Austin....

[StoneCold]

8 tacos seems like a lot for breakfast.

Six is about right at Rosies.
Eight? Prolly not riding that day!

LOL. I ate 3, girlfriend at 2, parents split the rest.

[jbach]

If you have a car, go to Hula Hut on Lake Austin. It gets pretty crowded on the weekends so don't be surprised if you have to wait, but it's worth it.

Go to the Oasis on Lake Travis to watch the sunset. There's also a hole-in-the-wall burger joint in the hills along Lake Austin called Ski Shore cafe where you can watch all the water skiers and wakeboarders go by.

[doublediamond223]

Go to the Oasis on Lake Travis to watch the sunset. There's also a hole-in-the-wall burger joint in the hills along Lake Austin called Ski Shore cafe where you can watch all the water skiers and wakeboarders go by.

I just ate at ski shores yesterday. A waterski/wakeboard TR will be forthcoming, but here's a preview:

[Vets]

Bump on this thread.
Arrived in Austin yesterday.
I'm staying at the Hyatt Regency on Town Lake.
Not much free time on the conference agenda.
Any recommendations for dinner ideas close by?

[shera]

The bats might be gone to Mexico by now.

Since it's autumn...If you have a car you might want to head out to lost maples. There's a freaking maple grove in Texas. Mighty purty. And they grow apples in the area, so there's a lot of yummy pie. That whole region (hill country) is nice. A bike ride out there wouldn't suck at all. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/f.../foliage.phtml

I don't know if you fish, but Texas offers a lot in that way. I guess bass is a southern thing, but it's a ton of fun. You can get yourself set up for cheap with a boat/guide/gear at just about any tackle shop. Your guide will probably have beer for breakfast.

Katz's used to have that sweet Jazz club in the building. I've spent a number of fine evenings drinking and dancing and then munching blintzes. Katz never closes.

When is SXSW? The ultimate pub crawl.

If you could get on Austin City Limits, that would be the coolest. http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/tvschedule/index.html

There are some interesting things on the UT campus, like the magna carta. And the people - just park yourself on a bench in front of the student union for an hour. What an eyeful. Riding a bike all around the university/downtown/town lake would be really fun. You need a lock and chain. Go see the old French Legation and and eat some random tacos on the east side.

Go to the old Driskill Hotel (downtown) and look at the Remington style bronze statue called the Widowmaker. Powerful.

If you like to climb at all, I always loved Enchanted Rock. Pink granite dome - one of the biggest in the country. http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rmr/E-rock/ERgeneral.html

Don't be shy there. It's so easy to make friends with a little good looks and charm. Be outgoing and meet people. Talk to everyone! The people are really the coolest thing there.

Well, thanks for taking me down memory lane anyway.

[Vets]

SheRa,
Thanks for the suggestions.
It sounds like I should spend at least an extra week here.
I am motivated to get out of the hotel tonight for sure.

[sfotex]

Dirty Dozen Brass Band at Antone's tomorrow night.

[Speedfreak]

Everything rideit and others said + Stubbs BBQ. FKNA awesome town.

[Vets]

I checked out the Capitol Building last night. Very impressive!

[dbp]

I'm a little late here, but...

Yes, the capitol is quite large. If you like that kind of stuff, you might consider checking out the UT campus if you have any time during the day (top of the tower, new Blanton museum, LBJ museum, etc...). There is some kind of moonlight tour too.

Be sure to pick up an Austin Chronicle (the free weekly). It has good info on concerts and such. Also be sure to strike up conversations with locals at bars to get some good info.

If you go out in the evenings, it really should be to a concert, but if you want to stop someplace just for a beer, check out The Gingerman on 4th. Huge selection on tap.

Lots of little bars and dives throughout the city, but there are concentrations on 6th and 4th (probably obvious), further west on 6th, and on South Congress (SoCo).

As mentioned, the bats are possibly gone to Mexico. They usually leave late October. They are walking distance from you hotel though (Congress bridge). There is actually a hotline you can call for emergence times. I don't know if it sounds interesting, but millions of bats taking off in the middle of a city is an interesting site.

Stick with tex-mex or bbq for food. Some of the best bbq is outside of town though. A few quintessential tex-mex places: Marias Taco Express, Trudys, Curras Grill... way too many to name actually.

Wish you had time during the day. Austin is all about the outdoors. Lake Travis, "Lake" Austin, the Hill Country, The Green Belt, Barton Creek... If you have any time during the day, check out Barton Springs Pool. There are tons of little Austin-y things that I could name, but the pool really is the soul of the city.

Have fun.

[rideit]

Stick with tex-mex or bbq for food. .

I don't necessarily agree...Austin has become a major culinary hotspot for all kind of cuisine. From Continental French to Korean, Indian, Sushi, Moroccan, Italian, Vietnamese, South American, Thai, you name it...there is a great restaurant available. Even Kosher Deli.
Pick up the Austin Chronicle, that's where the latest beta is revealed.

[Vets]

Just picked up an Austin Chronicle.
144 pages. I'll have to rely on my speed reading skills to acquire the beta.

[rideit]

The 'best of' vote winners should be on their homepage. What are you in the mood for?

[dbp]

I don't necessarily agree...Austin has become a major culinary hotspot for all kind of cuisine. From Continental French to Korean, Indian, Sushi, Moroccan, Italian, Vietnamese, South American, Thai, you name it...there is a great restaurant available. Even Kosher Deli.
Pick up the Austin Chronicle, that's where the latest beta is revealed.

Austin certainly isn't the culinary backwater it once was. I'll agree that you can get all kinds of good food. I was thinking more about trying something Austin is known for.

Chronicle music listings
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrob.../MusicListings

and best of Austin poll
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrob...tOfAustin/home

edit: and the Statesman's restaurant section with top lists
http://www.austin360.com/food_drink/...ink/index.html

[brice618]

I road the trails at Reimers this weekend, they were t3h fun. Good climbing / riding weather right now!

[warthog]

Totally random. I was at a wedding there this weekend. The couple lives in Jackson, and there was a Maggot random rendezvous. I started another thread about it.

[BLOOD SWEAT STEEL]

Got here last night. Definitely not "typical" when compared to any of my previous Texas experiences. Ironworks BBQ kicks ass, and so does Shady Grove.

Amos Lee tonight
New Monsoon tomorrow night
Dark Star Orchestra Saturday nite
I'm tempted to stay another night just to see Ani Difranco on Sunday

Checking out some museums tomorrow too, prolly Barton Springs on Sat. Nice town, but even with all this cuisine - where the hell are the Stouts/Porters? Seems like Shiner Bock is the darkest thing these folks drink 'round here.

[Rontele]

I'm tempted to stay another night just to see Ani Difranco on Sunday

You have a new shaved mullet, some new piercings and a flannel shirt to show off?

[BLOOD SWEAT STEEL]

Actually, I do. Too bad all the rental car places were out of Camaros though. Would've been really rad to pull off the complete ensemble.

[brice618]

Got here last night. Definitely not "typical" when compared to any of my previous Texas experiences. Ironworks BBQ kicks ass, and so does Shady Grove.

Amos Lee tonight
New Monsoon tomorrow night
Dark Star Orchestra Saturday nite
I'm tempted to stay another night just to see Ani Difranco on Sunday

Checking out some museums tomorrow too, prolly Barton Springs on Sat. Nice town, but even with all this cuisine - where the hell are the Stouts/Porters? Seems like Shiner Bock is the darkest thing these folks drink 'round here.

Its usually too damn hot to drink stouts. Shiner is good all year where stout and 105 with humidity doesn't quite mix.

[GBB]

Its usually too damn hot to drink stouts. Shiner is good all year where stout and 105 with humidity doesn't quite mix.

Shiner is delicious.

[brice618]

Shiner is delicious.

I just got done with a 6'er.

Thats the one thing I will miss about texas when I get out of here.

[rsknight1]

For anyone who is in Austin on Saturday evening. Black Star Coop is having a beer “social” – all free - beer & music starting at 7:00 PM. Everyone is welcome. http://www.blackstar.coop/events/sep...er-social-2008

[shera]

Shiner is delicious.

When I was in college at UT, I lived in the ark (the co-op on pearl street). We used to take a big yellow schoolbus over to the brewery and just get hammered in the courtesy room after the tour. Good times!