Austin Trip: What We Saw

After a brief respite, I'm back in the blogging saddle in the Lone Star State. Now, I don't want to make it seem like all I did was eat ... it was just a large portion of our long weekend in the Great State of Texas.

We managed to fit a lot in. First, we ran around the University of Texas campus. Tip: Stop by the Turtle pond and run back up Guadalupe, also known as the main drag.

We saw the bats leave the Congress Street Bridge. This is easily the best free attraction in Austin. Show up about an hour before sunset, park at the Austin Statesman Lot (for free), bring a picnic and a large blanket and wait for the show to begin. It takes about 45 minutes for all the bats to leave, and it's a really cool display. Bug spray is a good idea here, too.

We also ran along the Lady Bird Lake path. If you're a runner, this is a must-run. It goes for miles and features fountains and bathrooms.  Just get there early. It's hot, ya'll.

We belong here

We swam in Barton Springs, which is a natural spring that's 65 degrees year round. It's $3 per person to get in and $5 to park.  Just beware that the water is cold. We also checked out Zilker Park, which is a fantastic example of an urban multi-use park. There are dog-friendly areas, a train, playgrounds, hiking and all sorts of outdoor pursuits.

We rented a car and went to Texas Hill Country, where we visited little shops and a winery. We also saw the Alamo, which is free, but parking costs about $15. The audio tour is $7, but there are so many docents, we skipped it. It took us about an hour to wait in line and snake through, so you might want to bring a big hat or umbrella, and definitely get generous with hydration. About 2/3 of the wait are in the shade, but even shade doesn't help when it's 100+ degrees outside. Not exaggerating, either.

Walking along the San Antonio River Walk is also free and very cool.

Peace, love and Longhorns

We partied on Sixth Street in downtown Austin, which is the heart of Austin's live music scene. There's every type of bar, pursuit and music you could possibly want.

Funny how little things change in 20+ years

We  also checked out my childhood home in Round Rock. We also visited where my sisters were born and where I went to preschool.

Stop back tomorrow and I'll start getting detailed about how I consumed countless calories in Texas. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.