I highly recommend this scenic drive through the hill country, from SW Austin, OakHill / Dripping Springs to Gruene, Tx located on a hill above the Guadalupe River, just outside of New Braunfels, TX.
Oak Hil to Grune, TX - Google Maps
We often take out of town guests on this drive because it shows of some of the nicest parts of the Texas hill country.

Spend the night in the Gruene Mansion Inn, Bed & Breakfast. Gruene Mansion Inn

Have dinner next door...

For Texas, you should read everything on this site: Austin Tenants’ Council/Tenant-Landlord Fact Sheets

We started renting out our first house 11 years ago, when we bought a new larger house. For most of those early years we were still paying a mortgage and probably loosing money. I have not tried to go back and calculate what our probably profit or loss was for those years. About 4-5 years ago we were able to pay off the mortgage due to an inheritance. During most of those...

The Rockport/Fulton area is the prettiest part of the Texas coast. Lots of wind bent live oak trees. We take a spring vacation there almost every April.

We always drive there via Gonzalez, Victoria, etc. to avoid the freeways. It is a nice drive through some smaller towns and agricultural areas. 187 miles, 3 hours 20 minutes Route: http://alturl.com/a8z4u You will see lots of wild flowers on the drive down in April.

Stay at The Lighthouse Inn at Aransas...

There are good family oriented neighborhoods in both north and south Austin. It is important to live on the same side of town where you work to minimize the rush hour traffic driving time. And while we do have mass transit, it is not very good for most parts of town, so don't count on that being a viable option unless you can carefully pick where you live and work to be on the same bus route. Even then waiting out side for 15-30 minutes in our extreme summer heat can be an unbearably sweaty...

In San Antonio:

I'd recommend you drive into SA and stay two nights in a hotel along the riverwalk, then do the same think in Austin. Both places have plenty to see and do and that way you will be more rested and relaxed and enjoy exploring more then if you try to do a day trip which requires a 3 hour round trip driving to and from Austin or SA.

I recommend staying at the historic Menger Hotel and exploring the Riverwalk and La Villita the next day. Lots...