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Tag: Austin Texas

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Area Attractions Lifestyle

Kyle Day Trip: Canyon Lake

Canyon Lake is known as “the jewel” of Texas Hill Country and it truly is a gem with all that it offers, including some of the best water recreation activities in the area and a whole lot more. 

 

If you’ve never visited Canyon Lake, you owe it to yourself to schedule a day trip this summer (or even a long weekend) and check out all there is to do. 

 

Hit the Water

Developed as a reservoir back in the 1960s and fed by the Guadalupe River, Canyon Lake is one of the largest lakes in the area, spanning 8,000 surface acres of water and 80 miles of shoreline. All that shoreline means that there are plenty of ways to beat the heat and have some fun on the water. 

 

The lake has several designated swimming beaches that are open to the public from 9 AM to 7 PM during the summer. Another summer highlight that beats any waterpark lazy river is renting an inner tube and floating down the Guadalupe River. Local outfitter TubeHaus will provide your inner tube as well as shuttle you back to your car at the end of your float. 

 

Enjoying a relaxing day in a boat on the water is one of the best ways to see the lake with both boat and jet ski rentals available at Canyon Lake Marina. After you dock, be sure to check out the marina’s Baja BBQ Shack for its all-you-can-eat catfish on Fridays and a truly stunning sunset. 

 

Now, if you’re the more adventurous type and want something a little more daring, then strap on your fins because Canyon Lake is one of the best places in the area to scuba dive. While you probably won’t find pirate treasure, you will see a side of the lake many never experience. 

 

Hiking, Golfing, and so Much More

While the water itself is enough to draw thousands of visitors each summer, Canyon Lake offers a range of activities to be enjoyed throughout the year. 

 

Nature enthusiasts will want to check out Canyon Lake Gorge, a rather recent “geological wonder” that was created only 20 years ago when 34 inches of rain fell on the Guadalupe River and carved out the gorge. The result is a series of beautiful rock formations that have attracted both professional and novice geologists eager to study the uncovered layers of limestone. 

 

Other parks around Canyon Lake that are popular with both hikers and birding hobbyists include Overlook Park and Comal Park. 

 

Canyon Lake is also a popular destination for golfers, with Lakeside Golf Club offering an 18-hole course and pro shop. If the history of the prehistoric kind is more your speed, then be sure to check out The Heritage Museum of Texas Hill Country. The museum features dinosaur fossils and footprints discovered right here in Texas!

 

With so much to offer and less than an hour’s drive from Kyle, a day trip to Canyon Lake is a great summer highlight. If you’re interested in finding a home in Kyle, reach out to learn more about available homes at Crosswinds.

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Lifestyle

Texas Tops Economic Expansion List 10th Year In a Row

Texas Economic Expansion

Texas is going to need more room in its trophy case… 

For the 10th year in a row, Texas has won the coveted Site Selection Magazine Governor’s Cup. Site Selection awards the Governor’s Cup each year to the state with the most qualified economic development projects. This year, Texas took home the hardware (again). 

 

The Governor’s Cup is considered by many to be the Super Bowl of economic development trophies. Specifically, it’s a recognition for the state that lands the most deals for corporate headquarters projects, manufacturing plants, R&D operations and logistics facilities. 

 

Here’s why it’s a big deal:

Every time a company decides to locate part or all of their operations in Texas, economic activity and growth follows. More companies leads to more jobs, which means more income, resulting in more growth. Economic growth in Texas is projected above 3% for the next decade, at least. That’s quite a bit higher than most states in the country.

 

Texas is crushing the competition. In 2020, Texas landed 781 corporate facilities projects, more than doubling second-place Ohio. New corporate facility projects have a big impact on individual communities and the state economy at large. 

 

Winning the Governor’s Cup for 10 straight years is a sign that Texas’ economy will be growing at a steady rate for the foreseeable future. When a few high-profile names made the move to Texas, other high-profile companies inevitably followed, typically due to the economic benefits of being in Texas, especially with other large corporations. 

 

Austin in particular is seeing an influx of companies. Digital Realty Trust, Rex Teams, and Oracle are just a few of the juggernauts that have chosen to locate in Austin in the past few years.

Why Do So Many Big Companies Want to Relocate to Texas?

Texas is a great place to do business. And we’re not just talking about the cost of living, incentives, fair tax rates, and favorable regulatory environments. We’re also talking about a state government who prioritizes keeping businesses open and a general philosophy of governance that promotes business growth. 

From Texas Governor Abbot in 2020:

“Businesses have almost total freedom to run their company the way they see best. We can’t run their businesses better than they can. We get out of their way and let them do what they do best.”   

 

Texas lawmakers relentlessly continue to look for ways to change the tax and regulatory policy to be more competitive. It’s a big reason that the Governor’s Cup goes to Texas so often.

 

Basically, businesses in Texas can grow quickly while limiting their risk. They can innovate without being shackled. They can expand and iterate faster than anywhere else, and that’s why they are choosing to move to Texas in droves. 

 

From a balance sheet and financial accounting perspective, it makes a lot of sense to locate your business in Texas. But it also makes a lot of sense from a quality of life perspective. Texas offers employees and new arrivals more living for less money. 

 

CEOs, management teams, and employees can live in beautiful communities and take advantage of the same benefits and incentives that brought their company to Texas in the first place. Texas is a great place to live and work, and it’s getting more attractive each year. 

 

Congrats to Texas for 10 years of unrivaled economic expansion! Here’s to 10 more…

Looking for a new home in the Austin area? Crosswinds offers a wonderful place to call home located just south of downtown Austin in Kyle, Texas. Contact the team at Crosswinds to learn more.

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Area Attractions Events

Austin’s New Live Entertainment Venue: Moody Center

Moody Center Austin

Kyle residents have another exciting venue to add to their list of places to go for events in Austin! This new venue will host amazing concert experiences as well as the University of Texas at Austin’s basketball games. Located on the University of Texas campus at 2001 Robert Dedman Drive Austin, TX 78712, Moody Center is slated to open in April. 

About Moody Center

Austin is called the Live Music Capital of the World for a reason. And Moody Center will help reinforce that with its immersive seating, luxurious amenities, and communal layouts. The venue has been privately financed by Oak View Group, Live National Entertainment / C3 Presents (the company behind the Austin City Limits music festival), the University of Texas at Austin, Dell, and actor Matthew McConaughey. 

The center is 530,000 square feet and seats 15,000 people. It features 44 suites, four club spaces, and 2,000 club seats. As part of his role as Minister of Culture at UT, McConaughey is personally overseeing the project. The center has been designed to easily host basketball games and live music concerts. It will have an indoor and outdoor layout that’s influenced by the flow and communal culture of Austin. 

Two options are available with the premium suites, one of which is the Porch Suites. They’re located on the baselines and corners of the venue for basketball and look directly onto the stage for concerts. Porch Suite seating comes out 10 feet into the arena to help attendees feel more connected to the live event.

The other is the Sideline Suites. These suites are a private, enclosed area located closest to the mid-court for the University of Texas basketball games and closest to the stage for live concerts.

Another luxurious amenity the Moody Center will offer is the Annual Concert Memberships. This gives members priority access to purchase lower-level tickets for all concerts and shows at the center. Members will gain inclusive access to private clubs along with culinary offerings and private bars.

The arena is named after the Moody Foundation, which provided a grant to UT. It promises to provide state-of-the-art amenities and top-notch hospitality for everyone.

Upcoming Events


The venue already has an impressive list of popular entertainers on their lineup. One of the first bands set to play at the Moody Center is Bon Jovi. They plan to stop in Austin on April 23. Other April performers include John Mayer, Justin Bieber, and George Strait.

The iHeartCountry Festival, the Who, Eagles, and Dave Matthews Band will be playing in May, Jimmy Buffet will appear at Moody in June, and Swedish House Mafia will play in August. Talk about a lineup!

To be the first to know about upcoming events and show announcements, sign up for the Moody Center newsletter or follow them on social media.

To stay on top of great resources from Kyle and nearby, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Looking for a new home that’s close to all the action? Meet the Kyle home builders or contact our Crosswinds team. 

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