Austin, Texas: a Travel Guide

Despite being the most interesting center of live music in the American southwest, as well as a being center of government, technology and education in Texas, the city of Austin seems to get easily forgotten by traveler. This mid-sized city (population: 1.2 million) per capita probably offers more culture and entertainment than any other city in Texas.

Austin is the capital of Texas, and its Capitol building dates to 1888 and views of its impressive dome are legally protected. It is open to the public and free tours are offered. In the nearby General Land Office, there is the Capitol Visitors' Center, which hosts informative exhibits about the history of the Capitol. Free maps and travel information are also available.

To learn about the history of Texas, there is the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, which is a state of the art museum that not only tells the story of Texas history but revels in it. It is filled with interactive exhibits, special effects, and other high-tech experiences, including the only IMAX theatre in Austin. Don't forget to get your photograph taken in front of the thirty-five foot tall bronze Lone Star at the museum's entrance. Basic admission is $5.50.

Nearby, one can find the Blanton Museum of Art, located on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin, which just opened its doors in 2006. The museum has already garnered a reputation as being one of the finest museums on a college campus. The Old Masters are well represented, but the museum's specialties are Latin American and American Western art. Admission is $5.

Another museum of particular note located at the University of Texas is the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. An official Presidential Museum, it is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration and provides visitors an interesting glimpse into both the Johnson administration and the times in which he lived. Admission is free.

Also located on the Austin campus is the University of Texas Tower, the university's signature landmark. The 307 foot tower is the second tallest structure in Austin (the Capitol is the tallest). This tower became infamous in 1966 when Charles Whitman used the tower's observation deck as a sniper's nest when he killed thirteen people and wounded thirty-one others. After decades of being closed, the observatory is once again open to the public. It offers wonderful views of Austin and its neighboring hills.

When it comes to night life and entertainment, Austin has a lot to offer, and most of it can be found on East 6^th Street (think the Bourbon Street of Austin). Live music, food and drink, and thousands of people in the mood for a good time. The Entertainment District is seven blocks long and also encompasses the neighboring 5^th and 7^th Streets.

And speaking of music in Austin, the first name that comes to mind is Stevie Ray Vaughn, who may not be a native son of Austin (he was born and raised in Dallas), but Austin was the city where he began to play music professionally, and Austin is the city he called home. There is a memorial statue of Vaughn near the shores of Town Lake.

Zilker Park in Austin is a 351 acre green space that is considered "Austin's most loved park." It contains the well-respected Zilker Botanical Gardens, the Barton Springs Pool, which contains natural spring water and is open to the public for swimming, as well as the Austin Nature and Science Center.

An interesting site that many locals of Austin don't know about is the O. Henry Museum. The famous American author's real name was William Sidney Porter, and he lived in Austin, Texas for more than thirteen years. And the museum that bears his name today is an 1886 cottage that was O. Henry's home in the 1890s.

Lastly, on the bizarre side, Austin, or rather a particular bridge in Austin, is home to approximately 1.5 million bats. And every day, at sunset, they emerge from their home underneath the bridge in search of food. Don't worry; they don't eat people! It is safe for spectators, and in fact, tourists as well as locals have been camping out on the banks of the Town Lake to take in the spectacle at the Congress Avenue Bridge for years.