posts and other social media posts about your discoveries
  
• Share- make it even easier for your fellow vegans to utilize your research by sharing your creation on social media!
  

For Jojo, being prepared and doing research is an essential first step in preparing for your vegan travel adventure. She knows, for example, that she will never go to a zoo or any type of animal performance abroad, and when she went to Thailand she knew she definitely didn't want to support the elephant trafficking industry. Through research, she found the Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary where these majestic, gentle giants can live in peace. Jojo and her partner became fast friends with Lek, a local vegan and founder of the sanctuary who has suffered alienation from both the government and her own family for her compassionate beliefs, and spent an enjoyable several days (weeks?) volunteering at the shelter in exchange for a room and vegan meals. Talk about a win-win situation!

These days, social media is the most powerful, effective tool we have in the fight to affect change in the world and inform people, and Jojo's travel blog is an essential part of that.

For example, although she loves travel to Japan, animal rights there can be a grey and confusing area. Jojo initially began looking into a 'wild monkey park,' where the humans are in cages and can observe the monkeys in a natural habitat. But the more Jojo researched, the more she felt ill-at-ease with the idea, especially the fact that visitors pay to feed the monkeys. She reached out to a UK-based primate rescue organization on social media for their opinion, and they confirmed that this was a bad situation: by teaching the primates to become dependent on humans for food, they can begin to develop and exhibit aggressive behavior, which in turn leads to culls. 

One of Jojo's main motivators for going to Japan was to investigate and clarify a lot of the conflicting information about traveling vegan in Japan. "You need to get on top of your discovery game," she says, and the creation and sharing will flow from that. Being 'on top of' the discovery game, she reiterates, involves a lot of reaching out via social media and email to determine what her vegan options are well in advance.

Being well-prepared with research is what led Jojo to spending a magical day on Okunoshima, aka BUNNY ISLAND. It's exactly what it sounds like: an island completely uninhabited save for thousands of fuzzy little hoppers. The bunnies are wild but friendly, and visitors are encouraged to bring healthy snacks (carrots and cabbage) for the residents. Jojo is happy to report that all the visitors respectfully observe these rules, keeping the bunny population on Okunoshima healthy and happy. But enough reading, WATCH THIS VIDEO of Jojo experiencing pure joy and you experiencing pure jealousy:

Jojo encourages vegan travelers to reach out to local vegans in the areas they'll be visiting. Before visiting Japan, she connected with Shawn and Chiaki, local vegans and owners of the Vegan Japan Instagram account, who became helpful allies in the daily struggle to read ingredients! She would tweet food items at them (often from one of Japan's ubiquitous convenience stores like 7-11, Family Mart, or Lawson Station), and they would confirm whether or not those items were vegan. They also began tweeting their various meals and finds back at her, so she could enjoy more delicacies during her tenure! Likewise, in Hanoi, Jojo connected with Cici, who blogs as Vietnamese + Vegan. Not only did Jojo make a new vegan friend and get a local's perspective on Vietnam, Cici showed Jojo a local food cart making delicious sugar cane crepes that she never would have found without the assistance of someone 'in the know.'

Another handy thing to do is to research the words for non-vegan items or items you want to avoid in the local language of the place you'll be visiting. That way you can scan the ingredients labels of packaged foods without necessarily needing to be fluent. Hey, here's a hot tip- Jojo just published European Vegan, a cute lil' pocket-sized zine which has compiled the words for the most common animal by-products in thirty-two (count 'em!) different languages! You should totally buy it for your next trip to 'The Continent' (I take a little bit of pride in it myself, because I helped with the Swedish page!). 
 
So now that you know how to create and enjoy kick-ass content while you're traveling, when should you get all this done? Jojo advises holding off on creating content if you're in the middle of a short trip. Set a few posts for auto-publish and then relax and enjoy yourself- you can finish the rest when you get home!

But for longer trips, what are some good strategies for keeping a consistent online presence? First, you need to post to the appropriate social media for what you want to share. Jojo will be putting up a "packing guide" on YouTube, where a  video would be far more instructive than a wordy blog post. City guides work well as blog posts, and come with the added bonus of being editable for updates. Ingredients lists, you want to keep portable and off-line-- which is exactly why Jojo created the European Vegan zine!

Secondly, you don't have to do Big Things every day, but try to do something every day. Jojo shared with us a day in her (fabulous) online life, earlier this year in Thailand, on April 24:
Instagram: A photo of postcards she was sending to friends (although you can never go wrong with 'gramming food either!)
Twitter: Three tweets about Thailand
Periscope: A video of their new hotel in Koh Samui
Pinterest: pictures of Koh Samui and the food she's been eating
Blog entry: "Vegan Adventuring in Nha Trang // A Love Story Between Me and A Sandwich"

Finally, in addition to your online networking (message boards, social media, and blogs), it's important to use and stay active on Happy Cow! In case you're unfamiliar, Happy Cow is like a vegetarian/vegan-exclusive Yelp! which can help you find vegan, vegetarian, and veg-friendly restaurants, shops, and markets worldwide. A lot of us have had a few grumbly experiences where a place was closed or the information on Happy Cow was out of date- and Jojo reminded us that we have no one to blame but ourselves for that! Guilty as charged, Ms. H. Jojo encourages all vegan travelers, for the sake of their fellow vegan travelers, to get active and stay active on Happy Cow- update listings, post reviews and photos, and email the site administrators! A better Happy Cow begins with us! Jojo also recommends the Happy Cow app, which has a 'trip' feature which allows you to store information for use offline later on. 

Now stuff your pockets full of marshmallows, grab your passport, and have a great time! And don't forget to write home about it. Thanks, Jojo! And bon voyage!