via Geneva Armstrong

Welcome back to GET OUT THERE, a brand-spankin’-new miniseries in which you and I (and all your friends) are gonna explore the heck out of the places we live. (And then put a bunch of collectable downloadable stamps into a tiny book to prove it all actually happened.) We’re gonna find new places to eat, drink, be merry, escape, and breathe fresh air — together. We’re almost done with our challenges, but it’s not too late to get started!

My Last Two Weeks

Over the past two weeks, I set out on a mission to find the best coffee shops in Austin.

My first stop was a student favorite, Bennu, which is dangerously close to the University of Texas at Austin. I say dangerous because the parking is always tight and students essentially pack into this place during finals — red-eyed, might I add — because the place is open 24/7. But I’ve been frequenting Bennu due to the copious amounts of queer women who work and patron here. (At least I think they’re queer; someone get them a Gal Pal shirt, stat!) I love Bennu’s comfy seats — there are couches and plush chairs — and the delicious, GIANT mocha drinks they cleverly craft. Each drink is named after a literary figure: Oliver Twist, Moby Dick, you get the idea. I, being a feminist and all around lover of sexual women, chose The Scarlet Letter.

Let me tell you, with a dab of homemade whip cream and a shot of some spice this was a dream of a creamy coffee beverage. Points for that! But minus points for the crazy login necessary for using the internet, which also wasn’t always consistent. Boo. On to the next: Cherrywood Coffeehouse.

Cherrywood had a full bar and a large selection of grub. Their coffee drinks couldn’t hold a candle in the wind to Bennu, but I did try a latte and it was very good and got me buzzin’. After spending the afternoon working in Cherrywood I was really feeling the eclectic vibe. More of a family joint, I saw a bunch of babies, mom, dads, grandpas and all around let’s-come-together-to-drink-coffee types. One elderly gentleman even brought his own library style reading lamp by which to read! Huzzah!

Coffee shop number three was Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors — and by the name alone you might guess that it’s severely hip. Filled with young business professional types and aspiring creatives, this place is one to make even the most stylish feel intimidated. The atmosphere is chill, the music is new wave and the espresso is international and hard to pronounce. I got a shot of something citrusy and it straight up tasted like lemon coffee! Cool, man.

The winner of these three would have to be Bennu just based on the gays. Love you all.

Next, I followed my heart and set out to find a queer space in Austin. Since we don’t have any designated lesbian bars or clubs, I was hoping just to discover what the queers are up to in this city. That led me — duh — to brunch.

ABCDE Events, the brainchild of Topher and Bobby, hosts a seasonal brunch party called Big Gay Brunch. With a passion for midday breakfast foods and champagne avec orange juice, it started when they called upon their friends to brunch as fabulously as possible. As the event grew, the guys started taking over restaurants and providing special acts, such as drag queen sets. Bobby and Topher also told me that the event was around to do more than enable us to imbibe mimosas (honestly, I didn’t need another reason!) – $5 cash donations were requested to benefit Out Youth Austin, an organization which serves LGBTQ youth.

The drinks were flowing, the fake snow machine was blowing and I was giving my dollars away for a good cause. All was right in the world.

Social Media Spotlight

Alright, ‘Straddlers. We’ve gone full throttle through 6 challenges, getting out there left and right! Here’s some highlights from the adventures of your fellow ‘straddlers during the last two weeks. To be included, just tag @autostraddle and @lezbackpack on Instagram and use the tag #GotOutThere!

Been falling behind on the #gotoutthere challenges what with g-d appearing committed to washing Singapore (or at least our rubbish bins) off the map and all, but made it to @alivemuseumsg over the weekend courtesy of my Overlords’ expiring corporate membership. Uh, “museum.” It was weird af. @autostraddle @lezbackpack

A photo posted by Fikri A (@metafiktion) on Dec 15, 2015 at 9:29pm PST

This morning: #sunkencity with my partner. #SanPedro is gorgeous– the rolling hill is showered in sunshine and so heavy with painted houses that the penninsula looks as if it will fall into the sea; this is precisely what happened with Sunken City, supposedly. I’ve been wanting to participate in the #autostraddle ‘Get Out There’ challenge, but I’m recovering from mono and other ailments which have made it difficult to find the energy while working, and plus, I explore San Francisco so much that I’ve already done everything on the challenge list. Even though I grew up in #socal , I don’t know it that well anymore so it was fantastic to go explore a place I’d never been before, but was only a half hour away. Anyway, I know I’m hella late on the first challenge but I’m only now feeling well enough to live my life, so #gotoutthere @autostraddle @lezbackpack A photo posted by @poorlittlerich on Nov 28, 2015 at 3:07am PST

@fwrites and I #gotoutthere last month at Body Electric’s #poledance showcase at the fringe bar in #wellington @lezbackpack @autostraddle I am too obsessed with these #getoutthere badges!

A photo posted by Tanya (@tanya_kae) on Dec 9, 2015 at 3:19am PST

The cutest seller of the hottest bow ties (and neck ties) I ever have seen! #bowties #WoeAndWonder #craftfairs #crossoverTies #queerFashion #oakland @pizzaiolooakland See you all next week at #MagicMakers fair! #GotOutThere @autostraddle A photo posted by oaktowneva (@oaktowneva) on Dec 6, 2015 at 4:30pm PST

#gotoutthere with my old (and new) steadies: chromatic, bitch planet+journal ?

A photo posted by jen(n) campbell (@jenacam_) on Dec 5, 2015 at 2:01pm PST

How to Participate

1. GET OUT THERE. Go see your city! Do the thing! Feel free to adventure solo, form a rag-tag group of adventurers, or even host meet-ups around the challenges and get ’em done in a group! However you wanna see your homespace is up to you. People living in extremely rural places might want to cast an even wider net and include neighboring cities and towns. So many options!
2. Post pictures and updates from your adventures on Instagram with the hashtag #GotOutThere and tag @autostraddle and @lezbackpack. Users who share their stories on social with us could be featured in posts and every one of y’all will earn bragging rights in the process. (You’ll notice the hashtag is a little different from the title of this very series — just roll with it! We’re excited for your posts to show how you actually went and did things, how you seriously got out there and saw new places and faces.)
3. Download, print, and collect our custom passport stamps for each challenge in a DIY passport in order to cherish your memories and remind yourself how badass you are.

That’s it! Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

I’m doing the challenges in the order listed below, but you can do them in whatever order you want. Feel free to follow my lead so that you can get tips and inspiration every two weeks, or plot out your own course like the brave soul you are and go for it on your own terms. There’s also a Choose Your Own Adventure stamp for those of y’all who wanna think up a different way to see the sights in town!

The Challenges

For our final two challenges, we’ll be hitting up a free event and visiting a local museum. If you haven’t picked your own adventure yet, this is the moment!

• 10/22 – 11/5: Visit a Historic Site, Explore Local Nature
• 11/5 – 11/19: Take Local Transit, Try Local Cuisine
• 11/19 – 12/3: Connect and Explore with Someone Else on Social Media Who #GotOutThere, Go To a Sporting Event
• 12/3 – 12/17: Find a Queer Space, Visit Local Coffee Shops (and pick a fave!)
• 12/17 – 12/31: Go To a Museum, Attend a Free Event
• CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN ADVENTURE: Go way off the beaten path and take on a challenge I haven’t even thought of – find a vegan joint, check out all the ice cream shops in town, shop at local thrift stores. Whatever you dream up!

Resources for This Week’s Challenges

• Autostraddle’s Queer Girl City Guides
• Roadside America
• Stuff To Do: Top Events in the USA | To Do Canada | Must See 2015 Events and Festivals in Australian Cities
• Museums: 50 States Series: Top Museums Worth Traveling For | 51 Weird Museums Across the US | The Best Museums in the United States | List of Canadian Museums | List of Museums in Australia by State

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

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