Note: NASPD only coordinates the optional events available through registration. All other events/activitieslisted below as possible suggestions to consider while in Austin should be verified with the provider, as times and availability fluctuate. The information/photos used are from a variety of sources, including Austin Marriott Downtown, Visit Austin, and Tripadvisor.com.
Optional NASPD Activities
Cocktails at the Capitol
Hosted by Gray Reed 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022
Gray Reed invites you to a private reception and late-night Capitol tour with State Representative Jeff Leach and fellow Gray Reed Construction Attorneys. Transportation to/from the Capitol will be provided.
Space is Limited! Spots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.
The Real Austin Tour
Organized by NASPD - $100 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022
Discover the best of the city in just two hours! This fast-paced "bucket list" tour gives visitors a great snapshot of Austin: get dizzy gazing upward at the Capitol's dome, indulge in decadent treats from iconic food trucks, explore cool outdoor art, snap photos at city landmarks, and check out funky neighborhoods only a local would know about. This tour is jam-packed with facts, history, and trivia on everything from Whole Foods to the UT campus, and everyone from Michael Dell to Willie Nelson. by the time you're done with this tour, you'll be able to say you "get" Austin - the history, people, music, culture, food, and what keeps it "weird."
Can be combined with the Lunch at Foxy's Proper Pub. The bus will deliver tour attendees to Foxy's or the Austin Marriott Downtown. Choose both options upon registration.
Lunch at Foxy's Proper Pub
Organized by NASPD - $65 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Attendees will walk to and from Foxy's from the Austin Marriott Downtown Hotel.**
Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022
Locally owned and operated, Foxy's Proper Pub pays tribute to the inclusivity and community of a proper Irish pub, where friends that feel like family gather to celebrate, commiserate, and enjoy each other's company after a long day, a long week, or what has been for many of us, a long year. Leave your worries at the door and escape into the uniquely familiar comfor of a well-lived, well-loved neighborhood pub.
**Can be combined with the Real Austin Tour. The bus will deliver tour attendees to Foxy's. Choose both options upon registration.
Congress Avenue Bridge shelters the largest urban bat colony in North America. Between 750,000 and 1.5 million bats fly out near dusk. Although this will not be optimal time to view the bats, there is still some activity.
Gruene is located a short hour drive from downtown Austin.
For a true Texas experience visit this famous as well as historic shopping & entertainment district on the banks of the Guadalupe River. Historic Gruene is conveniently located in New Braunfels between San Antonio and Austin in the Texas Hill Country.
On the National Register of Historic Places, Gruene is home to the internationally recognized Gruene Hall, known as Texas Oldest Dance Hall, as well as one of the most unique dining spots in Texas, The Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar, opened in 1977 in the ruins of an old cotton gin on the river bank with seating for over 750. Shopping, traditional events, and Gruene Hall are just a few of the famous activities offered in Historic Old Town Gruene.
18300 FM 1826, Driftwood, TX 78619 (about 45-minute drive from downtown Austin)
Scott Roberts, the current owner of the Salt Lick, has a rich history in BBQ. His great grandparents settled in Driftwood, Texas where the original Salt Lick was established. Scott's father, Thurman Roberts, was known for his delicious barbeque at family reunions and he decided he would cook meat for paying customers. Thurman and his two sons built a huge barbeque pit where Thurman would go on Thursday night and start cooking. He stayed for the weekend, sleeping on a cot until all the meat sold. He kept coming home earlier and earlier. After a few months, the boys and Thurman built a little screen porch around the pit. The Salt Lick has grown from there. The Roberts family now serves mouthwatering barbeque to thousands of folks each week.
Texas' premier hand-blown glass lighting and art glass studio, creating exclusive vases and sculpture, seasonal decor, drinkware, and lighting since 1992. See their team of artisans create hand-blown glass before your eyes in live demonstrations Thursdays through Sundays 10:30 am - 3 pm, then tour their art installations and enjoy the patio outside under the oaks. You'll be amazed!
