Totally Austin

Leave your worries at the city limits, put on some casual clothes, and prepare yourself for experiences you will find only in Austin. A bit quirky, definitely high-tech, and far from anything ordinary, Austin has a heart and soul worth experiencing. Some of the favorite local sites. . . .


  

Enjoy Lake Travis without getting wet at The Oasis. Food, music, drinks, and a fabulous view from many of the open air decks! Located at 6550 Comanche Trail, it offers a vantage point of 450 feet above Lake Travis. (512) 266-2442

Chuy's, at 1728 Barton Springs, is a fun Mexican food place decorated with Elvis, paper mache, and hubcaps.

Enjoy some Austin Tex Mex in casual atmospheres of Guero's, at 1412 South Congress, or Taco Xpress at 2529 S Lamar.

Enjoy homemade and healthy food at the original Kerbey Lane Cafe, South Lamar, a great place for breakfast.

Listen to music at the delightful open-air venue at The Backyard, 13101 West U.S. 71.

Splash Party Movie Nights are a great way to spend a summer evening at the Deep Eddy Pool. Swim in the pool, then sit on a blanket and see a movie.

Sit out on the deck, listen to the jukebox, have a beer and mind your own business at Dry Creek Saloon on Mount Bonnell Road.

See a play at the old timey Paramount Theater at 713 Congress Avenue. In the summer, they show classic movies.

Spend the evening on Sixth Street in New Orleans style where the street is blocked off and becomes a glittering strip of bars and live music clubs. Austin's E. 6th Street Map.

Bats, Bats, and More Bats!  From mid-March through mid-October see the dramatic night flight of the bats from the Congress Avenue Bridge.

Watch independent films, spaghetti westerns, and UT football at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas.

Come to Central Market, 4001 North Lamar Boulevard, a showcase grocery store and tourist spot, to buy groceries, have a great meal, or people watch.



Climb the 99 steps to Mt. Bonnell at 3800 Mt. Bonnell Road to see Austin from one of the highest vantage points. It is known as a popular spot for young couples who want to watch the stars come out at night. Be careful who you climb the stairs with--you might fall in love according to the local legend.

Join Willie Nelson in claiming the Broken Spoke, 3201 South Lamar Boulevard, as your favorite watering hole and dance hall.

The BookPeople, 603 North Lamar, is one of the city’s major literary resources, locally owned and operated. It has a huge selection of books in all genres.

Take a dip in the Barton Springs Pool, 2201 Barton Springs Road, often considered the soul of Austin. It is a treasured, spring-fed pool that stands as a commitment to the environment and a place of psychological and spiritual renewal.


FARMER'S MARKETS

Although Farmer's Markets are not unique to Austin, there is certainly an Austin feel at all of these markets. Come by produce, special sauces and more!

Austin (AFM), Republic Square Park (4th & Guadalupe)
236.0074

Austin Downtown, Triangle Park on 46th between Lamar and Guadalupe

Travis County, 6701 Burnet Rd.
454.1002

Bee Cave Farmer's Market, 13908 Ste. D., Hwy 71 West
750-9152

South Austin, 2910 S. Congress
281.4712

405 W. Stassney (WIC Clinic)
391.8200

Sunset Valley - Tony Burger Activity Center, 3200 Jones Rd.
280.1976

San Marcos - 204 South Edward Gary.

Buda - 100 South Houston. 830.935.3159

Bastrop - 1308 Chestnut Street

Elgin - 410 North Main.

Jonestown - 18649 1431 at the Plaza Shopping Center 512.236.0074

Georgetown - 400 Block of S. Austin Avenue

Round Rock - 200 Bagdad Ave, City Hall Parking Garage.


FARMS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Boggy Creek - 2 1/2 miles east of downtown Austin 3414 Lyons Road. Certified organic market farm featuring organic produce, cheeses, eggs, jams and sauces.

Pure Luck Texas - 101 Twin Oaks Trail, Dripping Springs. Nationally recognized farm famous for its delicious goat cheese and vegetables, herbs, and more.

Sweetberry Farms - 1.2 miles north of Hwy 1431 on FM 1980. Fresh fruits!



And, where did the slogan "Keep Austin Weird"  originate? Here are some things that help enforce it.
 
Museum of the Weird
Large mother hen
Cathedral of Junk
Peter Pan Mini Golf
Purple Martin Roost at a Mall
Taco Maria Statue
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Film Locations
World's Largest Longhorn
Dr. Charles E. Urdy Plaza
Who is Leslie?
Eeyore's Birthday Party
Painted Tree Limbs
The Street of Lights Photo Tour #1
The Street of Lights Tour #2
Austin Art Cars
Flash Mobs
Hippie Hollow Park
South Austin Museum of Popular Culture
Make Austin Normal
Museum of Natural and Artificial Ephemerata
SPAMARAMA