Austin Vacations

Part of the 358-acre Zilker Park, the Barton Springs Pool spans three acres and measures a cool 68 degrees year-round, thanks to the underground springs that feed it. Take a nap on the surrounding grassy slopes -- and don’t be alarmed by topless sunbathing, it’s legal in Austin.

Learn the “Story of Texas” at this Austin gem across three floors of exhibits, a special effects show and an IMAX theater. Named after a former Lieutenant Governor, the museum gives plenty of fodder for why everything is bigger in Texas.

Austin’s dance hall (see also: honey-tonk) has been around since 1964 -- and it still relies on a winning formula of country music and Texas cooking (try the chicken fried steak). Don’t miss the room dedicated to country music memorabilia, and keep your eyes peeled: Willie Nelson is known to appear when he’s in town.

Yes, Texas may have a reputation of being a dry, tumbleweed state, but it’s actually awash in native wildflowers. The center, established by former first lady and actress Helen Hayes, has a nature trail, meadows and numerous gardens, including iconic bluebonnets each spring.

The Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Lyric Opera and Ballet Austin all have a home at the newly renovated Long Center for the Performing Arts. On the shores of Lady Bird Lake, the center has a variety of performance spaces, including several outdoor venues.

Sometimes the only way to see a city is to leave it. For great views of Austin, head to Mount Bonnell on the shores of Lake Austin where you'll climb 100 steps to the summit. Enjoy a picnic and watch the sun set.

Take a free guided tour of the1888 Italian Renaissance Revival structure where you'll see marble statues of local heroes Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, the flag from the Battle of San Jacinto in the House Chamber, and more.

Many visits to Austin begin and end with music, thanks to the richness and availability to find performances of any genre, from rock to country and everything in between. In the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World, bands play at vaunted venues like the Continental Club and Saxon Pub seven nights a week, but there's also live music in unexpected places, such as clothing stores, art galleries and restaurants. Tex-Mex food is almost as ubiquitous as the music. In fact, along some streets such as South 1st, it seems like almost every eatery is a Mexican restaurant. Austin does have a burgeoning foodie scene, however, and they epicures flock to restaurants like Uchi, led by executive chef Tyson Cole, who was named 2011 Best Chef Southwest by the James Beard Foundation for his masterful seafood dishes. Fortunately, Austin has plenty of green space for walking or running off those delicious calories. A 10-mile hike and bike trail circles Lady Bird Lake just south of downtown. Along the trail, 1.5 million bats emerge nightly from cubbyholes beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge, creating one of Austin's most popular evening spectacles. While summers in Austin are sizzling, relief is always available at Barton Springs pool, where the water remains at a temperature of 68-degrees Fahrenheit year-round. After a refreshing swim, a stroll along South Congress Avenue is a fine way to end the day. The wide boulevard is home to dozens of antique stores, funky clothing boutiques, vintage shops and, yes, more Mexican restaurants.

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