Traxis Machining

Make a pilgrimage to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Statue, erected at Auditorium Shores on Lady Bird Lake. The late blues guitarist was one of Austin's most famous home-grown talents celebrated around the world. Visitors often pose to take pictures or leave flowers in the statue's hands or at its feet.

If you're looking for a good laugh, the Cap City Comedy Club in downtown Austin presents a show every night at 8 p.m., with additional shows at 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The shows are cutting-edge, uncensored and feature the best up-and-coming talent as well as seasoned comic professionals from around the world. Bring your best belly laugh: The crew at Cap City Comedy Club record every show and distribute them on YouTube and other online video-sharing sites. The club is part of a consortium of venues called "Rooftop Comedy" which shares videos and performers in an effort to promote live stand-up comedy shows across the country, and is known as the go-to club for laughs in the Austin area. The club also serves a full grill-style menu.

If you prefer sleek new vessels, then head over to the annual Austin Boat & Travel Trailer Show each January. The show features fishing boats, wakeboard boats, kayaks, runabouts, and cruisers from local and national dealers at the Austin Convention Center.

The San Marcos Premium Outlets is the largest outlet shopping destination in Texas, the third-largest in the world, and are actually two connected outlet malls that have expanded to cover more than 350 stores on 30 acres of retail space. The outlets have been voted the "Third-Best Place to Shop in the World" by ABC's "The View." The spectacular shopping mecca boasts an efficient, sprawling layout that allows tens of thousands of shoppers to stroll the specialty shops, eat in any of the restaurants or dozens of food court options and food stands scattered throughout the retail site. Luxury and brand-name outlet stores include Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Neiman Marcus Last Call Clearance Center, Gucci, FENDI and more. The outlets are popular for sidewalk sales, especially during major holidays like July 4, Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends and holiday shopping events. Statewide tax-free shopping days before the school year begins are also popular at the outlet malls, drawing on average 80,000 to 100,000 shoppers each day.