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1. How humid does it feel in Austin at it's "worst"? Is it carry-spare-clothes humid? A couple friends who said they visited made a big deal. When I'm in Hawaii I love the humidity, but not sure how it compares. As others have said, Austin summers are purely brutal. May-Sept is a nightmare. Temperatures near 100s and high humidity. You won't find many days (5-10 max) in those months when heat index is less than 100. Even at nights the heat index is around 80-85. That is Austin summer weather. It might be better than Houston. But Houston is not the only place in the world or New York/LA/San Francisco that all comparisons should start and end with Houston. Some people here have a tendency to hide or belittle Austin's problems by comparing it to Houston rather than judging Austin by itself. This summer so far is more hot and less humid (because of drought) aka Phoenix weather - 10F. I would prefer this summer compared to 4-5F less but much more humid.
2. What is there to do outside Austin area? We had considered Az cuz we could shoot up to the Sedona or visit the Grand Canyon area. I like to flyfish and We enjoy the outdoors so where can I visit some stunning nature within a 3hr drive. I'm not familiar with the terrain. Austin, surrounding areas and for that matter entire Texas has nothing to do. There are no mountains, no canyons, no beaches, no skiing, no snow skating, no big national parks around. Hill country's rolling hills are a joke. Its just elevated brown land with no beauty. Gulf coast is not even 5% of pacific west coast. Lake Travis has some good watersports options, but only if you can bear 100+ heat index So all in all if you want a vacation you have to either drive 8-10hrs to get out of Texas or fly. And Austin airport is another piece of ***** where you won't get direct flights to most places. There might be 1-2 direct flights/places but flight timing doesn't always match your schedule. So be ready for 1+ stops (i.e ~3-4 hrs one way more than direct) to almost anywhere you wanna go.
3. I'm assuming it's a non issue from what I gather but have to ask. My wife is Hispanic (one reason we decided to skip on AZ) and wonder if we could face any of the same BS going on in AZ. I don't think this will be a issue. As someone said 30% of TX is Hispanics. Austin is quite liberal and there is no apparent racism. If you guys like Mexican food, you will love TexMex food.
Last edited by infoseeker2010; 06-07-2011 at 01:51 PM..
South Padre Island is a rather nice beach. Not like east coast beaches, but still a nice place to go. Not too crowded, clean sand, and a nice choice of places to stay. Is it world class? No. But still nice.
All of Texas has nothing to do? It seems it has nothing to do that YOU like. The hill country just elevated brown land? Even with our drought, the trees are green all over. The water temperature at Lake Travis is 79-80 degrees. It is fantastic. And you can boat almost year round (I have in January many times on some of the warmer winter days).
As for the airport - I love the Austin airport. Low hassle factor and easy to get in and out of. Yup - there aren't too many direct flights to far away places. But if you want to go skiing in the winter, lots of nonstops to Denver. Nonstops to Chicago, LaGuardia, Atlanta, San Francisco, even Seattle now. That's enough for me.
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
5,429 posts, read 14,844,510 times
Reputation: 3672
Quote:
Originally Posted by eepstein
With the exception of the mountains in far west Texas, the state has virtually nothing to offer as far as natural beauty. When in central Texas you'll hear a lot about the "hillbilly country". This is an area of hills west of Austin with lots of short, bushlike trees and an overall BROWN and dry look. I guess it depends where you come from. I guess it's interesting if you are coming from Houston, or Florida.
Actually, most Houston people I talk to don't like the "scrubby" trees west of Austin either... remember Houstonians are used to big tall green trees and can go an hour or two north for big trees and hills.
Dallas and Midland people are probably more impressed with the landscapes west of Austin.
1. How humid does it feel in Austin at it's "worst"? Is it carry-spare-clothes humid? A couple friends who said they visited made a big deal. When I'm in Hawaii I love the humidity, but not sure how it compares. As others have said, Austin summers are purely brutal. May-Sept is a nightmare. Temperatures near 100s and high humidity. You won't find many days (5-10 max) in those months when heat index is less than 100. Even at nights the heat index is around 80-85. That is Austin summer weather. It might be better than Houston. But Houston is not the only place in the world or New York/LA/San Francisco that all comparisons should start and end with Houston. Some people here have a tendency to hide or belittle Austin's problems by comparing it to Houston rather than judging Austin by itself. This summer so far is more hot and less humid (because of drought) aka Phoenix weather - 10F. I would prefer this summer compared to 4-5F less but much more humid. Drought is a way of life in Austin. In the 8 years i've lived here, 6 of those years have been considered a "drought year". The only decent rain and flooding events I can remember were both related to a tropical storm in the gulf. Ha ha. That's so true. Whenever I complain about the Austin climate, people here have always told me...well, it's not as bad as Houston. I guess Houston is the only city they can come up with that has a worse overall climate????
2. What is there to do outside Austin area? We had considered Az cuz we could shoot up to the Sedona or visit the Grand Canyon area. I like to flyfish and We enjoy the outdoors so where can I visit some stunning nature within a 3hr drive. I'm not familiar with the terrain. Austin, surrounding areas and for that matter entire Texas has nothing to do. There are no mountains, no canyons, no beaches, no skiing, no snow skating, no big national parks around. Hill country's rolling hills are a joke. Its just elevated brown land with no beauty. Gulf coast is not even 5% of pacific west coast. Lake Travis has some good watersports options, but only if you can bear 100+ heat index So all in all if you want a vacation you have to either drive 8-10hrs to get out of Texas or fly. And Austin airport is another piece of ***** where you won't get direct flights to most places. There might be 1-2 direct flights/places but flight timing doesn't always match your schedule. So be ready for 1+ stops (i.e ~3-4 hrs one way more than direct) to almost anywhere you wanna go. You are pretty much right on in your description. But never tell any of that to a native Texan. They believe that Texas is the only state in the country and you would never want to leave. The Austin airport? Yeah, it's pretty bad. Probably the worst selection of airport food i've ever encountered before. And the country music playing at the airport. Nothing says "welcome to hillbilly country" more than country music at the airport. Gee, I don't even remember country music at the Nashville airport last time I went through there. There are some nonstops, but certainly nothing to get excited about.
3. I'm assuming it's a non issue from what I gather but have to ask. My wife is Hispanic (one reason we decided to skip on AZ) and wonder if we could face any of the same BS going on in AZ. I don't think this will be a issue. As someone said 30% of TX is Hispanics. Austin is quite liberal and there is no apparent racism. If you guys like Mexican food, you will love TexMex food.
Yes, central Austin is liberal compared to Lufkin. Race relations are a constant issue around here, especially with the I-35 divider in place now and forever.
As someone who knows what outdoor beauty is having lived in Colorado for 10 years, the notion that the Hill Country + other parts of Texas are just "elevated brown land" or have "nothing to do" regarding outdoor activities is HIGHlarious. Although I miss the mountains, I love how green it is, the lakes, the active lifestyle, the food, etc. I love the "al fresco" restaurant culture. I dislike that I'm mildly sweatier after I used to be when I bike home from work Enjoying where we live is a choice we all have to make for ourselves, but I'm confident you'd enjoy it.
I find Austin very nice, as well as the Hill Country surrounding. The drive to the coast isn't that bad. Big Bend Nat'l Park is worth a trip when it's not summer. It's going to depend on how you look at it: there are people on this forum who are positive about Austin and it's offerings, and those who prefer to look at the negative. [see above] Careful, though: the positive people are hopelessly delusional and are only able to tolerate this awful city by comparing it to Houston. You're much better off being miserable and deciding to fixate on the negative aspects of the city. [see above]
Last thing: it was previously mentioned that there are only 5-10 days between May and September where the heat index is <100. According to NOAA data, this is a lie.
I have lived in both Portland and Austin. Oregon is stunning. Texas ranges from seriously ugly to kinda pretty. But Austin is cheerful and Portland is really a bit on the gloomy side. My family decided we'd rather deal with heat than gray drizzle, so we moved back to Texas (although we are in Houston this time, not Austin, for a specific job opportunity).
I think you would enjoy visiting Austin whether you decide to relocate or not.
As someone who knows what outdoor beauty is having lived in Colorado for 10 years, the notion that the Hill Country + other parts of Texas are just "elevated brown land" or have "nothing to do" regarding outdoor activities is HIGHlarious. Although I miss the mountains, I love how green it is, the lakes, the active lifestyle, the food, etc. I love the "al fresco" restaurant culture. I dislike that I'm mildly sweatier after I used to be when I bike home from work Enjoying where we live is a choice we all have to make for ourselves, but I'm confident you'd enjoy it.
I find Austin very nice, as well as the Hill Country surrounding. The drive to the coast isn't that bad. Big Bend Nat'l Park is worth a trip when it's not summer. It's going to depend on how you look at it: there are people on this forum who are positive about Austin and it's offerings, and those who prefer to look at the negative. [see above] Careful, though: the positive people are hopelessly delusional and are only able to tolerate this awful city by comparing it to Houston. You're much better off being miserable and deciding to fixate on the negative aspects of the city. [see above]
Last thing: it was previously mentioned that there are only 5-10 days between May and September where the heat index is <100. According to NOAA data, this is a lie.
Every one has there own opinions. Don't take shots calling out people miserable who have the balls to give a true picture to potential movers.
Following is the table using average high , average dew point (weatherground) and calculating the heat index (http://www.easysurf.cc/cnver16.htm)
Month Average High Temperature Average High Dew Point Average High Heat Index
May'2008 89 63 91.46
June'2008 98 67 104.63
July'2008 97 67 103.4
August'2008 96 69 103.75
September'2008 92 59 92.92
With the exception of May months in last three years, there was only one month (Sept'2008) when the average high heat index was less than 100F. And for those May months, count what I said, 5-10 days less than 100F heat index which brings down the average.
So before calling others liars, do your due diligence.
Last edited by infoseeker2010; 06-09-2011 at 12:50 AM..
The only way one could reduce the Hill Country to "elevated brown land" is if that person was truly miserable. Saying that is like calling the Rocky Mountains "big ugly piles of rock".
Seriously, just do a Google Image Search of "Texas Hill Country"...see anything that looks remotely like elevated brown land?
Unless of course, those lovely images were inserted there by Austin's diabolical marketing team...
The Texas Hill Country in spring with the wildflowers out is sublime...and the contrast with the cool, blue spring fed rivers can be gorgeous.
It isn't the Rockies, but it is pretty.
Yes. I agree completely.
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So all in all if you want a vacation you have to either drive 8-10hrs to get out of Texas or fly. And Austin airport is another piece of ***** where you won't get direct flights to most places. There might be 1-2 direct flights/places but flight timing doesn't always match your schedule. So be ready for 1+ stops (i.e ~3-4 hrs one way more than direct) to almost anywhere you wanna go. 
Enjoying where we live is a choice we all have to make for ourselves, but I'm confident you'd enjoy it.
