It's good to be in Austin, Texas with you
Feb. 27th, 2009 12:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
llcoolvadLast night I finally got sick of being cold, whipped out my credit card, and bought some plane tickets. The decision: Austin TX for the week of March 24-31. When Patrick and I drove cross-country a couple of years ago we only grazed Texas, stopping in Amarillo for a couple of hours. I really liked what I saw of the Southwest as we drove through it, so now I'll get the chance to see a lot more of it and take pictures, etc. Psyched!
I'd appreciate any and all advice on what to see and do! I am aware that I'm going the week after SXSW. It's intentional!
I'd appreciate any and all advice on what to see and do! I am aware that I'm going the week after SXSW. It's intentional!
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Date: 2009-02-27 06:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 07:53 pm (UTC)Sorry you are somewhat less portable right now. As I recall from your prior adventures in procreation, it will get easier as they get older. There will be time for travel then!
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Date: 2009-02-28 01:43 am (UTC)Amy's Ice Cream is our best ice cream place (reminded me of Steve's). There's also La Dolce Vita which has, um, what's that Italian ice-cream-like substance which may or may not have cream in it? Well, it's very yummy. And they will put alcohol on top of it if you want.
And I really like three(!) of our Italian places: Brick Oven for smoky flavored thin-crust pizza, Mangia for stuffed pizza and lasagna, and Canoli Joe's for the giant yummy buffet in a totally cool building.
If you want Texan food, I guess that's barbecue and Tex Mex. My favorite BBQ is the Salt Lick out in the middle of nowhere. My favorite all-around Tex Mex is La Palapa, though this place doesn't win popularity contests. However I recommend El Chile if you want the best chicken enchiladas with green sauce.
Austin also has me, whom I advise you to visit.
Okay, remind me your favorite things to do on vacation again. Museums? Hiking? Movies (oh, Alamo Drafthouse Theatre has movies and dinner)? Shopping? Scenic drives? Weirdos? People watching?
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Date: 2009-02-28 02:53 am (UTC)--Brian
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Date: 2009-02-28 03:03 am (UTC)Gelato!
Date: 2009-03-02 12:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-15 06:11 am (UTC)My favorite things to do on vacation include photo taking, scenic drives, people watching, people visiting, anything funky and unusual, stuff unique to an area, and museums. And eating! Lots of good food.
Things to do
Date: 2009-03-16 01:20 am (UTC)scenic drives - nothing is coming to mind except just driving along Shoal Creek and around the rich part of town over by the Laguna Gloria Art museum
people watching - maybe the festivals will be good for that?
people visiting - I will be here. I can probably even take off a week day.
funky and unusual stuff - I know a front yard garden where everything is edged in bowling balls. Hyde Park Bar and Grill has a giant fork out in front. I'll have to keep thinking about this.
stuff unique to the area - I'm not sure what's unique, but unusual things include:
* bats - supposedly bat season starts mid-March
* lots of Mexican and Tex-Mex food. Also Spanish language papers.
* we also have lots of Thai and Vietnamese food. We even have an Ethiopian buffet restaurant.
* Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - you can see loads of stuff without much walking and spring is the time to be there. Things might not quite be in full swing yet, but they will be nice. And they have the philosophy that you should plant only native things because they need less water and less other care and are better for the local wildlife.
* We're converting an old airport into other stuff, and most people are going with energy-saving designs and other green concepts. My favorite is actual trees in the parking lot.
* We have duck tour that's supposed to be fun--I think you guys have one, too. There are also Segway tours.
* Treaty Oak - an oak that was once huge (especially for here) where history happened, but which since has been poisoned and then saved from poison.
* Casual dress! You can even go to the Four Season's brunch in cut-offs and the waiters will not act snooty.
* The original Whole Foods. Gigantic with lots of little overpriced places to eat inside. Across the street is Book People, a large independent book store.
museums - our museums suck. I mean they are very small. I've been to the Bob Bullock Texas State History museum (beautiful, but small--they have IMAX theatres, though. Do not watch the one about the Story of Texas--any other IMAX movie is likely to be better.) Laguna Gloria Art Museum is tiny (you can do it in an hour or two), but it's next to Mayfield park and has interesting driving routes. The French Legation museum can be done in an hour or two. I especially liked the pioneer house. The Elisabet Ney museum is the size of a house but does have interesting sculptures. The LBJ museum might be our biggest (can't remember), but is on the UT campus and hard to park at. Sort of near it is the Texas Memorial Museum which is medium sized and has dinosaur bones, gems, and other geological stuff.
eating - we have a very high restaurant-to-person ratio here. I can't guarantee you'll find anything you want, but I almost can. I know only one decent seafood place, and we're not good with frappes (although some places do serve real milkshakes), but other than that, we're pretty well stocked.
You can e-mail me: debbie.miller at gmail
Festivals
Date: 2009-03-02 12:00 am (UTC)Zilker Garden Festival
Keep Austin Spicy: Asian Food Festival - in case you want to warm up your tongue, too. Because that's why you come to Texas: to learn more about Asian cultures.
Re: Festivals
Date: 2009-03-15 06:04 am (UTC)