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Old 01-14-2014, 09:44 AM
 
130 posts, read 207,386 times
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Does Austin have lots of nature, greenery? I know there's a trail around Lady Bird Lake. But Lady Bird Lake didn't impress me all that much. It was brown... and most of the vegetation in TX seems brown and dry and thirsty-looking. Anyway, I'm looking for more nature in my city. I like being outdoors, and at parks, running, hiking, exploring. Maybe I don't know about Austin well enough, and there are places you recommend for nature lovers to relax? Seems alright, but maybe the Pacific NW would be better for me?
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Old 01-14-2014, 11:10 AM
 
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
1,299 posts, read 2,773,995 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gookgette View Post
Does Austin have lots of nature, greenery? I know there's a trail around Lady Bird Lake. But Lady Bird Lake didn't impress me all that much. It was brown... and most of the vegetation in TX seems brown and dry and thirsty-looking. Anyway, I'm looking for more nature in my city. I like being outdoors, and at parks, running, hiking, exploring. Maybe I don't know about Austin well enough, and there are places you recommend for nature lovers to relax? Seems alright, but maybe the Pacific NW would be better for me?
well...it's winter, so many of the trees that line the lake are dormant right now. And I'm not sure what you're seeing but the lake I cross 2x/day is definitely not brown. Vegetation is widely varying across the state so it's impossible to make that broad of a generalization about it, but in central Texas yes, it can be brown and desert-y looking, with some green. I've attached some of my photos of outdoor areas in the Austin area, you can look them up and see if they're what you're looking for.


Red Bud Isle (on ladybird lake)



Hamilton Pool


Barton Creek Greenbelt (wet)

(dry)


Pace Bend
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Old 01-14-2014, 11:43 AM
 
130 posts, read 207,386 times
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wow, those pics are impressive MtnLion512!! I didn't expect to see so much greenery. So I guess I won't be aching for greenery or trails if I live there, I hope.
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Old 01-15-2014, 07:44 AM
 
2,283 posts, read 3,855,927 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gookgette View Post
Seems alright, but maybe the Pacific NW would be better for me?
Yes.
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Old 01-15-2014, 08:26 AM
 
Location: central Austin
7,228 posts, read 16,101,771 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gookgette View Post
wow, those pics are impressive MtnLion512!! I didn't expect to see so much greenery. So I guess I won't be aching for greenery or trails if I live there, I hope.

The Pacific NW is calling you! go.
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Old 01-15-2014, 08:39 AM
 
Location: The People's Republic of Austin
5,184 posts, read 7,277,620 times
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Originally Posted by centralaustinite View Post
The Pacific NW is calling you! go.
Spot on! As attractive as those pictures are, it won't look that way in August. If that is an issue, you will hate it here.
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Old 01-15-2014, 10:07 AM
 
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Texas has its own kind of beauty, but if you are looking for a lush, green place, Texas is not it. Most plants here have to be adapted to heat and dryness. Plants that want lots of water have to be babied by their owners, which is not the best idea here, in the land of drought and water shortage. I agree that there are many places in the US that are much "greener" than Texas.
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Old 01-15-2014, 10:18 AM
 
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Those pictures do make Austin look good, but Austin isn't as lush and green as wetter/cooler areas of the country. If you expect it to look like the northwest or northeast you'll be disappointed. It's not a desert, but I wouldn't describe it as lush. It's not ugly at all, it has a unique central Texas beauty. Just don't expect it to be something it isn't.
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Old 01-15-2014, 11:00 AM
 
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
1,299 posts, read 2,773,995 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scm53 View Post
Spot on! As attractive as those pictures are, it won't look that way in August. If that is an issue, you will hate it here.
True. I just looked to see if I had pictures from Summer '11 for comparison, and I don't - I didn't take any on account of most everything being brown, dead and ugly.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BriansZ View Post
Those pictures do make Austin look good, but Austin isn't as lush and green as wetter/cooler areas of the country. If you expect it to look like the northwest or northeast you'll be disappointed. It's not a desert, but I wouldn't describe it as lush. It's not ugly at all, it has a unique central Texas beauty. Just don't expect it to be something it isn't.
This is the best advice.
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Old 01-15-2014, 11:34 AM
 
99 posts, read 163,540 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gookgette View Post
Does Austin have lots of nature, greenery? I know there's a trail around Lady Bird Lake. But Lady Bird Lake didn't impress me all that much. It was brown... and most of the vegetation in TX seems brown and dry and thirsty-looking. Anyway, I'm looking for more nature in my city. I like being outdoors, and at parks, running, hiking, exploring. Maybe I don't know about Austin well enough, and there are places you recommend for nature lovers to relax? Seems alright, but maybe the Pacific NW would be better for me?
The native grasses in Tx go dormant in the winter (as do the cultivated lawn grasses), hence the state takes on a very brown hue for most of the winter. Likewise, they can also turn brown in the summer if there is a lack of rain. The "lushest" time in Austin, and Texas in general, is the spring. In summer if there are frequent enough rains, things will hold their lushness somewhat. We don't have year round green grass here like they do in the NW or northern Europe.
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