Funky Austin shopping, including Uncommon Objects, Yard Dog, and Avenue Gallery

Shopping is a favorite sport along Austin's singularly offbeat South Congress Avenue. The offerings include Uncommon Objects, which carries intriguing objets d'art and housewares, and Yard Dog Folk Art, a gallery known for folk pieces from the American South (think Howard Finster, Jon Langford, Bernice Sims, and Purvis Young). Between the two shops, Avenue Gallery sells art, frames, collectibles, and such. Within walking distance are such iconic establishments as Guero's Taco Bar and the Hotel San Jose.