Austin, Texas’ newest hotel has a classic setting

This 63-room-and-suite inn, which opened in December in Austin’s Bouldin Creek neighborhood, offers live oak trees and resident peacocks amid the bustling capital of Texas. The area is home to standout restaurants, and popular sights like the Texas Capitol and Zilker Metropolitan Park are about a 10-minute car ride away.

While the inn is new, the land it’s on is part of Green Pastures, a more-than-130-year-old property on the National Register of Historic Places. A Victorian farmhouse there once housed a restaurant that was racially integrated long before most others in the city were; today, Mattie’s restaurant offers farm-to-table American fare. Or check out Henry’s, the inn’s bar and restaurant. After a day exploring Austin and its music scene, refuel with a Grassfield Farm beef burger, beef tallow steak fries and an Atomic Tanlines cocktail (bourbon, Meletti amaro, vermouth and peach).

The inn was spearheaded by La Corsha, the hospitality group that restored the city’s popular Driskill hotel, and designed by Clayton Korte, an architecture and interiors firm. The rooms have rich, earthy hues and hardwood floors. Some have balconies. Beyond them, a pool and patio are open year-round for basking in the Texas sun. Prices from $395 a night.

The New York Times

Route 66, known as the Mother Road, will celebrate its centennial this year. The original route spanned 2,448 miles, winding from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif. Tap into the glory with a visit to Albuquerque, N.M., where the Mother Road dazzles with 18 miles of neon-lit magic — the longest continuous urban stretch of the famous route in the country.

Get inspired via a dedicated website featuring narratives that highlight Route 66’s cultural impact, then and now historical images, and a comprehensive events calendar that will help visitors plan to attend centennial events throughout the year.

Route 66 Remix will transform Albuquerque’s Central Avenue into an art-fueled road trip across the city. Created in partnership with New Mexico-based Meow Wolf and Refract Studio, as well as local artists, travelers will discover 18 large-scale installations and augmented reality activations that reflect the stories, traditions, and people that have helped shape Albuquerque. These installations will become lasting landmarks, available long after the centennial. For more: www.route66abq.com.