THE smell of fresh leather smacks me in the face before I’ve even entered.
It’s a firm confirmation of my whereabouts — if the wide-brimmed cowboy hats and polished-buckle belts weren’t enough.
The iconic skyline of Austin, Texas[/caption]
The open plan living room and kitchen diner[/caption]
Dripping Springs Social house[/caption]
This is the fourth cowboy boot shop I’ve found myself in, during a two-hour afternoon hunt through Austin’s South Congress district.
With Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour taking the world by storm earlier this year, there could be no better time to invest in this must-have fashion staple.
It isn’t my only reason for visiting Texas — although it would feel like a sin to leave without an authentic pair.
I was checking out one of Vrbo’s Holiday Homes of the Year, The Dripping Springs Social, in the nearby city of Dripping Springs, on Austin’s outskirts.
The 20-person property won the accolade because of its extremely high customer rating and excellent host who goes above and beyond, providing tips on the local area and arranging excursions.
Not to mention its chic aesthetics. The nine modern bedrooms are Denmark-meets-Texas, with wooden rattan furniture on cow-skin rugs and fluffy blankets strewn over mahogany leather armchairs.
Stag and hen parties certainly wouldn’t turn their noses up, but the atmosphere is less wild party and more kick-back-with-a-beer, with outdoor fire pit, large pool and a hot tub. All overlooking a mass of trees on a chalky hillside.
When you’re not soaking up those views, the barn next door is where the fun’s at.
It has been converted into a cinema/bar/games room with classic arcade machines, a poker table, shuffleboard and projector with a large screen.
My travel buddies and I even turned the space into a massage parlour on one day.
That’s the other benefit of booking a Vrbo Holiday Home of the Year, extras such as masseuses and in-house caterers are all easy to arrange through the company’s website.
The barn also became our dancing studio, where we taught ourselves the Texas two-step, a traditional dance you’re likely to encounter in any local bar.
All of this would have been much easier on my uncoordinated feet if I’d already purchased my cowboy boots, of course.
The South Congress area isn’t the only place you can pick up an authentic pair of boots.
Whiskey in hand
Although, if you are headed there, go to Tecovas which embraces the stereotype and is everything you’d picture from a Texas boot shop — a person shining shoes in the corner and a bar at the back.
Visitors can browse with whiskey in hand, should they wish.
But I picked up my pair at Allen’s, a store loved by celebs, in Fredericksburg, the state’s wine capital.
This chocolate box town doesn’t seem to have caught up with the modern world — and that’s part of its charm.
Saloon-style bars line the main road and quiet side streets are flanked by quaint houses with wraparound porches where locals sit on rocking chairs, shading from the 30C summer heat.
That sunshine — and its mineral-rich soil — make for ideal wine-producing conditions.
That’s something German immigrants noticed when they settled here in 1846 — many road signs are still written in German to this day.
Wineries are freckled throughout the area, including Grape Creek, where a 60-minute tour and sampling session can be booked for $34pp.
Beyonce on her Cowboy Carter tour[/caption]
Check out perfect pairs of boots in the shop[/caption]
The Sun’s Sophie Swietochowski puts her feet up[/caption]
If you want some grub to accompany your wine, Vaudeville in the city centre is a wine club, bistro and boutique shop all rolled into one and serves spicy fried chicken alongside crisp glasses of white and hearty reds.
Of course you can’t travel to Texas without visiting a barbecue joint either and Salt Lick BBQ, a 15-minute drive from Dripping Springs, is somewhat of an institution in these parts.
Despite being a non-meat eater, I was still salivating over the largest circular barbecue I’ve ever seen, piled high with sizzling cuts of meat (ribs, brisket and sausages), their juices aggravating the roaring flame below them with every drip.
For a crazily cheap $32.95pp, the Family Style meal gives you unlimited refills of certain meats as well as sides of porky beans, mashed sweet potatoes, coleslaw, buns and pickles.
When you tire of barbecue, tex-mex — an American take on Mexican food — is another staple cuisine in this state. Few places do it better than Guero’s Taco Bar in Austin’s South Congress.
This lively spot serves tequila any way you want and features an epic margarita menu.
Throw them back, with or without salt, while you tuck into spicy fajitas, jam-packed burritos and queso, a gooey melted cheese served with tortilla chips.
It’s a far-cry from the grub you’d be tucking into at a road-side shack in Mexico City but lip-smacking nonetheless.
If you haven’t been defeated by the plate of food in front of you, take yourself off dancing.
You don’t need a Google search for a spot to do this, I just followed my ears which guided me towards one of the nearby bars from which live music was booming.
You’ll be grateful for those cowboy boots when you’re stomping your feet to the beat like a true local.
GO: AUSTIN, TEXAS
GETTING THERE: British Airways flies from London Heathrow to Austin from £568 return.
See britishairways.com.
STAYING THERE: The Dripping Springs Social costs from around £64pp per night, based on 20 sharing.
To book this specific property, see vrbo.com/en-gb/p9789071.
