To Austin

Monday, December 13, 2010

Austin, Texas - 7 Things to Do While Visiting Austin

When I first began this list of things to do in Austin, Texas, my biggest challenge was finding a place to stop. There are just so many things to do in Austin, it's hard to account for them all. But I've done my best to include the most popular Austin activities, from bats to boats to music and beyond!
Must to Do in Austin, Texas
1. Watch Sunset at the Oasis
The Oasis is an Austin institution, but one with a recent history of misfortune. The Oasis is know for its beautiful views of Lake Travis. It sits high on a bluff overlooking the lake, with an extensive network of hundreds of decks where you can sit, eat and drink, and watch the sun set over the lake. This makes the Oasis is a common thing to do while in Austin.
2. Get Out on the Lake
First, let's clarify which lake we're talking about here. This might be confusing at first, but here comes a geography lesson. The Colorado River flows through Austin, forming a series of lakes that cover more than 100 miles. But it's not the Colorado River that first comes to mind (of Grand Canyon fame). It's the other Colorado River ... you know, the one in Texas. Where the river slows and widens through downtown Austin, it is called Town Lake. But further west, where the river widens into an even bigger lake as the result of damming, it is called Lake Travis. This is the lake that the Oasis restaurant overlooks (see Oasis listed above).
3. See the bats.
Austin has the largest urban bat colony in the United States. In 1980, when the Congress Avenue bridge was being reconstructed, engineers built expansion joints into the bridge (a series of narrow crevices underneath the bridge). Little did they know that 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats would eventually call those crevices "home away from home."
4. Visit the Texas State Capitol
Continuing in our list of things to do in Austin, we travel down Congress Avenue to the Texas State Capitol. The expression "things are bigger in Texas" holds true here, for the Texas State Capitol is even taller than the U.S. Capitol building. But that's just one reason to visit this architectural wonder.
5. Hang Out in Downtown Austin
Simply hanging out in downtown Austin is another "must" for your list of things to do in Austin. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Austin Weird," which is symbolic of Austin's easygoing nature, eclectic mix of people, and cultural uniqueness. Yes, we really do worship spam every year (the kind you eat, not the kind in your inbox). It's called Spamarama, and it warrants an article all its own!
6. Go See Esther's Follies
Ether's Follies is another great thing to put on your list of things to do in Austin, Texas. Esther's is a live comedy show located in a small theater on Sixth Street, right in the heart of downtown Austin. So if you put it on your list of things to do in Austin, you'll also be accounting for item #4 on this list (hanging out downtown) ... it's two-for-one!
7. Take In Some Live Music
Austin is referred to as the Live Music Capital of the World. The city got this nickname after research found that Austin had more live music venues than other big music cities, like Nashville and New York. Visit downtown Austin any night of the week, and you'll see this firsthand. You can find country, rock, jazz, bluegrass, blues ... you name it.

This is just a small preview of things to do in Austin. To make a comprehensive list would require a book, not an article. But I hope this list has shown you one thing above all else. There are plenty of things to do in Austin, Texas!
Article By Brandon_Cornett

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