This is a typical SoCo street scene during a First Thursday ... everyone doing their best to Keep Austin Weird.

Austin has the some of the funkiest and bizarre signage of any city we have visited. These strange signs definitely help keep Austin weird. We thought we might be hallucinating when we saw the Light Bulb Shop with its giant creepy man with a light bulb suspended over his head. This sign must be in full glory when it’s lit up at night.

This massive red arm in full flex with bar bell protrudes from the front of the Hyde Park gym. We learned later that garden hoses were used to create the grotesque bulging veins.

Sherry found the retro hippie Groovy Lube sign rather soothing and ... uh ... groovy.

Marias Taco Express in South Austin is in a category by itself. The outstretched arms of Argentine taco queen Maria Corbalan, (aka Loco Maria), welcomes everyone to this legendary eatery and music venue.

Chuy’s, the most famous eatery on Austin’s legendary “restaurant row “is Tex-Mex heaven with gaudy Elvis-themed décor. It is best known as the place where Jenna Bush got busted trying to use a fake ID to order alcohol.

One evening, while driving on Barton Springs Road, a winding boulevard known as "restaurant row," we witnessed a crush of humanity that was truly phenomenal … there were hundreds of college students and young families lining the road waiting for tables. Shady Grove, under the guise of al fresco dining, literally had folks sprawled out on its lawn eating … some patrons, who obviously had been there before, wisely brought their own lawn chairs. If you are "crowd averse" like we are ... this is one area to avoid.

Nothing says weird like getting a hug from a zombie. While visiting the Capitol grounds we spotted a bizarre sight … hoards of zombies lumbering across the lawn. Seems that we had innocently stumbled upon the shooting of popular local indie film, "Hazmat J and the Birth of the Apocalypse," a prequel to that widely popular short, "Zombabies."

It wasn’t long before we became aware of Austin’s beloved icon of weirdness … Leslie Cochran. Arguably Austin’s most colorful personality, he actually won 8 percent of the mayoral vote in 2000 after campaigning in drag. Although we kept our eyes open, we never did spot him roaming around town. Lucky us!

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