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Austin/Texas - The Capitol of Music.....and so much more

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A bastion of progressive thought amid Texas conservatism, Austin is not only the state's capital but is also a city made intriguing by its mix of government, university, culture and counterculture. Texas's fourth-largest city, Austin boasts a booming economy and an enviable quality of life, and its residents seek to make the seat of Travis County a reckoning force in technology, environmental concerns and music, to name but a few. 

Austin grew from a small settlement dating to the 1830s, which got an immense boost in prestige when it was chosen as the home base for the Republic of Texas. The settlement on the Colorado River ultimately chose its name to honor Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas," who embarked on a long struggle with Spanish and Mexican authorities before finally succeeding in bringing American settlers to populate the new territory. Numerous Austin historic sites tell the story of this city's early days.

Things to do & know in/about Austin
While traveling in Austin, you will see that it is distinguished by a gorgeous, attention-grabbing Capitol building, the lovely flagship campus of the University of Texas system, and an independent civic spirit that strives to cultivate what's worthy and distinctive. As proof of such character, the city happily promotes its "Keep Austin Weird" movement, which supports small local businesses while simultaneously combating the influx of corporate, big-businessinitiatives. In addition, the town revels in its population of bats (yes, bats), whose huge numbers draw folks to vacation in Austin and mesmerize them for the extent of their stays.

Thanks to a location in Central Texas with the Hill Country to its west, the city is incredibly convenient to Lakes Town, Long, Austin, and Travis. As a result, Austin vacations are always in close proximity to a soothing lake, making hot, humid summers bearable and adding life to the expansive landscape. The terrain is also conducive to other athletic pursuits, including running, biking (what else in a town where Lance Armstrong lives!), and, by extension, competing in local triathlons. Beyond that, if you're intrigued by the prospect of enjoying the many things to do outdoors, Austin lays claim to Hippie Hollow, a public, county-run, clothing-optional beach.



While enjoying 
your vacation in Austin, you will find that live music is chief among the city's 
claims to fame. Venues populate the city, especially along Sixth Street, and 
Austin City Limits, the venerable public television show, regularly broadcasts 
the city's – and the nation's – best performers. So great is Austin's esteem for 
the genre, in fact, that the city's official nickname is "The Live Music Capital 
of the World." Austin's arts mix also includes a substantial selection of 
festivals and arts organizations – not to mention a broad creative community – 
all of which provide the capital city its own special brand of energy and 
interest.















Complementing 
the allure of music and culture is the variety of signature sights and things to 
do in Austin. Vacations in Austin, TX must include the Blanton Museum of Art, 
UT's impressive, light-filled facility that showcases the area's most 
substantial art holdings, and Zilker Metropolitan Park, a much-frequented green 
haven that comes complete with botanical and sculpture gardens and a refreshing, 
spring-fed pool. A plethora of restaurants also suits a populace schooled in 
vibrant flavors and satisfying experiences. They put forth everything from 
barbecue and casual Tex-Mex to exceptional French fare and sublime, chef-driven 
regional cuisine.



It's no 
wonder, then, that Austin 














travel guides rate this as such a lovely place to visit, as amenable 
to good times as it is to bettering the lives of its citizens and breaking free 
of standard molds and expectations. The city even boasts a nationally-recognized
  "green" program that rewards residents for building and outfitting their homes 
and companies to be energy-efficient and gentle to the planet. 



This 
entrancing juxtaposition – a bureaucratic capital that's simultaneously so 
forward-thinking – is absolutely typical of Austin, a city that unites office 
towers and storefronts, politicians and hippies, lawmaking and art-making. Since 
there are so many things to do in Austin, vacations in this city are a wonderful 
experience full of future memories. Just make sure to don your burnt orange and 
cheer on those UT Longhorns – that's 
non-negotiable!



Links for things 


Here now a 
couple of interesting links you might want to check 
out:



Music 
Clubs & Events:


The Chronicle 
(an institution in Austin): 


http://www.austinchronicle.com/



365 Things to 
do in Austin Facebook page: 


http://www.facebook.com/pages/365-Things-To-Do-In-Austin-Texas/254063342821?ref=mf



Shopping:


Around Austin 
are several Outlet Mall centers that offer any brand you can imagine for factory 
outlet prices. One word of advice, plan what you want to look at before going to 
San Marcos! The university of Texas did a study two years ago that it would take 
you literally 2 ½ days if you would go into every single store and spend 2 
minutes…. I personally would recommend the outlet center in Round Rock, as it is 
much smaller, but has a great 
selection.



Prime Outlet 
San Marcos:


http://www.primeoutlets.com/locations/san-marcos.aspx



Tanger Outlet 
San Marcos:


http://www.tangeroutlet.com/sanmarcos



Premium Outlet 
Round Rock:


http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=73



City 
Tours and Tourist Tours:


Even that I 
have done these tours several times, I always find it amazing to do again. 




Duck Tours 
(you will see why Duck) guided tour thru Austin with a splash (don’t sit in all 
the way in the front):


http://www.austinducks.com/



Dillo Capitol 
Metro Bus:


http://austin.about.com/od/gettingaroundaustin/p/Dillo_Shuttle.htm



Austin Texas 
Official Visitors Guide:


http://www.austintexas.org/



Official State 
of Texas Travel Guide Download:


http://www.traveltex.com/downloads/travel-guide


 



Austin Yesterday & 
Today:


In 1839, five 
mounted scouts searched a broad area of wilderness seeking a site for a new 
capital city for the Republic of Texas. They chose this location on the north 
bank of Colorado River, where rich blacklands meet scenic hills. At the time, 
the site was occupied by a four-family settlement called Waterloo. It was 
renamed to honor Stephen F. Austin, the "Father of Texas." In early September 
1839, archives and furniture of Texas government were transported from Houston 
to Austin by 50 ox-drawn wagons.















Today, the 
city bills itself as the "Live Music Capital of the World." Austin has it 
all—blues, country, reggae, jazz, conjunto, Tejano, swing and rock—performing in 
nearly 200 live music venues around city including nightspots along Sixth Street 
and the Warehouse District.



Major annual 
events include South by Southwest Music, Film and Interactive conferences in 
March and the Austin City Limits Music Festival in October. Austin is starting 
point for the Presidential Corridor via U.S. 290, Texas 21 to Texas 6 in 
Bryan/College Station connecting the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum 
with the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum in Austin. Upbeat and high 
tech, that's Silicon Hills. Austin is home to many computer chip makers and 
other computer industries. The city also is home to the nation's largest urban 
bat colony, found under the Ann Richards Congress Ave.
  Bridge.



The Austin 
area offers more than 25 bed & breakfasts and more than 220 hotel 
establishments.


Institutions 
of higher learning include Austin Community College, Austin Presbyterian 
Theological Seminary, Concordia Univ. at Austin, Episcopal Theological Seminary 
of the Southwest, Huston-Tillotson College, St. Edward's Univ. and The Univ. of 
Texas at Austin.



Austin 
Factoids


1.t's never a 
bad idea to carry a sweater along in Austin – especially in the winter. The 
"blue norther," a Texas phenomenon, is a cold front that can cause temperatures 
to quickly drop, as much as 30 degrees in just 
minutes.


2."The Live 
Music Capital of the World" has been home to numerous famous musicians: Joe Ely, 
Shawn Colvin, Roky Erickson, Janis Joplin, James McMurtry, Willie Nelson, Stevie 
Ray Vaughan and Nanci Griffith to name just a 
few.


3.Austin is 
the only remaining US city with operational "moonlight towers." Popular in the 
late 1800s, these massive structures were designed to illuminate nighttime 
streets with a 3000-foot circle of light. Today, the 17 magnificent moonlight 
towers are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and one of them 
is used as the base for the Zilker Park Christmas 
tree.


4.For some 
real honky-tonk fun, a visit to the Broken Spoke is a must! Willie Nelson has 
called this Texas Tradition his "favorite watering hole." The Broken Spoke has 
been featured in a number of movies, films, documentaries and commercials – 
including one for Fosters Beer. Called the best country dance hall in the U.S. 
by Entertainment Weekly, you can bet your bottom dollar you'll have some 
down-home fun – Texas style!


5.Austin has 
ten "official" sister cities: Adelaide, Australia; Koblenz, Germany; Lima, Peru; 
Maseru, Lesotho; Oita, Japan; Saltillo, Mexico; Taichung, Taiwan; Old Orlu, 
Nigeria; Gwangmyeong, S. Korea; and Xishuangbanna, China. "Unofficial" sister 
cities include Edmonton, AB, Canada; Antalya, Turkey; Toronto, ON, Canada; and 
Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre, 
Brazil.


6.Now that's a 
swimming hole! Barton Springs Pool, known as the "soul of Austin", is a 
1000-by-125 foot unchlorinated swimming pool. Fed by natural spring waters that 
fizz at a rate of 35 million gallons of water each day, the pool can be enjoyed 
year round. The water temperature averages between 67 and 70 degrees even in the 
winter!


7.Austin has 
its fair share of musician residents, of course. But it's been a popular 
home-base for lots of other well-known folks as well. The list of hometown 
heroes includes former and current residents such as cyclist Lance Armstrong; 
actors Renee Zellweger, Owen Wilson, Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke and Sandra 
Bullock; cartoonists Berkeley Breathed and Mike Judge; authors Kinky Friedman, 
O. Henry and Bruce Sterling; and film directors Tobe Hooper, Richard Linklater 
and Robert Rodriguez.


8.In 2006, 
Money magazine dubbed Austin the second best big city on its list of "Best 
Places to Live," and The Travel Channel calls Austin the #1 college town in the 
United States.


9.Visitors 
from all over the world have visited the magnificent building that houses the 
State Capitol of Texas. The Rotunda rises 311 feet – higher than the US nation's 
Capitol – and houses portraits of every President and Governor of Texas 
beginning with the current chief executive. Each time a new governor is elected 
every portrait has to be moved back one 
space.


10.One famous 
roadside treasure Austin has to offer and one of the things said you have to do 
to see Austin’s “crazy” sides is the Cathedral of Trash. 




Making Your 
Way


While the original part of 
Austin was conceived of as a grid, since the city expanded, that pattern has not 
continued. Even so, the downtown area is relatively easy to navigate, and even 
on foot, it's pleasantly maneuverable.

Major north-south 
thoroughfares in Austin include I-35 (also known as NAFTA Highway since it runs 
down to Mexico) and its counterpart to the west, Loop 1 (more familiarly called 
the Mo-Pac Expressway since it traces a path similar to the Missouri-Pacific 
railway). Prominent routes moving east to west through the city include Highway 
290, Highway 183 and State Highway 71.

Since driving and parking 
in Austin, particularly downtown, can be trying, it's recommended that visitors 
make the most of public transportation. Capital Metropolitan Transportation 
Authority operates dozens of buses with affordable fares ($1 or less, exact 
change required). They can be reached at www.capmetro.org
or at 512-474-1200.

Better yet, 
Capital Metro runs a host of color-designated buses and trolleys known as the 
'Dillo system that deliver visitors to many of downtown and central Austin's 
best sights, attractions, shops and more – all for free! Check with them to see 
which bus corresponds to what you want to see or 
do.



Quirks & 
Curiosities


In downtown Austin, 
streets that go north to south take their names from the state's rivers. Streets 
going east-west were originally intended to be named for trees; nowadays, these 
streets are numbered.

Austin's colony of Mexican 
free-tailed bats spends only part of the year in Texas. During the winter, the 
bats make their home in Mexico, usually living in caves. Immensely helpful at 
keeping insect populations under control, Austin's colony (at more than a 
million members) daily consumes tens of thousands of pounds of
  bugs.

The dome of 
Austin's capitol building rises 7 feet higher than that of the nation's capitol 
in Washington, DC. The building is fashioned of local pink 
granite.


 


Common 
Courtesies


Although tipping is 
generally a personal matter, there are some guidelines that prove helpful to 
travelers. At restaurants, servers typically get 15% of the bill, although 10% 
acknowledges basic assistance, and 20% awards exceptional service. It is also 
common now for some restaurants to charge an automatic gratuity of 18% for 
groups. You should be aware of this possibility before providing an additional 
tip. Taxi drivers usually fit into similar guidelines by receiving a tip 
equivalent to 15% of the tab.

Often, a 
dollar tip covers many situations. Bartenders are customarily given $1 per
  cocktail, hotel maids are provided $1-2 for each day of a stay, bellhops get
  about $1 per bag, and a coat-check clerk typically receives $1 as well. The
  exception is a concierge, who generally receives $5-$10 for standard service
  (additional assistance suggests 
more).



6/8/10


We played in Texas about a 
year ago, at Emo's, the famous country and western club in Austin. And I 
figured, well, if I'm finally gonna die onstage, that's where it's going to be! 



Vocalist Alan
  Vega