Art in the Streets

New choose-your-own-adventure bike tour pedals past Austin's best murals

Some of the great things about Austin include the city's amazing street art, bike-friendliness, and good food. Texas Bike Tours recently combined those into customizable, guided bike tours that Austin visitors will want to add to their must-do list.

Every TBT tour begins with riders filling out a detailed form about riding abilities and desires. And almost anything goes. In the past, the team has provided overnight tours and even one that ended with a multicourse dinner overlooking Lake Travis.

Guests can bring their own bikes or TBT arranges rentals. The team personally tests every route and creates a detailed proposal and price, along with special additions such as keeping a rental bike another day or having TBT pick up and return bikes to the shop.

TBT founder Deaton Bednar teams up with various bike shops and guides, based on where a tour starts and what riders want to see and do. “The overriding thing in all this is that I want people to ride bikes,” says Bednar, an avid rider. “I try to remove any barriers to making them happy while they ride and give them something they can talk about while making good memories.”

No two Texas Bike Tours are exactly the same, and our recent mural tour is no exception.

“I create the experience you want to have, whatever you want to have happen,” says Bednar. “In this case, a guest let us know she was interested in a tour with some friends of murals around the city, and a bike is one of the best ways to see some of these works of art. We selected some of the murals she was aware of and others that she wasn’t, plotted out the best route and then tested it out.”

Our customized tour began at Mellow Johnny’s and Bednar served as the guide for the six riders. She gave a brief history of each piece and explained the difference between murals, street and yard art, and graffiti (no spoilers, sorry). The group crossed the river to ponder a set of murals on Barton Springs Road including "Guide Me Home" and a piece depicting a mermaid and a whale by Yoskay Yamanoto and Tatiana Suarez.

The route then wound through Travis Heights with stops at the “Welcome to Austin” postcard mural on the wall of Roadhouse Relics, a mural on Mi Casa Gallery, the "Willie for President" mural on Stag Provisions for Men, and Vicki’s Wall, part of New Orleans-based artist Candy Changki's “Before I Die…” project, which debuted during SXSW 2014.

At the Larry Monroe Forever Bridge in Stacy Park, the driving force behind the mosaic project, Ave Bonar, greeted the group while TBT culinary experience director Barbara Gibson served slices of homemade quiche before riders headed to the east side.

Stops in East Austin included a mural on Oni Tattoo called "Woman in Waves" and "Girl with Coffee," both by Austin-based Roshi K, and the latter of which appears on the side of the former Fast Folks Cyclery (commissioned during SXSW 2016). We then pedaled past mosaics on East First Grocery, done as part of the Pay Phone Revival Project, and "Day Dreaming” by Seraphim-One (Sarah Ponce) and Levi Ponce on the side of Cenote.

Gibson served a snack before the group headed back downtown, making a stop at the Native Hostel and Bar & Kitchen’s "These Walls Bring Us Together" along the way. The mural at Fourth Street and I-35, commissioned for SXSW 2018, is part of the HOPE Outdoor Gallery relocation campaign. The tour ended with dessert at Republic Square Park.

While the tour lasted more than three hours, the murals it included represent a mere fraction of the many gracing Austin walls. This could be the beginning of something beautiful.

"Daydreaming."

Photo by Melissa Gaskill

"Daydreaming."

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Checking in

Clara Hotel debuts in Plano with chef-driven dining and late-night lounge

Photo by Dan Padgett

Cocktail and food offerings at the Archer.

A newly reimagined hotel in Plano aims to be as much a dining destination for locals as it is a place for visitors to stay: The Clara Hotel has officially opened in the Legacy Corridor with a chef-driven restaurant and chic new cocktail bar - all part of a $4 million transformation of the former NYLO Dallas/Plano Hotel.

Located at 8201 Preston Rd. on the Plano-Frisco border, The Clara remains part of Hilton's Tapestry Collection but has been overhauled by Dallas-based investment firm NewcrestImage, which acquired the property in 2025. The company has refreshed nearly every guest-facing space, from the hotel's 176 guest rooms to its food and beverage offerings.

Leading the debut are Field & Vine, the hotel's signature restaurant, and Archer, a new day-to-late-night cocktail lounge.

The Clara Hotel is now open at 8201 Preston Rd., Plano.Photo by Greg Ceo Studio

"The Clara was always envisioned as more than a hotel," says Mehul Patel, managing partner at NewcrestImage, in the release. "We wanted to create a place that locals would visit whether they were staying overnight or not. Field & Vine and Archer are central to that vision. Together, they create an experience that evolves throughout the day, from breakfast meetings to date nights, celebrations and late-evening cocktails."

Field & Vine is led by executive chef Daniel Armand, whose nearly four-decade career has included restaurants in Haiti, France, New York, Nantucket, the Hamptons, and Dallas before joining The Clara.

His menu blends French technique, Haitian influences, Texas ingredients, and seasonal produce. Highlights include:

Clara Ceviche with Gulf shrimp, citrus, and coconut water
Harissa Honey Wings with Texas honey
Steak Frites with herb butter and truffle fries
Heritage Chicken with roasted root vegetable purée
French-style Braised Short Rib
Citrus Shrimp Linguine
Wild Mushroom & Truffle Risotto
Herb-Crusted Salmon with citrus-sage beurre blanc

Field & Vine, Clara Hotel Clara ceviche at Field & Vine.Photo by Dan Padgett

The all-important hotel breakfast ranges from avocado toast and smoked salmon plates to Belgian waffles, breakfast tacos, fresh-pressed juices, overnight oats, and brioche French toast.

A distinctive feature is the hotel's on-site herb garden, where rosemary, basil, sage, thyme, and other herbs are harvested for both the kitchen and bar.

"Some of my earliest memories are in the kitchen with my mother, learning that food has the power to bring people together," says Armand. "Field & Vine is a reflection of that belief. We want guests to feel welcome whether they are joining us for breakfast, a special dinner or simply gathering with friends. The menu is personal to me, but ultimately it is designed to create memorable experiences around the table."

The cocktail program incorporates fresh herbs and housemade syrups with drinks such as the Clara Bloom, Rosemary Paloma, Smoke & Sage, and Garden Spritz.

For evening drinks, Archer offers a dramatically different atmosphere.

Replacing the Library concept originally announced during the renovation, Archer is a moody cocktail lounge with dark woods, leather seating, and low lighting. The space was inspired by celestial navigation, with signature cocktails named for stars, landmarks, and journeys.

Featured drinks include:

Polaris with vodka, elderflower, lemon, and sparkling wine
The Meridian with reposado tequila, Yellow Chartreuse, lime, and honey
Clara After Dark with bourbon, Amaro Nonino, honey, lemon, and black tea
Fixed Point with bourbon, black walnut, demerara, and bitters
Western Sky with rye whiskey, amaro, sweet vermouth, and chocolate bitters
Long After Sunset with vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and vanilla

The Archer, cocktails, Clara Hotel Cocktails at The Archer.Photo by Dan Padgett

The lounge also serves shareable bites including lamb chops with mint chimichurri, tuna tartare, margherita flatbread, ancient grain hummus, and cinnamon pretzel bites.

"Archer was designed to feel like the room the evening finds after sunset," says Patel. "It offers something different from the traditional hotel bar experience. It's intimate, atmospheric and intentionally designed for guests who appreciate great cocktails, thoughtful conversation and a place that encourages them to stay awhile."

Originally opened in 2007, the property was the first hotel launched under the NYLO Hotels brand and is widely credited as the country's first loft-style lifestyle hotel. Under NewcrestImage's ownership, the hotel has introduced a warmer aesthetic with natural textures, wood finishes, greenery, and a more residential feel throughout its guestrooms and public spaces.

The renovation also refreshed the hotel's heated outdoor pool, landscaped courtyard, and meeting and event spaces, positioning the Clara for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings.

Reservations for dining and hotel stays are available through The Clara Hotel's website.

Photo by Dan Padgett

Cocktail and food offerings at the Archer.

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