Austin, Texas
 

Entering Austin City Limits

Known for its casual and playful nature, Austin is the playground of Texas. Situated at the center of the Lone Star State, it stands as the gateway to the Texas Hill Country and the Highland Lakes. As the state capital and home to the University of Texas, the city supports a politically charged and culturally rich environment. It's hip, trendy, and high-tech. A large creative population-primarily musicians and artists-enhance its eclectic nature.

Natural Appeal

Blessed with a temperate year-round climate and 300 days of sunshine a year, Austin lives for the outdoors. Nature trails, parks and wilderness preserves create an oasis in the heart of the city. Town Lake bisects the center of downtown and is bordered by 10 miles of hike-and-bike trails where devoted joggers, walkers and cyclists flock every hour of the day.

From April through October, 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge that spans Town Lake. Onlookers flock to the shores nightly to watch the nocturnal creatures emerging from beneath the bridge.

Historical View

Originally a buffalo hunting ground favored by Tonkawa Indians, Austin was permanently settled in 1838 as a trading post. Now, more than a million people live in the city named for Stephen F. Austin, who colonized Texas.

The Texas State Capitol, an imposing pink granite structure, commands a stately presence in downtown. Actually 14 feet taller than the nation's capitol, the Texas Statehouse is the largest domed statehouse in the country.

Texas' larger-than-life history comes together under one roof at the new Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, which features intriguing artifacts, interactive exhibits, multi-media shows, and an IMAX Theatre.

Musical Talent

In the city where the music never stops, live music plays at more than 100 venues on any given evening. A little blues, a little country, the beat of rock and roll, and even a few jazz licks puts Austin music into a distinctive music genre that's difficult to label. The largest concentration of music venues is found downtown in the Warehouse District and along Sixth Street, a six-block stretch of bars and restaurants.

Now in its 28th season, Austin City Limits continues to be the best show in town. The long-running PBS series showcases American music and Texas music in particular.

Cultural Scene
Austin is one of only a few U.S. cities with professional ballet, symphony, opera, and theater companies. With 20 museums, dozens of galleries, and as many as 35 theater companies, the city is experiencing a cultural renaissance.

Renovation begins this summer to convert Palmer Auditorium into a spectacular performing arts center by Fall 2004. Many of the city's cultural resources are found on the campus of the University of Texas, where the Blanton Museum of Art opens a new facility in 2005 and the Harry Ransom Center completes a renovation in early 2003.

The Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum, also located on campus, remains the most visited of the nation's presidential libraries. A scale replica of the Oval Office, artifacts from Air Force One, and volumes of official papers chronicle the rise of a young man who would be president from Central Texas.

Walhus, you might want to check your HTML or vBcode.

could be just a statement about the place.

Got that code fixed. I'm looking forward to this years Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, it's a great meeting place for artists and musicians. It starts on the Dec. 12th till the 24th.

I love the place, too. But, man, you sound like a damn pamphlet from the visitors' bureau.

I wish I could go! I used to live there and miss the food and friends.
Check out the coolest, swellest jewelry by Barbara Samuelson and Russell Smith there. Tell them I said "Hey!" Do they still have that tall Christmas light pole at Zilker park? Go stand under it at twirl. Wheeee! I miss the Continental Club.:)

I'm sorry, will you repeat that? I couldn't hear over the buzzing of the 'lectric meter.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/tol/images/tolskyview.jpg

Holy incandescence! Funny with the whole trail of lights extravaganza that the vision I recall is of a simple flagpole with straight strings of lights hanging off of it.

Oh yeah, and the green chili cheese fries at Shady Grove.:)

My friend Gavin lives in Austin! He leaves messages for my roommate about once every 6 months. He's on the free-form musical side. Digereedoo, bongos, various African percussion instruments. I like that one made from the clay pot, that goes *Bwoomp* when you pull your cupped hand away from the opening on the neck.

I've got people down there as well. They also sound like they're getting marching orders from the chamber of commerce. That said, the music scene is sposed to be fantastic.

Trail of Lights
 

Austin is pretty darned cool (to give everyone another simple perspective, a big thing here is bumperstickers, etc. that say "Keep Austin Weird"), but I gotta complain about this somewhere:

I went to the Trail of Lights this year about an hour before everything (website, newspaper, etc.) said they were going to close. Now, I even coincidentally spoke on the way in to a policeman who was directing parking lot traffic, but when we all walked down to the actual Trail (as pictured, and walking down there takes a good 5-10 minutes), the Trail People told us it was closed! :rar: Nobody could tell us 'til we drove in a holding pattern for 15 minutes just to get in (OK, I have to give them that, I guess) and then walked another 10 to get to the Trail?

Otherwise, yay Austin. About the only other thing I don't like is some of the pretentious folks, but mostly I just laugh at those. ;)