Take away anything water related, and biking/hiking and what is there to do? (Houston: hotel, house)

[phone man]

Try geocaching. May sound lame, but once you get into it it becomes addicting. There are caches in every nook and cranny in the area and sometimes searching for them takes you to an area you wouldn't have otherwise ventured into.

[aleavelle]

I love Barton Creek, it's beautiful. My wife and I just aren't too fond of topless women "bouncing" about. lol Especially when we take 5 teen girls we're trying to guide and teach.

[aleavelle]

I had to look geocaching up....sounds vaguely interesting, especially with our kids.

[Westerner92]

I always find it interesting talking to others my age about the various entertainment options different cities. I grew up in Lubbock, and when I tell people that, a usual reaction is commenting on how boring it must have been. When I ask what they did in Houston/Dallas/San Antonio, it's usually the same things. Movies, sporting events, concerts, coffee shops, weekend trips out into nature, days on the lake, various high cultural options, all cities above a certain size are going to have these. It's just a matter of scale, convenience, and quality, and really, if you're doing it with people you like, the quality often isn't a great factor (unless you're just a judgmental pessimist).

One of Austin's appeals is its proximity to nature, but since you're tired of that, another of Austin's strengths is the music and art scene. Also, UT puts on plenty of plays and recitals. If you can't find anything to do in a city of almost 2 million people, I might just reluctantly resort to the adage that "Only boring people get bored."

Edit: Geocaching is a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon for sure.

[mark311]

I'll have to check out Spurs tickets again this year if they can be had cheaper than UT football tickets. I normally pay between $25 to $40 per ticket for non-student (non-lasp) football tickets. Stubhub currently has tickets for UT football against Wyoming and New Mexico in the $40-ish range.

But, if you like walking around the River Walk then the Domain or Hill Country Galleria might be nice. There are a few "movies in the park" options around.

[aleavelle]

You can find UT football tickets that cheap??? Well I need to look harder apparently lol. My wife LOVES Hill Country for sure, it doesn't have many stores I like but I'll hang at Barnes and Nobel while she shops. The Domain is literally 3 miles down the road and I have yet to go! I like the idea of plays at UT, where do I get info on those? I really don't think the amount of people in a City determines if it's boring or not lol. I LOVE State College Pa, I'm guessing I need to get to know UT and what they offer better.

[10scoachrick]

All the youngsters we've 'entertained'(8 coming this week) have reluctantly agreed to visit one of the caverns in the area and all were very impressed! It's an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours out of the heat. Look around for coupons, especially group deals or BOGO coups.

Caverns Austin

I came across this site when looking for Schlitterbahn deals...might take a little weeding through, but there's plenty of ideas:
Free Fun in Austin: Summer Fun - 2012

Our group ranges from 6 to 14 years plus one Mom and one GrandMom...should be interesting! Fortunately, the weather should clear and heat up after they arrive later in the week. Fortunately.2 , they are all very interested in water activities.

[OpenD]

#1 Tip... head on down to the Austin Visitors Center to educate yourself on the HUNDREDS of things to do in the area:

OPEN 7 Days a Week from 9am-5pm
209 E. Sixth Street
866-GO-AUSTIN; 512-478-0098

Austin, TX | Austin Hotels, Events, Attractions, Things To Do & More | AustinTexas.org

[TexasHorseLady]

Austin has a few museums you might enjoy (I'm especially fond of the Umlauf Sculpture Garden, myself). The Austin Museum Partnership has a list and in September they have Museum Day, with free admissions and activities. There's more o this list.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a nice place to visit and they're even having free admission on the Lady Bird Johnson Tribute Day, July 29.

The annual Austin Ice Cream Festival is coming up in August.

The French Legation Museum is having its Bastille Day Festival this coming weekend.

The McDade Watermelon Festival is also this weekend, if that's more your interest.

The Pecan Street Festival is a couple of times a year, spring and fall.

Pioneer Farms is always fun and interesting.

Unplugged at the Grove is just one of several free concert series around town.

[BevoLJ]

Y'all might like high school football.

In Texas high school football is a much bigger deal than all the other places I have lived. And the games are tons of fun. Maybe on like a weekend that UT has a big game and the prices are to high, try out a high school game. Try to find some good area players. There are tons of them around Austin who will be playing at schools like UT or OU and go on to the pros. It is kinda fun to watch them still in high school in what is often a very fun atmosphere and then see them as they get older later and move on.