Deep in the heart of Texas
With two NFL teams, numerous competitive university programs, the Cotton Bowl, and the Friday night lights of high schools with their own ZIP codes, it’s safe to say that the whole Lone Star State is a top football destination. But if you want a city that boasts a perennially tough college team (OK, despite some early stumbles in 2010), world-renowned live music, hippies and honky-tonkers happily cohabiting, funky architecture, Sandra Bullock and burritos the size of your arm, then Austin is your kind of town.
If you go ...
On game days, thousands of fans crowd Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium to sing “Texas Fight.” Fans at Third Base Sports Bar and the Hula Hut flash classic “horns” gestures when Texas takes on their biggest rival, Texas A&M. Then again, the Texas-Oklahoma "Red River Rivalry" is so big, even Austin can’t hold it — the game, part of the State Fair of Texas, is three hours away at Dallas’ neutral Cotton Bowl (but you can stay for a Cowboys game at the larger-than-life Cowboys Stadium).
After the final whistle, explore Austin’s diverse entertainment scene at Sixth Street’s and South Congress’ (SoCo) numerous bars, dance halls and clubs, like the Continental Club and the Speakeasy. Two-step at the Broken Spoke or enjoy the lively, irreverent comedy and magic of Esther’s Follies.
Even Austin’s food is entertaining: Teenage servers at Amy’s Ice Creams put on a show, tossing around scoops and toppings. Enjoy the free nacho bar as you wait for Tex-Mex at kitschy Chuy’s. Hut’s Hamburgers serves 19 types of burgers amid 50s décor. The Iron Works serves up barbecue in a former ornamental iron work shop. And Mother’s Café and Garden serves Texas-inspired vegetarian cuisine such as barbecued tofu and artichoke enchiladas.
Austin calls itself the "live music capital of the world." The PBS show Austin City Limits, with pretty much every noted musical act on the planet since Texas native Willie Nelson appeared on the pilot in 1975, is a good reason why. Attend a live show, or check out the annual spin-off Music Festival in October. Return in the spring for the South by Southwest music, film and media festival, with nearly 2,000 acts, including such headliners as Tony Bennett, Lucinda Williams and Devo.
A visit to Austin won’t interrupt your workout routine. Town Lake’s trail is one reason Walking Magazine named Austin America's "Most Fit" city, and AARP The Magazine selected the city as one of America’s most "walkable.” Take a brisk swim in Barton Springs Pool, whose natural waters have drawn visitors for over a century.
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