Austin Travel Guide

Austin is a bit of a black sheep when it comes to the rest of Texas’ predominantly conservative attitude.  Though not a vacation destination for the typical reasons, what it’s lacking in developed tourist attractions it makes up for in lush green space and a cutting edge music scene, so much so that it has been touted as “The Live Music Capital of the World.”  Also being the state capital of Texas, its rich historical significance is a great source of pride for the city and the state, with people as welcoming as they are proud.  Nonetheless, Austin’s general attitude is emblazoned about the town on T-Shirts and bumper stickers reading: “Keep Austin Weird.”

As with many other parts of Texas, Austin has been known to get quite warm in the summers.  In July and August particularly, it sizzles, with temperatures regularly hitting 100°F.  In the spring and autumn, however, you can count on blue skies and near perfect 70°F weather.  May through September is the rainy part of the year, when Austin starts to feel more like a semi-tropical climate with its humid days. In the winter, the days are very often pleasant but can get close to or just below freezing at night.

You might expect that such a cool capital would have equally cool lodgings.  Sadly, Austin falls a little flat in this area.  While there is a microcosm of interesting alternatives, your choice is mostly between big-chain and budget hotels.  When downtown, you might find little difference from the Renaissance to the Omni, though both choices are excellent in terms of luxury and amenities.  It’s worth noting that rates at these downtown properties will drop on weekends, in contrast to the rising weekend prices in the more tourist oriented South end of Austin.

Austin is host to a large quantity of festivals every year, most of them the musical kind.  South by Southwest (SXSW) is an internationally renowned music, film and multimedia conference that packs the entire city – as well as every last venue – in March.  Some events are free, but most of them require a music badge and are subject to crowd control and fire ordinances.  Apart from this and all the other music festivals that Austin celebrates, several major events displaying its culture showcase both the whimsical, such as Spamarama in late March, and the more sincere Austin-Travis County Livestock Show & Rodeo.  In Austin you’ll also find numerous parks across the city and its surrounding suburbs, all of which are very popular with the residents.  The long summers and mild winters make for an ideal location to host such outdoor sports as hiking, biking, and watersports.

The city’s public bus network, Capital Metro, is a solid system of inexpensive neighborhood, express and downtown routes.  The latter, known as ‘Dillos (short for Armadillo Express), are a great, free convenience to those staying and playing in and around the downtown district.  Especially since parking downtown is difficult, even with the municipal parking garages scattered throughout.  For the more adventurous, Austin’s Yellow Bike Project repairs old bicycles, paints them yellow and makes them available free for public use.  When you see a yellow bike sitting unattended, you are more than free to just pick it up, ride it to where you’re going,  and then leave it there for the next rider.  With about 1,200 yellow bikes at present, this is another great option for those staying within the city center.  Driving in and around Austin is no more difficult than any other large city, though exercising special caution around 6th St. (a main club/party area of downtown) during the evening hours is highly recommended.