Tour Your Hometown: Natalie of The Educational Tourist

1. Where is your current hometown and how long have you lived there?
Currently, Austin, Texas is my hometown. We have moved quite a bit over the years and we’ve lived in Texas’ state capital for almost one year.

2. For many people, travel is not always feasible or desirable all year round. How do you make the most of your hometown when you are not traveling?
Austin is a fantastic city to call home and we are having fun exploring the Live Music Capital of the World. A great way to enjoy any hometown is to act like a tourist. What would you tell others to see? That is where you need to start! For us that means visiting the Texas State Capitol Building, some live music hot spots on 6th street, and Zilker park.

3. What is the most creative technique you use to save up for your travels while you are at home?
My favorite tip for saving money is to DIY! The internet is full of how to information and videos so you can get the scoop on how to do most anything. Whenever I do it myself, whether that is painting my own nails or flushing out the water heater, I take the money I would have spent on that service and put it in the travel fund. It really adds up!

4. What is the best part of your hometown that other visitors should know about?
It would be a trip to Austin without a tour of the street art. Austin prides itself on being weird so much so that the city’s official motto is “Keep Austin Weird’ and street art is a way to express that feeling.

5. Finally, we can’t forget about the food! Where is your favorite place to eat in your hometown and why?
Austinites love food of all types but here in Texas barbecue is a religion. Spirited debates erupt over where to get the very best! Try a few places like Opies, Salt Lick, and Rudy’s and then join in the discussion!

About Natalie
Natalie Tanner, The Educational Tourist, has hundreds of thousands of miles under her belt – business trips with her geologist husband to places like Scottsdale, Jackson Hole, New York and Denver – and family adventures to far flung destinations like Rome, Paris, Tangier, and Istanbul. When she isn’t traveling, The Educational Tourist stays busy planning for the next adventure while being Mom to two kids, three dogs, and a hamster. Follow the adventures at www.theeducationaltourist.com and on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.