£861 'll ipjej^ '^puj
uotiEHEg am 'asD3 jy
Austin
The capital city connection is teeming with action
/ by Jan Werner
Battalion Staff
For all you Ags able to over
come your orange-and-white-
phobia, Austin oners a variety
of cheap, entertaining things to
do. Some of the possibilities are
listed below, in no particular
order.
Texas State Capitol — Yes,
we know—you've already been
here on a seventh grade class
field trip. But it's worth going
back for another visit. The build
ing itself is enormous (the dome
is taller than the dome in the
U.S. Capitol in Washington)
and beautiful (incredibly ornate
chandeliers, marble terrazo
floors, massive solid hardwood
doors with bronze hinges). And
you can learn more about Texas
Not so long ago, East
Sixth was the center of
the seedy downtown
area, the exclusive pro
vince of winos, hook
ers, and abandoned
buildings.
history (and make your Political
Science 207 prof very happy) by
taking one of the free tours of
the Capitol building offered ev
ery 15 minutes. Afterwards, you
can wander around the immacu
late grounds, look at all the his
torical statues, and feed the
tame squirrels. Absolutely free.
East Sixth Street — Not so
long ago, East Sixth was the cen
ter of the seedy downtown area,
the exclusive province of winos,
hookers, and abandoned build
ings. A few of the winos and
hookers are still around (adds
local color), but almost all the
buildings have been renovated
to house a mind-boggling array
of bars (including Jorge's, home
of the infamous margaritas) and
shops offering everything from
vintage clothing to risque birth
day cards to neon sculpture.
Free, if you're strictly shopping,
but purchases can be a little ex
pensive (all that renovation
doesn't come cheap, you know.)
Guadalupe Street (The Drag)
— The Drag is one of the streets
bordering the UT campus (don't
worry, you needn't set foot on
campus if you don't want to)
and the five or so blocks right
across from campus could qual
ify as the most interesting street
in Austin. There's the standard
assortment of bookstores and
eateries catering to students
(pretty much like Northgate,)
plus some additions unique to
Austin. If you like eggrolls, the
eggroll stands on the Drag sell
the best (and cheapest) eggrolls
around. The street market just
off the Drag is at its best on sun
ny Saturdays, and offers lots of
handmade gift items, like jewel
ry and stained glass. Some of the
things are a little on the bizarre
side (sheepskin sunglasses
cases? batik baby clothes?) but
it's fun to talk to the vendors and
look around at all the stuff. And
if the weather's nice — free en
tertainment is provided by the
street people, who literally sing
(or play various musical instru
ments, or bellydance) for their
supper. Wandering around and
gawking is free, but, like most
places near a college campus,
the merchandise is not under-
priced.
Zilker Park — Austin has lots
of really beautiful parks, but Zil
ker Park offers more entertai-
ment possibilities than any
other. For those of you really
"into" nature, Zilker Gardens
are blooming, and everything is
breathtaking. Admission is free.
Zilker Park is also the home of
Barton Springs, a huge spring-
fed swimming pool. The pool is
a dammed-up section of Barton
Creek, so the bottom is lined
with stones and moss instead of
concrete. The water stays very
chilly (about 60 degrees) year-
round, so a plunge into the pool
after baking in the sun can be a
shocking experience. The grassy
hills sloping down to the water
is one of the most popular sun
bathing spots in Austin; the fact
that topless sunbathing is
allowed could have something
to do with that. Admission is
$1.50.
The Drag is one of the
streets bordering the UT
campus, and the five or
so blocks right across
from campus could
qualify as the most in
teresting street in Au
stin.
For hopeless romantics,
canoes can be rented for appro
ximately $3.50 an hour. You and
your loved one can drift along
Barton Creek and trail your fin
gers in the duckweed and poke
at turtles with your paddle. You
can also tip over into Barton
Creek if you're not careful. But,
life jackets are supplied, and the
creek never gets really deep.
And if you're feeling whimsic
al, a tiny train circles the area
near Barton Springs. The tracks
run along the bank, and through
tunnels, and along the road
leading into the park. The con
ductor lets big people ride it,
too; it's really pretty fun, and
you can see all the hopeless ro
mantics drifting along in Barton
Creek (see above). Tickets are
7d(£.
The Highland Lakes —
Although they're not in Austin,
these seven lakes, especially
Lake Travis, are within easy
driving distance of Austin. All
the usual lake facilities are
available; ski boat and sailboat
rental, campsites, day cruises,
etc. For more information on the
lakes themselves, what's avail
able, and how much it costs, call
the Highland Lakes Tourist
Association at (512) 478-9383.
The places listed above do not
begin to describe all the things to
do and see in Austin; they're
just some of the more unique
places in Austin.
There's also an almost unli
mited variety of good local
music at various clubs around
Austin, lots of excellent
museums on and off the UT
campus, and dozens of wonder
ful restaurants. For more infor
mation about any of the places
described above, or anything
else in Austin, call the Austin
Chamber of Commerce at (512)
478-9383.
9 * *