Will be in Austin - what to do? (Cedar Park, Brushy Creek: hotels, theatre)

[JustMeInBrandon]

My hubby is going to be in a fishing tournament in February and we will be in Austin for 4 days - mainly fishing - but will be there a day or two beforehand. What should we "not miss" to do in Austin. We are in our early 50s so no nightclubs for us. Thanks!

[CptnRn]

There are lots of interesting things to do and places to stay around Austin. Knowing where he will be fishing and where you will be staying will have a big bearing on it, or we could recommend someplace to stay depending on where he will be be fishing.

I'm sure we can recommend some fun stuff/ places for you. My wife and I are older then you are, but we still enjoy a night out on 6th street occasionally, dinner and Esther's Follies... or a show at the Paramount.

[eepstein]

Oh geeez, no nightclubs or bars on 6th street? That is going to make your options considerably less. I guess you could walk along the town lake trail. You could goto the State capitol and learn all about the second largest state in the nation. Ummm, lets see what else?

Are you sure you don't wanna get drunk on 6th street??? I can't think of anything else worthwhile to do while in Austin.

Originally Posted by JustMeInBrandon

My hubby is going to be in a fishing tournament in February and we will be in Austin for 4 days - mainly fishing - but will be there a day or two beforehand. What should we "not miss" to do in Austin. We are in our early 50s so no nightclubs for us. Thanks!

[RooCeleste]

If you haven't been, and especially if you're a native Texan, the Bob Bullock State History Museum is fabulous!!

[hoffdano]

Fishing tournament in February? Could be chilly. The surface temperature of any area lake will probably be in the 50s.

Please disregard eepstein's post. He doesn't get out much.

Tell us where you are staying and what kind of stuff might interest you.

[JustMeInBrandon]

Sorry for the delay. We are staying at the Wyndham Austin Woodward on South IH-35.

And yes, was wondering what the temps will be the last week in February during the day. Hoping at least 50 please.

Anyhow, this is our first trip to Texas, a long 10 hour trip too from the Gulf Coast of Alabama.

And what interests us . . . . go to a nice restaurant (a real Texan restaurant - no chain), visit a fun place (no boring museums), "Esther's Follies" (? - what is this), "a show at the Paramount" (? - a real show or a movie), etc. I'll take suggestions.

[JustMeInBrandon]

P.S. What's the town lake trail EEpstein mentioned?

[atxcio]

It's the hike and bike trail which goes around the Colorado river right in the heart of the city, with nice views of downtown. It's within walking distance of restaurants, hotels, etc so it can be a nice diversion. The Trail Foundation

There are a huge number of non-chain restaurants in Austin. But I'm not sure what you mean by "Texan"... we have TexMex and BBQ, and a huge food trailer scene, as well as a bunch of very nice non-chain fancy restaurants and some laid back "Austin-style" eateries. You might want to try something from each category.

Esther's follies is a comedy club with an in-house show on 6th street. The Paramount is a theatre on Congress which hosts a variety of events, touring shows, film screenings, etc.

If you are a foodie, you should check out the Whole Foods HQ store in downtown Austin.

Another place to see would be the new Austin City Limits theatre in the W... lots of music shows, and if ACL is filming you can try to get tickets for that. It's completely an all-ages place. Plus plenty of other live music venues in town are very laid back and all ages, so you won't feel out of place if you are in you in your 50s (as long as you are young at heart!). Antones, Saxon Pub, and Continental club come to mind. Sometimes it depends on the band playing, of course.

I always suggest a visit to Austin should include driving out to West Austin and checking out that part of town. Go to the Oasis and eat near Lake Travis, or if you want to stay closer in go to the Hula Hut on Lake Austin.

If you want to take a drive out of town, I'd suggest the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall. It's a national park and has a really nice tour. There are also some wineries nearby in that direction.
http://texaswinetrail.com/

[eepstein]

Its a trail that goes around Town Lake. It's a COA trial, so as you would expect, most of it is "cheap" and only a few brief sections are actually paved. It's not a bad trail as far as trails go, but it's often crowded with walkers and runners trying to keep the "Austin fit" myth alive. It's really the only decent trail in the city of Austin. Try the Brushy Creek trail in Cedar Park for the same experience only with FAR fewer people.

Originally Posted by JustMeInBrandon

P.S. What's the town lake trail EEpstein mentioned?

[Don in Austin]

Originally Posted by eepstein

Its a trail that goes around Town Lake. It's a COA trial, so as you would expect, most of it is "cheap" and only a few brief sections are actually paved. It's not a bad trail as far as trails go, but it's often crowded with walkers and runners trying to keep the "Austin fit" myth alive. It's really the only decent trail in the city of Austin.

Wow!! That's news to me! And here I have been riding my bike on all the other trails -- Johnson Creek, Shoal Creek, Waller Creek and many more: City of Austin - Austin Parks and Recreation Department: Park Directory and never realized they were not "decent."

Why should a trail be paved? And, FYI, the town lake trail is almost never congested east of IH35.

Perhaps I have been fooling myself all this time, or could it be eepstein is addicted to negativity re' Austin?

Don in Austin

Originally Posted by eepstein

Try the Brushy Creek trail in Cedar Park for the same experience only with FAR fewer people.