Republic of Texas Biker Rally

It’s almost that time of year again. The traffic, crowds and engine noise from the Lone Star Hotrod Roundup has barely cleared South Congress. The area has returned to normal (relatively speaking) and life in the “The Hip Zip” 78704 is settling down to a more typical pace. We here in Travis Heights are now in a two month respite between the hot-rodders and the soon to arrive Bikers attending the annual Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally. The large crowds, packed traffic with thousands of motorcycles of all makes and models along with the accompanying noise will descend on “The Hip Zip” for four fantastic days of bike and biker watching starting on June 10th and running through June 13th.
The Republic of Texas Biker Rally is the largest of its kind in the state of Texas and the third largest biker rally in the United States behind the Sturgis and Dayton Beach rallys. Where else, but Travis Heights are you in walking distance from one of the greatest spectacles of the year. Motorcycles of every size, color and design will be on display lining up and down Congress Ave. from Lady Bird Lake to Oltorf. Leather as well as tattoos will be in great supply. Bustiers and doo rags will be everywhere, and Harley-Davidson will be seen imprinted on everything from bikes and bodies to belt buckles. The 16th Annual ROT Motorcycle Parade will be held on Friday, June 11th, 2010! In 2006, the Guinness Book of World Records certified the ROT Parade as the "Longest Parade of Motorcycles Known to Mankind." The 11-mile Parade is escorted by Austin Police Department and stages at 7:00 PM and leaves promptly at 7:30 PM from the Rally grounds. The Parade ends at the capitol building on Congress Avenue (yes I know that’s the 78701 zip code, but “the hip zip” is just across the bridge and the partiers spill over into 78704) where tens of thousands of spectators await for the ROT Congress Party. Bring your earplugs and party goggles and join in.

Travis Heights Elem. Fitness Day

Feliz Cinco de Mayo mis amigos!!! On Friday May 21, 2010 Travis Heights Elementary, a most awesome school, will hold its annual Family Fun and Fitness Day. The entire school participates in this event. Students, teachers, administrative staff and parents participate in a variety of athletic activities such as buddy walking, Frisbee toss, jump rope, obstacle course, volleyball, rope climbing, relay races and tug of war. Each class rotates through the different events.

The event runs from about 7:30 am, for the opening ceremony, until 2:30ish when the 5th graders compete in the infamous tug o war. The event is planned by the wonderful Houston Astros Fan and PE teacher Linda Collins. I, Tim Boswell Realtor, help out by emceeing the entire day and by blasting rock and roll music through Stacey Park therefore inspiring the young (students), as well as the not so young (teachers and parents) to make that extra effort and push themselves to their limit. Thankfully, the F3 day is held on a Friday so the not so young (teachers and parents) have a full weekend to lather themselves in Ben Gay while convalescing in their favorite recliners sipping on their favorite adult beverage.

Make sure you put this event on your calendars. The whole neighborhood is invited to come and cheer on the participants. Bring your lawn chairs, water, hats and sun screen and join us for a fantastic day in the park. That’s all for now from “the hip zip 78704.” 

        Your blood pressure reduces, your shoulders drop back into place, the pulse you feel throbbing in that tiny vein on the forehead goes away, your grip on the steering wheel relaxes, and no longer are you clenching your jaw while gritting and grinding your teeth.

       It is palpable, one can feel it, it’s that “Ah” sensation your body experiences when you cross over the river from North to South. These are the signs telling you that you have entered into The Hip Zip 78704.

       Austin is truly a city divided, not only by geography, but by attitude and outlook on life. The mood in the Hip Zip 78704 is laid back, unlike the rat race north of the river. We have a much different viewpoint here than our fellow Austinites up north. When you walk along South Congress Ave. the people are noticeably friendlier. We dress more casual, more colorful (and that includes Leslie Cochran).

       Suits and dress shoes give way to hemp based clothing and Birkenstocks or Doc Martin’s. Instead of heads straight down watching the shoes hit the cement, our heads are up making eye contact and saying hello or howdy. At our hip zip coffee houses people engage in conversation about local, state, national and world events. The pace of life is slower, not as rushed, not always trying to beat the clock.

       Austin’s slogan “Keep Austin Weird” would have no meaning if not for the existence of the Hip Zip 78704. Our eclectic group of artists, musicians and business entrepreneurs proudly own their eccentricities, thereby putting the “hip” in the Hip Zip 78704. More to come.

SXSW 2011

March 11 - 20

       Wanted to give you a little background on the world famous event that calls Austin home. The Hip Zip 78704 is alive with some of the best music in the world. With a band in every open space and on every street corner, the SOCO (South Congress) district plays host to a multitude of bands playing all genres of music. Here is a little history.  

       The first South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW) was held in 1987 in Austin, Texas. Despite the fact that Austin was not a Top 20 major market at the time, the background and character of the city made it a perfect location for the conference. Austin was considered a fairly cosmopolitan town for its size because of the University of Texas, which draws people from all over the world. As home to the state government and Texas Legislature it has also always been a popular party town, with a reputation that goes back to the 19th century when numerous nightspots and bars were populated by General Custer's troops after the Civil War. These nightspots (also known as Boy's town during the late 19th century, Austin's infamous red light district) are located in the same areas where the 6th Street and 4th Street club and bar scenes now exist.
       Austin's eclectic music scene goes back to early in the city's history (from Mexican, German and colonial origins) and encompasses a wide variety of music including country, folk, jazz, blues and rock. Central Austin boasts more original music nightclubs in a concentrated area than any other city in the world.
       The classic problem facing Austin musicians was being isolated from the rest of the world here in the middle of Texas. SXSW was a way to reach out to the rest of the world, and bring them here to do business. To do that successfully, SXSW needed to appeal to people other than local artists whether they were from Austin, Ft. Worth, Chicago, Toronto, Munich or Tokyo.
       National interest in SXSW was immediate. For years, music businesses on both coasts had been intrigued by what was going on in Austin. The cosmic cowboy, blues, punk and other scenes had already proven that Austin was a receptive place for bands to be creative. With SXSW, music industry executives gained a good excuse to visit.
       International interest in SXSW began the second year due to many Austin and American bands finding their first success in Europe. Conversely, there was a lot of interest from SXSW registrants in the international bands who came to perform. SXSW now has offices in Ireland, Germany, Australia and Japan who help bring SXSW registrants to Austin.
       The music event has grown from 700 registrants in 1987 to nearly 12,000 registrants. As Austin has grown and diversified, film companies and high-tech companies have played a major role in the Austin and the Texas economies.
       In 1994, SXSW added a film and interactive component to accommodate these growth industries. SXSW Film and SXSW Interactive events attract approximately 17,000 registrants to Austin every March.
SXSW's original goal was to create an event that would act as a tool for creative people and the companies they work with to develop their careers, to bring together people from a wide area to meet and share ideas. That continues to be the goal today whether it is music, film or the internet. And Austin continues to be the perfect location.