We Be Trippin': The Great DIS-nee Road Trip

[swwake]

Thanks Susan!! I'd love to visit Austin...I forget...are you going to cover Hippie Hollow?? I went to them by accident one time ...needless to say, the people at the ticket booth told me what it was and let me turn around.

I remember going to a restaurant set on the side of Lake Travis ...maybe the Oasis?? Is that still around?

Ok I will start our tour of Austin this Saturday. That gives y'all a couple of days to get here in that new jalopy of ours.

I will mention Hippie Hollow, but I don't think the DIS will allow photos of it. I am surprised they didn't tell you they were glad you wore your birthday suit today and welcome you in!

The Oasis is correct. Maybe we'll visit in the next few days.

 

[Circusgirl]

Ok I will start our tour of Austin this Saturday. That gives y'all a couple of days to get here in that new jalopy of ours.

I will mention Hippie Hollow, but I don't think the DIS will allow photos of it. I am surprised they didn't tell you they were glad you wore your birthday suit today and welcome you in!

The Oasis is correct. Maybe we'll visit in the next few days.

Thanks, Susan! I've never been to Austin but I have dear friends who live
there. Some of my performer friends were based there for many years -
The Flaming Idiots - did you ever see them? Magical Mystical Michael, the sweetest nicest magician in the world (especially special because generally magicians can be a little scary and creepy) has also spent long periods of time there.
Yay! Looking forward to it.

 

[catotigger]

Thanks, Susan! I've never been to Austin but I have dear friends who live
there. Some of my performer friends were based there for many years -
The Flaming Idiots - did you ever see them? Magical Mystical Michael, the sweetest nicest magician in the world (especially special because generally magicians can be a little scary and creepy) has also spent long periods of time there.
Yay! Looking forward to it.

Oh my goodness! You are friends of the Flaming Idiots???? I can't tell you how many times I saw them perform at the Texas Renaissance Festival!

Next time you communicate with them - tell them hello from one of their many fans!

 

[catotigger]

Ok I will start our tour of Austin this Saturday. That gives y'all a couple of days to get here in that new jalopy of ours.

I will mention Hippie Hollow, but I don't think the DIS will allow photos of it. I am surprised they didn't tell you they were glad you wore your birthday suit today and welcome you in!

The Oasis is correct. Maybe we'll visit in the next few days.

Yay! I can't wait to see the Austin tour! You will show stuff I actually have a chance to go see!

Austin here we come!!!

 

[swwake]

Thanks, Susan! I've never been to Austin but I have dear friends who live
there. Some of my performer friends were based there for many years -
The Flaming Idiots - did you ever see them? Magical Mystical Michael, the sweetest nicest magician in the world (especially special because generally magicians can be a little scary and creepy) has also spent long periods of time there.
Yay! Looking forward to it.

I've only been here 8 years and don't know the Flaming Idiots. Maybe you can share with us some trivia and pics while waiting for me to get our tour together....

 

[swwake]

Welcome to Austin, Everyone!!

I know it's been a long trip. Let's get a good night's rest tonight at the Driskill Hotel.

A beautiful night view:

Built in 1886 as the showplace of a cattle baron, The Driskill remains a landmark of legendary Texas hospitality. Located on Sixth Street in the heart of downtown Austin, the luxurious, historic hotel is convenient to all that the city has to offer, including the Texas State Capitol, convention center, opera, symphony, fine dining and shopping.

Chartered in 1839 as the capital of the Republic of Texas, Austin became the state capital when Texas was admitted to the Union in 1846 as the twenty-eighth state. Austin is now the fourth largest city in the state and the sixteenth most populous city in the nation.

Austin is in Travis County. The Austin-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties.

Located in the Central Texas Hill Country, Austin is approximately 230 miles from Mexico and less than 200 miles from 3 of the 10 largest U.S. cities (192 miles from Dallas to its north, 79 miles from San Antonio to its south, and 162 miles from Houston to its southeast).

Occupying a land area of 271.8 square miles, Austin had a 2000 census population of 656, 562. The current population of Austin, as of April 1, 2002, is 680, 899 - 52.9 percent white, 30.5 percent Hispanic, 9.8 percent African American and 4.7 percent Asian and 2.1 percent other. (1, 306, 627 in the Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area).

Austin averages 300 days of sunshine each year and about 33.78 inches of rainfall. It rarely snows in Austin.

Source: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/citymgr/basicfac.htm

With over 200 live music venues, including one right smack in the middle of the airport terminal, Austin is known as the "Live Music Capital of the World". (more about this later)

So, relax, unwind, get some rest in the fabulous downtown historic Driskill Hotel, and prepare for an interesting and fun-filled day tomorrow.

Again, Welcome to Austin!!

 

[Marshay]

Woo Hoo!!! We arrived in Austin!!!

I can't wait to see the town and both the old and new things...in honor of Halloween will we get to go to the congress bridge to see anything??

I love the sights and sounds of 6th street!

 

[Circusgirl]

Oh my goodness! You are friends of the Flaming Idiots???? I can't tell you how many times I saw them perform at the Texas Renaissance Festival!

Next time you communicate with them - tell them hello from one of their many fans!

That's so fun! Rob Williams (the one who makes a bologna sandwich with his feet) is the one I primarily know. He came on a tour with my non-profit and we performed at a festival together. They have since disbanded. Rob is pursuing a stand-up career and has written for a number of TV shows.

 

[swwake]

Woo Hoo!!! We arrived in Austin!!!

I can't wait to see the town and both the old and new things...in honor of Halloween will we get to go to the congress bridge to see anything??

I love the sights and sounds of 6th street!

I do have a trip to the Congress Avenue Bridge planned, indeed!

A little slow today - I have been working all day. I hope to get a post done tonight.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Yay, we're in Austin!!

 

[swwake]

Tomorrow’s forecast: Partly Cloudy, High 88 degrees. A warm day in October, by anyone’s standards.

So let’s go visit some of Austin’s area pools. Now I’m not talking about your typical neighborhood or community center pools. Let’s visit two of the natural swimming holes in the area.

On the way, we will pick up a picnic from . Rudy’s Country Store B-B-Q can be found in several locations in and around Austin, as well as all around the state of Texas, into Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

Kids of all ages love this place. It’s a gas station, car wash, convenience store, and barbecue joint, with long picnic tables and family-style eating off of butcher paper. You WILL get dirty.

Let’s pick up a variety of items for our picnic. We’ll be sure to bring the wet-wipes.
Let’s see:
We’ll do some brisket, turkey, sausage and some ribs
Sides of potato salad, cream corn (the best!), and new potatoes
We’ll get a couple of gallons of Rudy’s famous sweet tea, and a few of the Mexican coke bottles.
And for dessert – banana pudding, of course!

We’re off to Zilker park, with over 350 acres right on Lady Bird Lake in Downtown Austin. Tucked away in a corner of the park, we’ll find the three acre Barton Springs Pool. Now, must caution you – the water is quite cool, at an average of 68 degrees all year.

Austin is actually on a dormant fault line – the Balcones Fault. Barton Springs were formed by the land shift that created the fault. Native Americans knew Barton Springs as “Sacred Springs”, believing the water had healing properties.

A popular swimming hole prior, in 1929, a dam was built to enlarge the hole into a pool, complete with a diving board and sidewalk surrounds. The spring pumps an average of 27 million gallons of water daily.

Now, as you’re dipping your toes in the pool, don’t mind that little salamander you see. He is actually the Barton Springs Salamander, native to this area and only this area.

For years, the barton springs salamander has been considered unofficially endangered, and precautions have been taken to protect the salamander, including changing the way the pool is cleaned. Humans swimming in the pool do not harm the salamander and, likewise, the salamander will not harm humans.

The Barton Springs pool is currently open daily from 5am to 10pm with lifeguards on duty from 8am to 8pm. Admission is only charged after 9am and is $1.00 for Seniors, $2.00 for children under 12, and $3.00 for all others. Parking at Zilker Park is $3.00 in the summer and free in the fall and winter.

Now, let’s head West about 30 minutes to Hamilton Pool, which is another historic swimming hole that is now designated as a nature preserve. There is a 50-foot waterfall over a grotto.

Hamilton Pool Preserve takes up about 232 acres and welcomes 75,000 visitors per year. It is open from 9am to 6pm daily for a fee of $8.00 per vehicle.

Alrighty then – time to leave the kids behind for this next water haven. That’s right, we’re headed across Lake Travis to the famous, 18-and-over, clothing-optional Hippie Hollow.

Located on the East shore of Lake Travis, Hippie Hollow is open year-round. Current hours are 9am to 7:30pm. Due to discretion (and DIScretion), not many photos of Hippie Hollow are available.

The entrance fee is $10 per vehicle. The only clothing-optional public park in the Republic of Texas (yeah – I said it – we still consider ourselves a Republic), the views are amazing (the lake views, silly!). At just over 100 acres and with annual visitors of 350,000, in recent years, Hippie Hollow has become a favorite respite of Austin’s gay and lesbian community.

The “real deal” can be found on the Hippie Hollow Wikipedia page.

Enjoy your day with a refreshing swim, and I will show you a great place for dinner afterward...

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Ooh I love those swimming holes!! I especially enjoyed Hamilton pool!!

 

[DSNY4ever]

Wow- AWESOME swimming holes! And Circusgirl, I hope you didn't eat those bologna sandwiches

 

[madbrad76]

Yay!!! We're in Austin, TX

The food at Rudy's is right down my alley. Living here in the south, it's really hard not to be a meat eater.

I saw the episode of "Samantha Brown's Passport to Great Weekends" where she visited Austin and the Barton Springs Pool.

Austin looks like a great place to visit, listen to some music, and eat some great food. I can't wait to see more.

 

[Marshay]

wow -- Rudy's food was amazing!! Can you bring me some right now??? It really looks like good ole down home bbq.

Hippie Hollow -- . lake travis looks like there is tons of things to do -- esp if you have a motorboat/jet ski...what fun!

 

[swwake]

I hope everyone has enjoyed our day in the sun. I'm sure you're exhausted from the water and sun, so let's end the day right.

We'll sip margaritas at the Sunset Capital of Texas, The Oasis.

On the East shore of Lake Travis, not far from Hippie Hollow, sits The Oasis. With its many observation decks, The Oasis provides a beautiful view of the sunset across the lake.

We'll ask the hostess to seat us at one of the best tables (not a bad one in the house), and we'll order our cocktails and appetizers, while browsing the menu.

Now, it's been a few years since I've been to the Oasis, but let's just say they are not known for their food. It's the sunsets they're known for. So, if you're not already full from Rudy's, order at your own risk!

I have always been quite amused at the things Austinites will clap for. Yeah, so a Longhorns victory - that's worth applause; a governor's speech - more applause. But this one will get you - we applaud when the sun sets over the horizon at the Oasis. That's right. As soon as that last little sliver of orange drops below the hills, they ring the famous Oasis bell and everyone erupts into applause.

So kick back, relax, enjoy your margaritas, TRY to enjoy your dinner, and definitely enjoy the sunset. Get ready to clap.

 

[Marshay]

Yeah!! The Oasis...I agree you don't go there for the food, but that view is amazing!!

When I was looking for a place to see the lake (and found Hippie Hollow by mistake), I ended up at the Oasis...well, I decided to hang around for a while and then did the 5pm Old Bay Shrimp platter, a margherita and plopped down to enjoy the view. It was such a relaxing time.

 

[catotigger]

Wow, Susan - you are doing a fabulous job showcasing Austin!

I have to admit I've never been to the Oasis, but I'm pretty sure that I hear a margarita and sunset calling my name! I'll have to dig up a designated driver, and make the trip!

Thanks for the great tour!

 

[Circusgirl]

It felt wonderful to spend the day swimming and being in the sun, not to mention eating all of that fabulous food. I feel so relaxed!

 

[swwake]

Let's talk for a moment about the people of Austin. Part of what makes this city so great is that there is little, if any undertone of discrimination, high level of tolerance for all people and lifestyles, no judgmental undertones. I think it's just a great place to live and work.

Austinites take great pride in our city, even as a large percentage of us (like myself) are transplants. It's like that bumper sticker says "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could."

We love to support our local businesses. You may have seen this bumper sticker:

or this T-shirt:

The local Austin Independent Business Alliance selected this as its slogan to promote local businesses. There's even a wikipedia page about the slogan.

The Wiki page says that there have been many parodies of the slogan, including:
"Keep Dallas Plastic" (hey, I didn't write it!)
"Keep College Station Normal" (obviously penned by an Aggie)
"Keep Round Rock Mildly Unusual" (Round Rock - a suburb of Austin)
"Keep San Antonio Lame" (I didn't write that one either)
"Keep Lubbock Flat"
"Keep Houston Under Construction" (which I find hilarious!)
"Keep Waco Wacko" (Branch Davidians, anyone? 'nuff said)
"Keep Norman Normal" (in reference to UT's other arch-rival, OU)

We also have an annual Keep Austin Weird Festival and 5k Run.

Now, all that being said, I would wager that the average KAW-t-shirt-sporting Austinite doesn't even realize the intent to support local businesses. We just like being weird. That's it.

I told you before, we clap for a sunset. That's weird.

Oh yeah, and let me introduce you to another weird icon of Austin. Found wandering the streets of downtown, often on Sixth Street (more on that later), is the famous Leslie Cochran!

A few weeks ago, Katie and I were eating dinner at Iron Cactus on 6th Street when we notices Leslie bouncing around outside our window, in a cute cheerleader uniform.

Then a couple of weeks after that, Katie ran into Leslie at the ACL Festival (more on that later, too!).

She said he smelled really bad.

More fun to come! I hope you are enjoying your stay in Austin.