Texas coastal town tops Austin's favorite spring break destination

SPRING BREAK 2023

Photo courtesy of Sunflower Beach

It's spring break week for many Austin-area families, and though most Austinites are staying in the great state of Texas, they won’t be sitting idle at home. They’ll be off to Port Aransas, which was ranked the No. 1 top destination for spring breakers in the latest report from vacation rental specialist Key Data.

Key Data determined their rankings based on the average nightly rate, the number of nights sold, the total accommodation cost, and the length of stay by travelers from Austin who made bookings in the month of March.

The other top four spring break destinations for Austinites are all ski resorts located in Colorado: Breckenridge (No. 2), Steamboat Springs (No. 3), Keystone (No. 4), and Mt. Crested Butte (No. 5).

For the curious minds wondering how much the average spring break stay is for the Texas coastal city, Key Data’s figured it out. The cost of the average 3.65-night accommodation in Port A adds up to $525 per night, or just over $1,900 total. For those traveling out of state to Colorado, expect not to save much money. Visitors to any of the major ski resorts in the top four Colorado destinations will spent between an average of $464-$761 per night for the average nearly five-day stay.

In a press release, Key Data’s executive director of data insights Melanie Brown said the city’s spring breakers are divided into two categories this year: vacationers looking to see the mountains and embrace the snow, and those who want to catch some rays at the beach.

The top 5 destinations for Austin spring breakers is:

No. 1 – Port Aransas
No. 2 – Breckenridge, Colorado
No. 3 – Steamboat Springs, Colorado
No. 4 – Keystone, Colorado
No. 5 – Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado

Key Data also determined that 11 million nights for this year’s spring break week have been booked through online vacation rental marketplaces like Airbnb and Vrbo. That’s up 22 percent from last year, which accounted for 9.4 million nights.

The full report can be found at keydatadashboard.com.

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ATX TV Festival cooperates with WGA strike by hosting panel and adjusting programming

Not Written Off

Anyone on social media or the news has likely heard of the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. This demonstration since May 2 has had TV writers stepping away from creating content, while getting out in the streets to protest entertainment industry practices that put writers in a tough position.

Like any strike, it can be hard to understand the depth of the problem or the nuances of proposed solutions. But this is an important topic; Not only do most people benefit from the work of TV writers (who create what almost everyone uses to unwind at some point in their week), but the conversations occurring tackle subjects that apply to workers in many more industries, especially as AI content proliferates.

The ATX Television Festival (June 1-4) is making sure Austinites have local access to this discourse, using its "Season 12" programming as a platform for some of the WGA leaders to explain their goals and concerns. A panel conversation will cover what problems writers have been seeing in their daily work, what changes they want to see, and what this means for non-writers.

Perhaps most importantly, this will become a tactical conversation not just about creative rights, but what a strike can achieve, and how. (WGA Negotiating Committee member Adam Conover of Adam Ruins Everything briefly explains the logistics on YouTube, with a hopeful spin and some strong language.)

Panelists will include Zoanne Clack, Damon Lindelof, and Julie Plec of WGA West, plus Negotiating Committee member Greg Iwinski of the WGA East. Beau Willimon of WGA East will moderate the panel.

The WGA's demands, nearly unanimously agreed upon at 98.4 percent approval, are publicly listed and include increases of minimum compensation, adjustment of compensation after writing is finished (in reuse cases and excerpts, for example), and regulation of AI use for producing scripts.

“ATX TV Festival has always been a place of celebration and community," said co-presidents and founders Caitlin McFarland and Emily Gipson in a statement. "It is where important conversations are had about the history and future of television in a safe and inclusive environment. We will maintain these tenets as we believe education and conversation between both Industry and Consumers are needed now more than ever."

"There wouldn’t be television without writers," the statement continues. "They have always been the rock stars of our festival, and though this year will look a little different, it will continue to be a place to showcase their talents and importance. The stories and characters we care so deeply about would not exist without them, and neither would this festival.”

Being careful not to figuratively cross the picket line, the festival has cleared the rest of the programming with the WGA, adding and removing coverage as necessary. It has also been sure to include content that focuses on a writer's experience outside the strike conditions, such as the panel “Why Do You Write?” The programming track "Hollywood, Health and Society" steps away from show business itself to discuss "social issues in storytelling."

Finally, the festival's sponsored pitch competition is still on the books, even though pitching shows is currently barred as part of the strike. In this case, the goal is not to sell any shows, but to receive feedback from mentors, inclduign other writers, showrunners, and producers. Hopefully, this advice can be applied in the future when participants return to business as usual — or rather, business in a whole new way.

More information, tickets, and badges are now available at atxfestival.com.

Clarification on added and canceled programming, from the announcement in its original language:

Programming Additions:

WGA on Strike!
Beyond the Page
Why Do You Write?
Queer Stories We Want To See
…The End Programming

Cancellations:
Please Note: These members of the WGA support and believe in their series and teams, but stand with the WGA at this time and will not be attending.

Late Night with Seth Meyers
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Tiny Beautiful Things with Liz Tigelaar and Cheryl Strayed
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Hill Country resort hosts fun whodunnits for guests eager to embrace their inner Sherlock

The butler did it?

Crime is afoot at the Cactus Oak Tavern, and the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa needs your help to find out whodunnit.

From May 27 to August 12, the San Antonio-area resort will be hosting an interactive murder mystery every Saturday at the Cactus Oak Tavern. Doors open at 6:45 pm with the event itself starting promptly at 7 pm sharp. Each $60 ticket includes the ability to participate in solving the murder mystery of the night (and yes, the theme of each week's murder mystery will rotate!) full access to an open bar, and a selection of appetizers.

There will be prizes for guests who correctly guess the murderer as well! (Whoever pulls off the most convincing "I'm not the murderer" act of the night may also win a prize for their Academy Award-winning acting skills.)

You don't actually have to stay at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa in order to reserve a spot (or two) at one of the Saturday murder mystery events. However, if you do book a staycation there, you'll get to enjoy $50 million dollars worth of recent renovations.

Another option to extend the night after the murder mystery is solved is by dining in at one of the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa's in-house restaurants. Guests can choose from two options if mystery-solving stirs up your appetite: For anyone craving classic bar fare, head to Charlie's Long Bar, which features a menu full of comfort food favorites, from nachos, ribs, pulled pork tacos, fish and chips, and more. Charlie's serves food until 10 pm on Saturday nights (they're open until midnight otherwise.)

Option two is for the fine dining foodie guest: Antler's Lodge is open Saturday nights until 9:30 pm and features a menu full of wild-game centric cuisine, from a wild game sausage trio appetizer to main courses like chili coffee rubbed elk tenderloin, multiple cuts of fine steak, and more.

In other words – if you're looking for a fun, full Saturday night this summer, the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa has you covered.

Austin Transit Partnership gives approval for the light rail plan to embark on the first stage of its journey

Do the Locomotion

To link people to jobs, invest in underserved areas and connect to affordable housing options, it is clear to the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP): there must be light rail from 38th Street to Oltorf Street to Yellow Jacket Lane.

"This option actually serves the greatest share of Black, indigenous and people of color, as well as the most affordable housing units," said Lindsay Wood, the executive vice president of engineering and construction for the ATP.

This will be the first phase of the Austin Light Rail implementation plan. It is almost 10 miles of new light rail across 15 stations. ATP leaders estimate it will serve 28,500 daily riders by 2040, and the anticipated capital cost of the project ranges between $4.5 to $4.8 billion.

So, how will this be financed?

Voters approved to build and fund the operations of the light rail three years ago as part of Project Connect. The ATP will also use federal grants.

"We don't need any additional revenue," said Greg Canally, executive director of the ATP.

The ATP estimates the light rail will serve more than 20,000 affordable housing units and bring access to more than 136,000 current jobs and more than 200,000 future jobs.

Now that the U.S. Census Bureau has ranked Austin as one of the top 10 largest cities by population, Wood believes Austinites like herself can use this light rail as a chance to "reclaim" their city.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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