How to spend time in Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the American state of Texas, and is located in an area rich in frontier history for the visitor from the UK to enjoy. Austin is the fourth-largest city in Texas, and is in the central part of the state, on the border of the American South West. There are many ways to spend time in Austin.

Overview

Country music singer Willie Nelson once said: "There's a freedom that you begin to feel, the closer you get to Austin. It's a great place to live." Austin is a great place to visit, particularly if you enjoy nightlife, music and having a good time.

History

The Austin area is central to much of the state of Texas's frontier history though as well, and the area was once the territory of the Tonkawa tribe of Native Americans, as well as being subject to the attentions of the Commanches and the Lipan Apaches. Austin, over time has developed a rich history for visitors to explore, with historic walking tours on offer to visitors. These begin at the city Capitol and take in attractions such as the Texas State Cemetery and the Bremond Block Historic District.

Culture

Austin styles itself as the "live music capital of the world", a slogan which actually became official in 1991, after it was discovered that Austin was blessed with more live music venues per capita than anywhere else in the United States, according to the city's own tourist publicity material. Particular highlights of Austin's musical calender are its many and varied festivals. One example of these, is the Austin City Limits Festival, which takes place in the city's Zilker Park and features over 100 bands from all across the world, and is a real time-filler for visitors. As well as the huge range of music venues which operate at a range of times of day, there are also many fine restaurants, plus an eclectic range of shopping venues, from the local attractions of South Congress, with its crafts and boutiques, to the upmarket and consciously fashionable 2ND Street District.

Sports

There are a host of golf courses in the Austin area, ranging from the 18-hole, Arthur Hills-designed course at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort, which traverses three ecosystems, to the Pedernales Cut-n-Putt Golf Club, a nine-hole affair owned by country music legend Willie Nelson. Outdoor activities are also on offer in the region, with the Hill Country close by. There are miles of hike and bike trails on offer, as well as more than 200 parks plus the benefit of 300 days of sunshine a year in this part of Texas at the current time.