The Moonlight towers aren’t the only tall landmarks, as the Texas State Capitol building is the second largest in the country, right behind Washington DC. But, 66 million years before these man-made structures, it was entirely covered in water with ten underwater volcanoes responsible for creating cliffs made of a crumbly white rock called “Austin Chalk.”
You are probably not aware of the fact that several movies were made here, and Spy Kids, Kill Bill: Volume 1, and Miss Congeniality are some of them. And talking about the movie industry, actress Sandra Bullock owned a downtown restaurant named Bess Bistro from 2006 to 2015. The longest-running live music TV show Austin City Limits began the broadcast with Willie Nelson’s performance in 1974.
The city has over 220 days of sunshine annually, which makes the clothing-optional beach Hippie Hollow even more enjoyable (it’s the only nudity designated place in the state!) But, it’s the winter nights that have earned the city its second nickname, City of the Violet Crown, as a reference to the purple light upon the hills.
But, it’s not just fun and games. When it comes to business, the state’s capital is home to a cluster of tech companies headquarters like IBM, Intel, and Dell, and thus has been named Silicon Hills. It’s innovating in advanced manufacturing, and it’s leading the clean technology revolution. But tourism, financial service and insurance, life sciences, and space technology are among major industries.