AUSTIN, TEXAS

July 5 - 7, 2002

Flag of Texas

With 300 days of sunshine a year, it's always a great day to be in Austin! Austin, the capital of Texas, has many things to offer: Tour Texas' historical beautifully restored State Capitol. Enjoy the spectacle of the Congress Ave bats, the largest urban bat colony in North America; more than a million Mexican free-tail bats depart nightly at sunset from beneath the bridge. Take in all the sights on the University of Texas campus, the largest public university in the nation. Experience Austin's vibrant nightlife.

The State Capitol in Austin is the largest of all state capitols and rumored to be taller than the US Capitol. The Goddess of Liberty statue atop the dome is more than 15 feet in height and fifty varieties of trees native to Texas shade the lovely grounds in front of the Capitol. The Capitol is open to the public seven days a week.

The Congress Ave Bridge is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. Nearly 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats reside vertical crevices beneath the bridge roadway from mid-March to early November. The bats provide a valuable environmental service to Central Texas by consuming 10-15 tons of insects nightly - including mosquitoes and many crop pests such as corn-borer moths. The nightly bat exodus has become one of the most spectacular visitor attractions in Texas.

The campus of the University of Texas at Austin is impressive 357 acre big and offers a lot to the visitor. First, try to get up (tickets are quite hard to get - try to book them in advance 512-475-6633) the Tower of the Main Building which offers a spectacular view down to the campus, Austin and surroundings. Then stroll around the campus, there are a lot of things to discover.

Finally, let a long day come to an end in Austin's famous 6th street. Austin is not without a reason called "Live Music Capital of the World" - the nightlife is heavy on live bands, with innovative variations on the city's strong blues tradition.

During our time in Austin we stayed in 6^th Street Hostel, which is perfectly located - downtown Austin lies within walking distance, free 'Dillo stops are just around the corner as well as the bus stops.
All in all, Austin surprised me a lot - relatively unknown to me beforehand, I was soon captivated by its unique charm and its relaxed atmosphere. Austin will for sure stay in my memory as one of my favorite cities on this trip.