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Hi Greg!
I'm sure you're enjoying Austin with at least one other soul. If that's true, then why don't you check out Pease Park. They have a great outdoor disc golf course. http://dgcoursemaps.com/
Here's your weather forecast for the area. Unless you're hardcore... it might be a little too cold to play.
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=austin%20tx&wuSelect=WEATHER
Did you stay up too late last night and not feeling like playing a marathon game in the park? How about taking a lazy Segway tour of the city? You can explore all day long and save your energy for he bands that will be playing all night long throughout the city! http://www.glidingrevolution.com/
After playing in the park or doing anything else, a great place to eat would be at the Magnolia Cafe. Open 24/8, you can get breakfast anytime you like. They have 2 locations. http://themagnoliacafe.com/
If you're normally located in Santa Monica, I know that movie theaters are a dime a dozen... but I found one that is quite unique. Called the Alamo Drafthouse, you can catch current movies while dining on a decent menu and getting a buzz with a great alcohol list. I've been to dinner theaters, but they say that this one can't be duplicated. They also screen some cult movies and classics too. http://www.drafthouse.com/
I found the top ten things to do in Austin that include city parks and museums. Here is the best link with all the information. http://www.tourtexas.com/content.cfm?id=124
Even though your question says 'day', you did mention 'nightlife' in one of your tabs. Let me also include the Top 10 live music Venues just to be on the safe side since that's the best nightlife for Austin. http://austin.about.com/od/livemusic/tp/top_10_music_venues.htm
Have a great time, and a safe trip. There are some other fun ideas of things to do in the video... check it out!
I'm sure you're enjoying Austin with at least one other soul. If that's true, then why don't you check out Pease Park. They have a great outdoor disc golf course. http://dgcoursemaps.com/
Here's your weather forecast for the area. Unless you're hardcore... it might be a little too cold to play.
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=austin%20tx&wuSelect=WEATHER
Did you stay up too late last night and not feeling like playing a marathon game in the park? How about taking a lazy Segway tour of the city? You can explore all day long and save your energy for he bands that will be playing all night long throughout the city! http://www.glidingrevolution.com/
After playing in the park or doing anything else, a great place to eat would be at the Magnolia Cafe. Open 24/8, you can get breakfast anytime you like. They have 2 locations. http://themagnoliacafe.com/
If you're normally located in Santa Monica, I know that movie theaters are a dime a dozen... but I found one that is quite unique. Called the Alamo Drafthouse, you can catch current movies while dining on a decent menu and getting a buzz with a great alcohol list. I've been to dinner theaters, but they say that this one can't be duplicated. They also screen some cult movies and classics too. http://www.drafthouse.com/
I found the top ten things to do in Austin that include city parks and museums. Here is the best link with all the information. http://www.tourtexas.com/content.cfm?id=124
Even though your question says 'day', you did mention 'nightlife' in one of your tabs. Let me also include the Top 10 live music Venues just to be on the safe side since that's the best nightlife for Austin. http://austin.about.com/od/livemusic/tp/top_10_music_venues.htm
Have a great time, and a safe trip. There are some other fun ideas of things to do in the video... check it out!
videos:
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M$
Okay, during the day, there's SO many sweet things you can do!!
First, you'll want to have Breakfast at Galaxy Cafe, a very "Austiny" type place that's got a retro feel, but serves amazing brunch food on the cheap. I go there as often as I can when I visit my family (which is at least once a month!!)
Next on the agenda should be Waterloo Records - you really can't miss it. Waterloo is a mecca of sorts not only for local acts who have their own records and cd's, but for hard to find memorabilia and rare records. They have sweet vintage posters (Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Janis Joplin, Cream etc) from when those bands came thru Autsin or Texas and you can buy them for the right price. They have an entire section strictly for vynil records which is really pretty cool in and of itself!
Next stop, hit up Zikler Park or take a walk by the river (You can park near near Congress Ave). Trust me, you want to do this. I've never seen so many pretty girls walking their dogs - and besides, it's a cool way to see a really pretty part of Austin!
Now that you've worked up an appetite, you should head down to 5th street (not 6th street!) and eat at Stubbs BBQ. It's a local staple and they have insanely good ribs! Stubbs is also a hang out for local musicians and is also pretty famous for having big name bands come thru and eat after they put on a show on the stage there (Dave Matthews Band played there, Nine Inch Nails, I even saw Willie Nelson in there chowing down on some brisket!!) If you come back in the evening, you can even see some live music there!!
Anyhoo, after you eat, head down South Congress (5th street and 6th street are right off of Congress) to the weird shops and restraunts down there. You'll know it when you get there. One of my fave little places is called Hey Cupcake - they sell gourmet cupcakes out of an Airstream Trailer - not only is it mildly weird, the cupcakes are TO DIE FOR. If you do ONE THING in Austin, go to Hey Cupcake. The experience is totally worth writing home for! They're cheap too!
By now, you're thirsty and should definitely go have a beer or cocktail at the Alamo Hotel. More big names came through here like Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan and the bar is awesome! Here, you'll see all kinds of hipsters and locals who are "in the know" and don't go to 6th street (6th is kind of touristy these days) and you want the real deal right? Trust me, you'll enjoy it.
For dinner, hit up Threadgills - talk about your music mecca - this place is where ALL the Texas legends got their start - Wille, Janis, Stevie Ray Vaughn - all of them started here. The food is amazing and the live music is the best. Again, trust me, you want to go here.
After that, hit up 5th street again for drinks and shows! You really should check out 6th street to say you've done it and maybe even visit Casino El Camino's - that place is way cool and a little kitchy if you get my meaning - they have really great live music there, and the owners name really is Casino El Camino! Super cool guy and readily available if you want to hang out with him - nice guy btw. Screamin Mimi's Tattoo Parlor is on 6th as well - they do great work if you're into getting some custom ink done!! Check out The Alamo Draft House for a movie - Last time I went down (last week actually!) they had "Master Pancake Theater" where four comedians crack jokes through the entire movie - this time it was E.T. and they somehow were able to draw a connection between E.T. and Jesus (they can both heal, they both came back from the dead... Crazy!)
Dude, have a great time!! Maybe I'll see you downtown!
First, you'll want to have Breakfast at Galaxy Cafe, a very "Austiny" type place that's got a retro feel, but serves amazing brunch food on the cheap. I go there as often as I can when I visit my family (which is at least once a month!!)
Next on the agenda should be Waterloo Records - you really can't miss it. Waterloo is a mecca of sorts not only for local acts who have their own records and cd's, but for hard to find memorabilia and rare records. They have sweet vintage posters (Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Janis Joplin, Cream etc) from when those bands came thru Autsin or Texas and you can buy them for the right price. They have an entire section strictly for vynil records which is really pretty cool in and of itself!
Next stop, hit up Zikler Park or take a walk by the river (You can park near near Congress Ave). Trust me, you want to do this. I've never seen so many pretty girls walking their dogs - and besides, it's a cool way to see a really pretty part of Austin!
Now that you've worked up an appetite, you should head down to 5th street (not 6th street!) and eat at Stubbs BBQ. It's a local staple and they have insanely good ribs! Stubbs is also a hang out for local musicians and is also pretty famous for having big name bands come thru and eat after they put on a show on the stage there (Dave Matthews Band played there, Nine Inch Nails, I even saw Willie Nelson in there chowing down on some brisket!!) If you come back in the evening, you can even see some live music there!!
Anyhoo, after you eat, head down South Congress (5th street and 6th street are right off of Congress) to the weird shops and restraunts down there. You'll know it when you get there. One of my fave little places is called Hey Cupcake - they sell gourmet cupcakes out of an Airstream Trailer - not only is it mildly weird, the cupcakes are TO DIE FOR. If you do ONE THING in Austin, go to Hey Cupcake. The experience is totally worth writing home for! They're cheap too!
By now, you're thirsty and should definitely go have a beer or cocktail at the Alamo Hotel. More big names came through here like Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan and the bar is awesome! Here, you'll see all kinds of hipsters and locals who are "in the know" and don't go to 6th street (6th is kind of touristy these days) and you want the real deal right? Trust me, you'll enjoy it.
For dinner, hit up Threadgills - talk about your music mecca - this place is where ALL the Texas legends got their start - Wille, Janis, Stevie Ray Vaughn - all of them started here. The food is amazing and the live music is the best. Again, trust me, you want to go here.
After that, hit up 5th street again for drinks and shows! You really should check out 6th street to say you've done it and maybe even visit Casino El Camino's - that place is way cool and a little kitchy if you get my meaning - they have really great live music there, and the owners name really is Casino El Camino! Super cool guy and readily available if you want to hang out with him - nice guy btw. Screamin Mimi's Tattoo Parlor is on 6th as well - they do great work if you're into getting some custom ink done!! Check out The Alamo Draft House for a movie - Last time I went down (last week actually!) they had "Master Pancake Theater" where four comedians crack jokes through the entire movie - this time it was E.T. and they somehow were able to draw a connection between E.T. and Jesus (they can both heal, they both came back from the dead... Crazy!)
Dude, have a great time!! Maybe I'll see you downtown!
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I personally like visiting the capitol and standing in the middle of the rotunda and looking up at the star in the ceiling; it's your opportunity to be at the real heart of Texas, in the center of the capitol which is at the center of the state.
UT's campus is worth walking around, if only to see and absorb its hugeness. Honestly though, a lot of the interesting stuff is not really that close to the university.
At dusk, if you're there in the summer, you must see the bats; but they're only there March through November. Info here:
http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp
I personally think the best thing about Austin is its quirky stores, restaurants. There are quirky stores all throughout Austin. I can't possibly exhaust what's out there, but you can go on Yelp and look up thrift stores, coffee shops, restaurants, etc., depending on what you want. Austin also is unusual in that it is one of the few places that has an active tea culture. I can't possibly do justice to all the great places to get tea in Austin. Zhi Tea is headquartered in Austin and has a tea shop / tea bar, a ways east of the downtown:
http://www.zhitea.com/retail-locations
But there are many good places to get tea in Austin.
Austin also has good natural areas. If you have or can get a bike, there are an interconnected series of bike trails through natural areas and parks. There are also some extensive areas of greenspace, probably the biggest of which is Barton creek wilderness park, which connects to a greenbelt that reaches the river adjacent to the downtown.
I hope this is helpful! It really depends on what you like; there's something for everyone.
UT's campus is worth walking around, if only to see and absorb its hugeness. Honestly though, a lot of the interesting stuff is not really that close to the university.
At dusk, if you're there in the summer, you must see the bats; but they're only there March through November. Info here:
http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp
I personally think the best thing about Austin is its quirky stores, restaurants. There are quirky stores all throughout Austin. I can't possibly exhaust what's out there, but you can go on Yelp and look up thrift stores, coffee shops, restaurants, etc., depending on what you want. Austin also is unusual in that it is one of the few places that has an active tea culture. I can't possibly do justice to all the great places to get tea in Austin. Zhi Tea is headquartered in Austin and has a tea shop / tea bar, a ways east of the downtown:
http://www.zhitea.com/retail-locations
But there are many good places to get tea in Austin.
Austin also has good natural areas. If you have or can get a bike, there are an interconnected series of bike trails through natural areas and parks. There are also some extensive areas of greenspace, probably the biggest of which is Barton creek wilderness park, which connects to a greenbelt that reaches the river adjacent to the downtown.
I hope this is helpful! It really depends on what you like; there's something for everyone.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I personally want to visit Austin just to see the bats come out of Congress Bridge. Alas, poor Greg won't be able to see them since they are wintering in Mexico, but I did find this video for both of you to check out.
It's a pretty amazing experience - yo ucan bring a picnic basket and some beers out tehre while waiting for the bats to come out. And when they do, WOW!! Thousands upon thousands just pouring out of there... It's pretty cool.
Also on South Congress!!
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Carlos and Charlies is awesome, and the oasis has the most beautiful sunset. Try both of those. Going to see the state capitol is always fun too.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I lived in Austin, TX for 2 years and I have to say that the 3 most memorable things were;
1. Breakfast Tacos at Taco Xpress (2529 South Lamar Boulevard)
Best Tacos in town and a great vibe; live music at weekends. (www.tacoxpress.com)
2. Cocktails at the Oasis on Lake Travis
Great sunset views and (http://www.oasis-austin.com/)
3. If you like BBQ, you could do the legendary BBQ roadtrip...or just part of it.
There are 2 BBQ joints in Lockhart and others in Elgin, Smithville and Taylor as well as a couple in downtown Austin! Check out http://texasbbqposse.blogspot.com/ for the latest recommendations.
The live music down 6th St. is great as is the "Keep Austin Weird" vibe around the UT campus. You already have some other suggestions so just remember to have a great time and pass on the latest recs.
Pick up a copy of the Austin Chronicle for the latest listings and check out some great websites like http://365thingsaustin.com/
1. Breakfast Tacos at Taco Xpress (2529 South Lamar Boulevard)
Best Tacos in town and a great vibe; live music at weekends. (www.tacoxpress.com)
2. Cocktails at the Oasis on Lake Travis
Great sunset views and (http://www.oasis-austin.com/)
3. If you like BBQ, you could do the legendary BBQ roadtrip...or just part of it.
There are 2 BBQ joints in Lockhart and others in Elgin, Smithville and Taylor as well as a couple in downtown Austin! Check out http://texasbbqposse.blogspot.com/ for the latest recommendations.
The live music down 6th St. is great as is the "Keep Austin Weird" vibe around the UT campus. You already have some other suggestions so just remember to have a great time and pass on the latest recs.
Pick up a copy of the Austin Chronicle for the latest listings and check out some great websites like http://365thingsaustin.com/
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You know, that Segway tour I hear is awesome!! I may have to do that one day just for fun!
I ended up seeing the movie ''True Grit'' at the Alamo Drafthouse! It was amazing! Such a cool place to see a film. There's a similar chain of movie theaters out here called Gold Class Cinemas. The Alamo Draft-house is much better as it's cheaper, fits more people, and has a much larger selection of beers and food!
Thanks again for the suggestion, Bunny!
I'm sorry I couldn't wait to answer this question... please forgive me!
Well done Bunny - those are awesoem ideas - especially the Alamo Drafthouse. I once saw all thre extended versions o The Lord Of the Rings there - and they fed us Hobbit meals: 7 meals in one day. I even bought the t-shirt. It was amazing!