Texas swimming holes - A fun and amazing tradition in the Texas Hill country

 Huck Finn? Yep a lot of kids in Texas have memories of finding natural springs, water falls and swimming holes. Blue Hole in Wimberley is an amazing find for anyone looking to jump into cold natural river from one of a couple rope swings or just float in tube and watch the fun.

The City of Wimberley and the group Friends of  Blue hole http://www.friendsofbluehole.org/ have done an amazing job creating a fantastic experience to all visitor's to a great example of a Texas swimming hole!

Photos courtesy of : Bob Kenney The Blue Hole in Wimberley, Texas: A Central Texas Treasure Source: http://visitwimberley.com/articles/blueHole.shtml

A naturally beautiful area worth preserving. Blue Hole is one of the best loved natural swimming holes in Texas. Located in Wimberley, it is surrounded by 126 acres of natural forests and native grass fields that have so far escaped the developers' touch. Now, thanks to many dedicated volunteers, and with good stewardship, chances are good that the natural beauty of the Blue Hole will be preserved for many years to come. A unique spot almost hidden in the center of Wimberley, the Blue Hole is lined by old growth cypress trees that have survived floods, milling, and settlers' needs for building materials. The Blue Hole property possesses what is now becoming a much more rare ecosystem and supports many species of birds, reptiles, insects, amphibians, and mammals. Native grasses, wildflowers and groves of varieties of central Texas trees and shrubs are decoratively combined with rocky outcrops, creating a scenic and special environment. The Blue Hole property was owned by the John R. Dobie family from 1897. In the 1920s, it became a popular spot for swimmers and picnickers when the Dobie family opened the Blue Hole to the public. Blue Hole was sold to a private Austin partnership group who allowed limited swimming and camping access to the property. Since Blue Hole is so centrally located, offers so many unique features, and is so closely tied to Wimberley's history, the Village of Wimberley municipal government entered into an option agreement in 2003 to acquire the 126 acre tract along Cypress Creek for public use and parkland. In May 2005 the Village completed the land acquisition portion of the Blue Hole project with grants and donations from Texas Parks and Wildlife, Hays County, the Lower Colorado River Authority, The Trust for Public Land, and numerous individuals.

Photos courtesy of : Bob Kenney

Photos courtesy of : Bob Kenney

About Reilly Realtors, Austin TX

Source: http://www.austinhomelistings.com/about-reilly-realtors.php

The Experts in Austin Real Estate 

Founded in 2005, Reilly Realtors is a full service, Austin based real estate brokerage made up of expert agents who have demonstrated a commitment to outstanding customer service, personal integrity and sales success.

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Our Clients Come First

At Reilly Realtors, we promise to put you first. Whether you're buying or selling a home, you can trust our expert agents to listen, work hard and focus on helping you achieve your real estate goals. We hire only experienced agents who are committed to placing their client's best interests above their own.

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A Full Service Real Estate Company

Located in the west Austin area known as Bee Cave, in the beautiful Hill Country Galleria, our team of experienced agents serve buyers and sellers all over Austin and the surrounding areas. From East Austin to Lakeway, up to Round Rock and down to Buda, or right in middle of Central Austin and downtown, we've got you covered. When you are buying a home or selling a home, Reilly Realtors offers full service real estate solutions backed by 42 full-time, experienced agents dedicated to helping our clients achieve their real estate goals.
Buying a Home: Our expert buyer agents can help you find the perfect property, negotiate the best deal and oversee a smooth closing. We've successfully represented thousands of buyers all over the Austin area in every price range. Whether it's a starter home in a new suburban community or luxury estate on the lake, we have the local knowledge and experience to help you succeed.
Selling a Home: Our expert listing agents combine innovative internet marketing tools with timeless sales skills to help you sell your property quickly and for the highest possible price. With today's buyers doing their own online home searches, we employ best in class internet marketing techniques to ensure your property is found online and generates the highest turnout of potential buyers.

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Reilly Realtors: Our History

When Michael and Shae Reilly started their own real estate brokerage in 2006, their vision was to create a company that provided unparalleled service to their clients. As part of that effort, Michael and Shae created one of Austin's first easy to use, map based Austin home search tools at AustinHomeListings.com. Along with the new map search, the original site also offered one of the first comprehensive reviews of all Austin areas and neighborhoods, known as the Austin Neighborhood Guide. The original site was one of the first local real estate websites designed to truly empower a consumer's online home search. In fact, early clients loved the powerful new site so much that they shared it with friends and family, causing the site, and the business, to take off in a way that Michael and Shae could have never imagined.
Within a very short time, hundreds of new users were visiting AustinHomeListings.com every day. The immediate popularity and interest in the new website produced so many leads that it propelled Michael Reilly, who had been an agent since 2002, to immediately join the elite ranks of agents who sell more than $15 million each year.  "It was a very exciting time and incredible way to start a new business - to be blessed with so many opportunities right out of the gate," said Michael Reilly.  Since that time, Michael has continued to perform as a top agent with over $100 million in career sales.
As website visits continued to grow, Michael saw the need to add additional agents to help with the amazing overflow in leads, but he was wary of growth at the expense of great service.

Michael's goal was to find only experienced agents who would maintain the professionalism and integrity that Michael set out to achieve from the beginning. "We interviewed a lot of agents to find high quality professionals, and to this day, we still maintain one of the highest bars in the business as we evaluate candidates to join our firm," commented Shae Reilly.

Today, Reilly Realtors is made of 40+ top producing agents and 3 full-time employees and our website is still one of the top destinations online for searching homes and information about the Austin area. We make continual investments in training, technology and tools that help our agents better serve our clients and achieve success. We are fortunate to serve clients in a town that rewards our commitment to customer service. While we continue to grow, the vision for Reilly Realtors and AustinHomeListings.com is - and will remain - a steadfast focus on providing unparalleled service to our clients.

Did you know that Austin has a light rail service called MetroRail? or as some may call it Kiss and Ride!

Austin's Metrorail service (Kiss and Ride)  connects some of it's northern and western neighborhoods with downtown. This is the 1st of many proposed lines that conceptually will tie in many of Austin's neighborhoods into a convenient Metrorail or light rail service that will help ease congestion on our roadways and make for safe convenient travel for Austin commuters.

MetroRail

MetroRail offers comfortable and reliable passenger service Monday through Friday between the City of Leander and downtown Austin, and from Lakeline to downtown on Saturday. We have nine convenient stations and three Park & Ride facilities, in addition to many MetroBus coordinated routes to make taking the train fun and easy! Whether you're commuting to work, heading to school, seeing the sights or just out for a night on the town, MetroRail can take you there.
Check the MetroRail schedules or plan a trip today.
MetroRail no longer operates with zoned fares. Find out more on fares and passes.


Source: http://www.capmetro.org/metrorail.aspx?id=53

 Want to find out what is going on in Austin real estate market? give me a call and I will be glad to discuss particular areas with you and let you know the beat of the market place.

12 years experience representing buyers and sellers of Real estate in the Austin area.

 Photos: Bob Kenney


Robert Kenney, Realtor

®  Mobile/Text: 512-922-4922

Reilly Realtors

13500 Galleria Circle, Suite U-115

Austin, TX 78738



Ever wonder who was the Zilker in Zikler Park? and how it bacame a public park? Read on!

 source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Jackson_Zilker

Andrew Jackson Zilker (1858–1934)^[1] was a political figure and philanthropist in Austin, Texas, after whom Zilker Park was named. He was the last private owner of Barton Springs.
Andrew Zilker was born in New Albany, Indiana. In his youth he'd read Henderson King Yoakum's two-volume History of Texas,^[2] and was inspired to head for its capital to make his fortune. In 1876, at the age of 18, he arrived in Austin with fifty cents in his pocket, immediately acquired work as a dishwasher, and doubled his money by shift's end. His next job would be on the construction of the Congress Avenue Bridge. But the real money to be made in the Texas heat, he discovered, was in the manufacture of ice, and he quickly climbed the ladder from new hire to foreman for one icemaker in a matter of months. He was quick to learn the value of business connections, joining Austin Lodge #201 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks shortly after its founding in 1891.
Soon he owned an ice plant of his own outright, and in 1901 began buying land between the Colorado River and Barton Creek. He had soon acquired 350 acres (1.4 km²) surrounding Barton Springs, including the Springs themselves from John Rabb, and used the land to pasture the horses and mules that pulled his ice wagons, and the clear, clean Barton Springs water to make the ice itself. There he also built a small concrete pool and amphitheater for members of his Elks Club organization at the site of one of the three springs.
Zilker also found the time to be a volunteer fireman, Director of the First National Bank, Water and Light Commissioner, and served both as alderman from the old Tenth Ward and president of the Travis County School Board. He would own a variety of businesses, including a brickyard (perhaps to spite his rival neighbor, and brickmaker, Michael Butler^[3]), a wood and coal concern, the Austin electrical system, and the water supply systems in Llano and Taylor counties. He even became the first Coca-Cola bottler in Austin.
The year was 1917 when, in his role as head of the school board, he cut a curious deal giving Barton Springs, and, over the next seventeen years, the surrounding acres, to the Public Free Schools of Austin (i.e. the school district) to sell to the city, which in turn paid for a $100,000 school endowment with the proceeds. This trust fund still pays for what is known today as the school-to-work program. In 1950, nearly two decades after Zilker's death, the district opened Zilker Elementary in his honor. The area itself, of course, became Zilker Metropolitan Park.
He is also remembered for his disdain for Austin mayor A. P. Wooldridge, and for encouraging Tom Miller to enter municipal politics and run for mayor in 1933.^[4] Nicknamed "the Colonel", Zilker's contribution to Austin was quite substantial.

Source: http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/pen-pals

 Designed by noted Santa Fe sculptor Glenna Goodacre and put in place in the fall of 1994, the statue commemorates a trio of writers—J. Frank Dobie, Roy Bedichek, and Walter Prescott Webb—who did as much as any in Austin’s history to define the city’s special qualities. In the rich synergy that developed among the three men over many decades of public life and private friendship, they became the spiritual godfathers of Austin.  The philosophers Rock

 If you want to read a book, play some ball, fly a kite, take a train ride, Swing in a cool (cold) springs or walk for miles you can do all this and more just minutes away from down town Austin!

My kids spent hours and hours on the playscape with the Fire Truck and watching the little train The Zephyr (above) pull it's carloads of riders through the park.

 

 

Robert Kenney, Realtor

®Reilly Realtors

13500 Galleria Circle, Suite U-115

Austin, TX 78738

 

 

Source of all photos: Bob Kenney

Austin's Historic STATE Theater - downtown Austin

 Photo: Bob Kenney

source: http://www.austintheatre.org/

State Theatre - History

"The State Theatre is a historical cornerstone to Austin's downtown arts district, so ensuring its soundness and longevity are key to the future fabric of our city. We want the community to understand the history of the State Theatre and to continue to enjoy its unique Austin setting for many, many more years." - Former Mayor Will Wynn

This vintage movie house—built in 1935 by Interstate Circuit Inc.—stands next door to the Paramount Theatre and within sight of the State Capitol building. It was built on the site of the old Avenue Hotel, which stood until after the turn of the century. The State Theatre was the first theatre in Austin built specifically to show motion pictures and opened on Christmas Day of 1935 with The Bride Comes Home, featuring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. Downtown movie houses were popular during the era; the theatre screened films along with many others like The Paramount, The Queen—which stood on the west side of Congress Avenue—and The Ritz, now an Alamo Drafthouse location on 6th Street. The State flourished under the helm of Louis Noovy, a general manager for Interstate's four Austin movie houses, which included the Paramount, Queen and Capitol theatres. Designed by W. Scott Dunn in the Art Deco style that was popular when it was built, the State lobby retains much of the charm of its past due to a major facelift in 1981 that returned it to its original Art Deco splendor. Vacant beginning in 1986, the City of Austin bought the structure and leased it to Live Oak Theatre. Live Oak, a local, producing theatre company, spurred the most notable renovations to the facility. Austin architect Sinclair Black and Live Oak’s director Don Toner embarked on a $3.5 million rehabilitation in 1998, transforming the interior into an inviting, open 320-seat space with backstage work areas, dressing rooms, a rehearsal hall, and a new lobby. Six months later, the company finalized its purchase of the State Theatre, moved into the building and continued its tradition of presenting quality work and supporting the growth of new plays. Embracing the spirit of its new permanent home, the company changed its name to The State Theatre Company. In 2000, the company merged with its next-door neighbor, The Paramount Theatre for the Performing Arts, to form the Austin Theatre Alliance (ATA). An endeavor that began with two distinct operational and business models has combined the best of both to become one of Austin's most uniquely productive performing arts resources - a thriving organization that both presents and produces a broad range of drama, comedy, music, dance and spoken-word events of the highest caliber, in downtown Austin's most commanding venues. In June of 2006, the State Theatre, having just celebrated its 70th anniversary and in the middle of a successful run of the play Bunk Bed Brothers, suffered the effects of a city water main break that resulted in the flooding of the State’s stage and basement, ruining hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and forcing the cancellation of part of the theatre’s 2006-07 season. Some productions were moved to other venues—the State’s remount of the award-winning American Fiesta was moved to the University of Texas’ McCullough Theatre and Judith Ivey’s Women on Fire was performed at the Paramount. After approximately $300,000 worth of repairs were completed, the Austin Theatre Alliance was proud to celebrate the grand re-opening of the State Theatre on March 1st, 2011 with a private performance by Austin favorite, Bob Schneider. The venue is now available for both rental and additional presented performances.

If you ever get a chance to see a performance here do it! great theater renovation, Great performances!

Robert Kenney. Realtor

®

Reilly Realtors

13500 Galleria Circle, Suite U-115

Austin, TX 78738

Top Austin Agent Joins Reilly Realtors

 

Posted by Michael Reilly on Monday, February 10th, 2014 at 8:20am.

Reilly Realtors agent Robert Kenney http://www.austinhomelistings.com/agents/robert-kenney/
We at Reilly Realtors would like to welcome Robert Kenney to our team of expert agents. Bob comes to Reilly Realtors with 12 years of experience as a Realtor and over $5 million in sales in 2013. He has consistently established himself as one of Austin’s top producers thanks to his diverse portfolio of not only real estate experience, but marketing, website development and management as well. Prior to his success in real estate, Bob was the principal in a textile commodity business, where he gained experience working with national as well as international clients from regions such as Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. Bob not only brings his in-depth knowledge of the real estate market with him to Reilly Realtors, but over five years of corporate relocation experience, as well. Having made a successful transfer to Austin himself 16 years ago, Bob knows what clients are looking for when they make the move to the Texas capital. Bob’s expertise isn’t just limited to relocation, but extends to all aspects of real estate and knowledge of the Austin area.

We're also excited to announce that Bob has been nominated for the Austin Business Journal’s 2014 Residential Real Estate Awards! These awards honor the top 50 residential real estate agents as well as master-planned communities and builders for custom, production and green homes. Bob was nominated as one of the top licensed agents in the Austin area with no licensed assistants. Nominees will be honored with a lunch and awards presentation at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Austin on Thursday, March 6th. This is not the first time Bob has been honored as a top agent in the Austin area. He was also a finalist for the Platinum Top 50 Realtors Awards Program in 2011, 2012 and 2013, which recognizes achievements in sales, civic leadership and education. When he's not working hard for his clients, Bob enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, which often involves coaching youth sports teams. He is also very active in the Austin community with Mobile Loaves and Fishes, a charity that provides food and other goods to the Austin homeless.

Bob’s addition to the Reilly Realtors team makes us more confident than ever that we have all the experience and tools to help our clients reach their real estate goals. We now have over 40 top-producing agents that specialize in all areas of Austin real estate and focus on providing the best service to their clients. Bringing in top agents like Bob Kenney is just one of the exciting plans unfolding for Reilly Realtors in 2014. After bringing in about $120,000,000 in residential sales in 2013, we are focused on continuing to develop the best products and services to help our agents better serve their clients in 2014. You can look forward to many exciting changes to our easy-to-use search tools as well as other aspects of our popular website. If you’re interested in working with Robert Kenney or any of our other top agents, please contact us today.

Salt Lick BBQ - Drift wood/Austin Texas - If you come to Austin you really should plan time to have a meal here..

 

 

Source: http://www.saltlickbbq.com/pages/FAQ.html

 

 

Photos: Bob Kenney, Realtor

 

®

 

Just after the Civil War in 1867, the Roberts family loaded their possessions onto a wagon and set out from Biloxi, Mississippi, eventually settling in Driftwood, Texas. On the trip, they barbequed meat by searing it and then slow-cooking it over coals on a pit made with rocks. An earthen berm was created to block the wind and hold in the smoke. Those original family recipes from the Southeast are the basis for what we do now.

Over the years, the recipes were “Texafied” taking on the local flavors of the land – like chili, cumin and cayenne. In 1967, one hundred years after the Roberts family settled in Driftwood, Thurman Roberts cleared an area on the family’s land and built a barbeque pit. The limestone used to make the pit was quarried from the land. (That pit is still in use today.) He would start cooking on Thursday night, sleep on a cot next to the pit, and sell the meat until it was all gone.

From those small beginnings, we now seat over 800 people and on an average Saturday we feed around 2000 people.

 

 

 

 



 I have lived in Austin for 14 years. This is hands down one of the best places to go with family and friends. The addition of a wine tasting room that show cases Texas wines just adds to the uniqueness of the experience as you drive through the beautiful Hill country.

This area is halfway between Austin and Wimberley and the food is fantastic.  Cash only policy so bring your $$$ (They do have ATM's)

 It is OK to BYOB here. If you go with a group make sure you have designated driver! Sundays you can get their amazing baby back ribs one order is easily split for 2.  everything else is served family style so really brings together your group.. There is usually live music to help spend the time waiting for a table.

 These photos are from the grounds and entrance to the salt Lick. when I 1st started going there you had to know where to turn into the dirt parking lot of you would go right by. Lots of changes over the years to the facilities. The food remains an amazing experience and treat that can be enjoyed as many times as you make the trip!

If you are looking for real estate in the area there are several convenient areas to choose from. From Equestrian estates to vineyards to amazing communities. Do not hesitate to call me for a tour of the area.. and maybe a bite of BBQ you will not soon forget!