ATX Tours

Bikini's founder wants you to go on his new 'authentic' tours of Austin

Entrepreneur Doug Guller — who owns Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill (and the town, Bikinis, TX), Chicago House, Historic Scoot Inn and more — has announced his latest endeavor: the Austin Tour Company. The company, owned by Guller’s company ATX Brands, will launch in May, according to a press release.

The tours, which include a distillery tour of Deep Eddy Vodka and an “outlaw country" dive bar crawl, are meant to be “an opportunity to experience the Austin lifestyle,” says Nicole Jensen, the director of operations at Austin Tour Company.

A “How Austin Got Weird” tour aims to “show guests not only how Austin got weird in the first place, but how it has stayed that way all these years.” The 90-minute, $25 tour promises to show both tourists and residents “Austin in its truest form,” although surely some residents will argue that now that we’ve reached a stage where we’re touring our weirdness, we've become pretty normal after all.

There’s also “The AustiNight” tour that varies by evening, but promises to take guests out to the top places and events that “locals are hitting up any given night.” We’re just guessing here, but we bet guests can expect to visit spots like the Parish, Pelons Tex-Mex and the Vinyl. (In case you missed it, those are all spots owned by Guller.)

Austinites that often find themselves imbibing outside of Austin should be excited about the Austin Tour Company though. In addition to offering river floats (the first one, a “Cinco de Mayo Flotador” will cost $40 per person and includes round-trip transportation to Austin, a tube and a cooler), the company also plans to offer VIP transportation and tailgate packages for events like Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic and Float Fest.

For more information and a full list of tours, head here.

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the bigger the better

Enchanted Rock to double in size after 3,000-acre land purchase

Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

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Enchanted Rock Natural State Area, a popular Hill Country destination in Fredericksburg, is continuing its expansion after purchasing a 3,073-acre property in Llano County for $43 million.

The recent purchase comes nearly four months after Texas Parks and Wildlife Department purchased a 630-acre tract of land in nearby Gillespie County, adding to Enchanted Rock's current 1,644 acres of land.

The park's expansion, which doubles the amount of publicly available land, is also a great investment for Texas tourism, according to Governor Greg Abbott.

"Texas is home to 88 state parks that showcase our great state’s natural beauty to Texans and visitors from all over the globe," said Governor Abbott in the release. "The expansion of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area will allow tourists from across the state and around the world to enjoy even more of the majesty of Texas. Together, we will continue to ensure that what makes Texas unique and beautiful is preserved for generations."

The sale was made possible thanks to TWPD's Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, a voter-approved $1 billion fund dedicated to the acquisition and development of new state parks. Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the department's official nonprofit partner, also helped review the property's potential as an extension of the park.

The release explains that the Llano County land was previously used as a private hunting ground, but TPWD will seek public input to decide future recreational activities and conservation opportunities for the land.

"Enchanted Rock is cherished by Texans across the state, and we are thrilled to add a property of this size and scope to this beloved park," said Chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Jeff Hildebrand. "I look forward to families experiencing this new addition to Enchanted Rock SNA and creating lasting memories for generations to come."

TPWD expects planning may take "many months to complete" before announcing an opening date for the new property.

state parks hill country fredericksburg enchanted rock