"A Texan returning home (to paradise)" a Austin Travel Page by scargo

You could start with the people; but then, I'm prejudiced. I'm a Texan who, only for the past five years, has lived elsewhere. I was born just outside of Austin, but I spent almost all my life in the Dallas area Then I recently moved to Connecticut. It is really great to get back to people who don't look at you funny when you speak.
Then there's the food. Such great BBQ and Tex-Mex. This is just for starters; Austin is a very worldly and cosmopolitan city. There is great Thai, Indian and Mexican. There is a good selection of seafood, as well. There's a good Cajun influence with many places.

From a Texan's perspective this may seem funny, but while I'm there I like to be outdoors. There is Town Lake , Austin Lake and Lake Travis within easy driving time, unless it's rush hour. More about that, later. The Colorado River winds through the Hill Country and ends up at a hydro-electric dam on Lake Travis, in far northwest Austin. Then the water gets bottled up again to form Austin Lake, which is long and somewhat narrow, on Austin's west side. See my pics...
Then it gets damed again to form Town Lake, on the south side of downtown. This makes for lots of places for water sports and water-related activities.
There is a lot of water in Austin. It sits on an aquifer and this makes for some good, clear water in some parts. There is scuba diving in Lake Travis and in Austin you have the "Barton Springs" swimming hole. This is a huge, spring-fed swimming area naturally scooped out of the limestone creek and bottled-off on one end. The water is invigoratingly cool.
On the lakes are quite a few marinas and bars/restaurants to whet your appetite. The Hula Hut on Austin Lake has good Tex-Mex and beers, while the Iguana, on Lake Travis has similar food and a great view of the lake from high above.
A trip to the Hill Country can be done in one day, to visit a few wineries or eat some "Q" at Cooper's in Llano.

Austin is a haven for musicians and artists. It is the hippie lifestyle among the college-aged, but updated to today. UT has a great art and music program as well as its fame for engineering. This spills out and affects the whole town. Art, especially on buildings, is everywhere. Street musicians abound as do the well-tollerated street people. Tatoos are more the norm than not, for many younger people. Everywhere you see signs, tee-shirts and grafitti saying, "Keep Austin Weird". Austin's people are into green (meaning ecology) and excercise more than you see in other smallish/medium-sized cities. Lots of people ride bikes, jog and walk. The opposite of this is that there is no widespread mass-transit system so traffic jams on the beltways and freeways are significant. The hills of Austin are quickly being filled with homes. It has become a very popular and "hip" place to live. Part of this attraction is the climate. While hot in the summer, it can be really pleasant in December and then again by February.