Visiting Austin in June

[RaggedClaws]

Hello all.  My wife, baby daughter, and I will be visiting Austin, Texas, for a few days in June for pleasure. I know that a number of you have lived or do live in or around that city, so I'm hoping to get some advice on what to do, where to stay, etc.  

I should mention that this visit is part of a series of trips we have planned this year to explore places we haven't been before for possible relocation.  My wife would love to move back to Southern California, where she's from and where her family is, but for me that would be like jumping from the frying pan (we're living in downstate New York now) into the fire.  Way too much government, high taxes, crappy public schools, ridiculous real estate market, etc.  She's with me on that when all's said and done.

So tell me about Austin, if you will.  Baby-friendly restaurants, parks, sights...  Nice neighborhoods to check out...  Bad neighborhoods to avoid...

[grislyatoms]

I lived there for awhile when I worked for AMD, they have a huge campus there.

Hippie Hollow is one place to check out, just watch out for the nude hippies. They celebrate Eeyore's birthday there, I think that's coming up soon and is kid friendly as I recall.

The Back Yard: good food, good entertainment (I saw the Allman Bros. there). Good place to go even if you are just going for lunch.

If you can go kidless for a couple of hours, check out Antone's. Best blues bar in the country, IMO. Jimmy Vaughan, some of Double Trouble, and some of the guys from the Fabulous Thunderbirds show up and just jam on occasion. On that note, visit lake Travis and get your picture taken with the Stevie Ray statue. (And check out the bats that live under the bridge by the lake!)

There is a place called the Spaghetti Factory (or warehouse, or station, I can't remember it's exact name, it's been awhile) that is an old train station turned into a restaurant. Try the lasagna.

One other place I can think of (Can't remember the name) is an old gas station converted into a restaurant. It has autographed pictures all over the walls (I mean all over, you can't even see the walls) from Janis Joplin, Springsteen, etc. etc.. Some help here, current Austinites?

There is also the UT campus, get a good look at the bell tower where "what's his name"  (Charles Whitman?)shot all those people.

Hope that helps, if I think of anything else I'll post it.

[RaggedClaws]

Thanks for the reply!  Wow, lots of stuff to check out.  I already had the bats on my list, I love bats.

The restaurant suggestions sound right up our alley.  We'll see about getting someone (maybe at the hotel, depending on where we stay) to watch the kid for a while, but I doubt it'll happen.  But hey, ya never know.

[Art Eatman]

Generally, east of I-35 is the less attractive part of town, and definitely stay out of the midtown area east of I-35 after dark.  It's not all bad, but you wouldn't know as a visitor what's okay and what's not.

Texas (and Austin) has a ton of publications of things to do and places to see.  If you're driving, the welcome stations at highway entries have them.  If you're flying in and renting a car, browse through the Texas dot-gov website.

The Colorado River is impounded by a series of dams, including a small one which makes "Town Lake" in the center of twon.  Lake Austin is almost downtown, what with the city's growth in recent decades.

Austin is a sprawling city.  For sure, buy a street map.  Much of the city is NOT a grid system, once you're away from the original pre-WW II part.

There is a free counter-culture newspaper which lists clubs' musical events and gives a lot of other entertainment information.  I'm blanked on the name at the moment.  The local paper, the Austin American-Statesman, also has a lot of info.

Lots of little esoteric bits:  The French Embassy from Texas' Republic days, east a couple of blocks from I-35 around the 1400 block.  Or, out the Bull Creek Road (FM or RR 2222) is a pretty drive.  If it's still the same name, a BBQ joint called the "Salt Lick" (IIRC) used to be good.  Just past it is a little road to the right.  A short ways up on the left, you can see in the limestone bottom of Bull Creek some grooves from the old wagon wheels where people used the creek as a highway to get to town.

If you like to look at older, beautiful homes, the area west of Lamar Blvd between Enfield Road and W. 24th St. has a goodly number.  On west, if you take Enfield Road to Lake Austin, you'll find some good restaurants.  Scenic Drive winds along the lake, mostly above it on a cliff.

"Austin ain't Austin, anymore--but it's still the best city there is." -- Jerry Jeff Walker

, Art

[RaggedClaws]

Thanks for the information, Art!  It's funny how the East side of most towns is the crappy part.  I was just browsing around on Google Maps and I see where you're saying.  No worries about us wandering around at night, because the baby tires us out, and we usually go to bed quite early these days.

I love the esoteric bits, the stuff off the beaten path, especially if there's history involved.  

My wife ordered a Texas Visitor's Guide off the state website and it's just great, chock full of information.  Of course, they'd never admit where the bad parts of town are

[Stand_watie]

You're from NY? Visiting in June? Welcome to Texas (almost, but not quite) Summer.  July through September is our peak hot season, June is only what you'd call "dog days" back in NY. Let me throw a few out. I haven't actually been to these places, but my ex-wife and daughter and  I are planning on hitting them in June (those of you following the soap opera saga, go ahead and sigh in disgust) , I (actually my ex-wife) just got a magazine in the mail called "Texas Journey" which includes an article - with beautiful pictures - called 'Take a dip - beat the heat at these 11 great Texas water holes'. Those of you who've been to these places can chime in and tell raggedclaws if the article is truthful or not.

These water holes, which from the pictures and descriptions are flipping lovely, are all within approximately an hour and a half drive of Austin-

A: Tonkawa Creek - Crawford, Texas     www.crawford-texas.org

(ex-wife is a huge GW fan [I'm not particularly), guess we'll be driving by the ranch

B: Hamilton pool preserve - 30 miles southwest of Austin - www.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/hamilton_pool.asp

C:Barton Springs - Austin

D: Deep Eddy - www.deepeddy.org

E:Devils's Waterhole - Burnet, Tx - www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/inks.


and then we'll be on to Balmorhea state park, Carlsbad caverns (New Mexico) and Big Bend state park.

[RaggedClaws]

That's the one thing I'm not looking forward to, the heat.  My wife, on the other hand, loves warm/hot weather and can't stand sub-freezing temperatures.  I'm exactly the opposite.  I know I'll have to compromise on something when we do finally decide to relocate.  There's always A/C I guess

[El Tejon]

When I flew into Austin I would always make an effort to see the Texas State Museum.  A highly recommended family-friendly educational experience.  http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/  

Otherwise I did A LOT of family unfriendly things.  Always had a great time though.  Have not been back since Thunder Ranch left.  May have to go back.

[El Tejon]

Oh, yeah, like Art sez, avoid east of I-35.  I went down 1st Street IIRC, Caesar Chavez road just off I-35, as I saw chickens in the street and figured it must be a good area for Mexican food.  It was not and everyone thought the tall, athletic white boy was a fed or a lost tourist.  Couldn't leave fast enough.

[Stand_watie]

Oh, yeah, like Art sez, avoid east of I-35.  I went down 1st Street IIRC, Caesar Chavez road just off I-35, as I saw chickens in the street and figured it must be a good area for Mexican food.  It was not and everyone thought the tall, athletic white boy was a fed or a lost tourist.  Couldn't leave fast enough.

If my experiences in Dallas are any comparison, it probably was a great area for Mexican food. You probably just didn't know the proper manner in which to ask for it. That would be with ten or twelve mexicans surroundinjg you as protective cover and telling the locals that you  were their good buddy the immigration lawyer from DC or Tio "El Tejon" who is so respectful of his wife that he doesn't even touch her except when she demands it.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Oh, yeah, like Art sez, avoid east of I-35.  I went down 1st Street IIRC, Caesar Chavez road just off I-35, as I saw chickens in the street and figured it must be a good area for Mexican food.  It was not and everyone thought the tall, athletic white boy was a fed or a lost tourist.  Couldn't leave fast enough.

We've got a Ceaser Chavez road here in San Diego as well.  I don't go there too often.

[Art Eatman]

Lots of the bad areas aren't bad until around dark-thirty and later.  In June, it's not dark until after 9PM.

"El Azteca", out E 7th St., is (was?) a good, non-tourist Mexican food restaurant.

Art