Getting Around Austin
If you've managed San Juan or Milwaukee, you can handle Austin. 
You'll do most of your driving on the north-south highways. The
two main highways that head north-south through the city are IH-35 on the
east side and Mopac (aka Loop 1) on the west side. Outside the main
city, Loop 360 and US-183 (Ed Bluestein Blvd) had north-south. West
of Loop 360 is FM 620 (not shown on this map).
Heading east-west, you are forced onto surface streets in the central city. On the north side, US-183 (Research Blvd) connects I-35 to Mopac to Loop 360 to FM 620. On the south side, Hwy 71 (Ben White) connects I-35 with Mopac, Loop 360 and FM 620. If you have to get east-west in the central city, try 1st Street or Enfield/15th Street.
First time drivers always get confused with the multiple names that
some roads have.
Mopac = Loop 1
Loop 360 = Capital of Texas Hwy
Hwy 183 = Research Blvd = Ed Bluestein (in different areas)
Hwy 71 = Ben White = Hwy 290 (for a short distance)
RM 2222 = Koenig = Northland = Bull Creek (in different places)
15th Street = Enfield
24th Street = Winsdor
Addresses increase north and south of First Street downtown, and increase east and west of Congress downtown.
Note: You will be flying into the new airport (Austin-Bergstrom International Airport), due to be open in May 1999. The new airport is at Hwy 71 and US 183, southeast of the city. Don't try to catch your return flight at our old airport, Robert Mueller, located in east Austin.
Our Favorite Restaurants
Austin has a wide variety of restaurants, and shorts are the perfect
attire for this casual city. In our list, highway exits are mentioned
to get you close. Consult a map or call to get better directions.
The links point to Yahoo maps. Check out these sites for more listings:
Austin Chronicle's Best
of Austin Food and Drink | Austin360's
Restaurant Guide.
Mother's 4215
Duval Street (512) 451-3994 Creatively done vegetarian fare.
Exit Mopac at 45th, head east.
Kerbey Lane 3704
Kerbey Lane (512) 451-1436 Dan's favorite pancakes 24 hours per
day. Uniquely Austin. Exit Mopac at 35th, head east.
Magnolia Cafe 2304
Lake Austin Blvd (512) 478-8645 Our second date started here.
It's another hip 24-hour place, where you can see the latest styles in
body piercings. Try the migas! Exit Mopac at Lake Austin Blvd, head
west.
Trudy's 409
W 30th St (512) 477-2935. Tex-Mex: How many ways can
you combine cheese, beans, beef or chicken, jalepenos, lettuce and
guacomole? Exit Mopac at 35th.
Salt Lick 1826
FM 165 Driftwood, TX (512) 858-4959 Best Texas-style BBQ,
but 40 minutes from downtown. Dan loves the brisket, Maria eats the potato
salad. You must try Texas BBQ before leaving. Exit Mopac at
Hwy 71, head west.
County Line 5204
FM Road 2222 (512) 346-3664 Not the same ambiance as the Salt Lick,
but still good Texas BBQ and great bread and close to town. Exit
Mopac at 2222, head west or exit Loop 360 at Bull Creek, head east.
Reale's Pizzeria 13450
N Highway 183 #230 (512) 335-5115. Romantic Italian up north.
Here's a review.
Take US-183 north almost to 620.
Kim Phung 7601
N Lamar Blvd (512) 451-2464 Voted best Vietnamese noodles in Austin.
Maria lives for the spring rolls. Exit US183 at Lamar, head south.
Triumph Coffee House 3808
Spicewood Springs Rd (512) 343-1875 An eclectic mix of Vietnamese
spring rolls, world coffees, pizza and pastries.
Here's their web site. Afterwards, go across the street for frozen
custard. Exit Mopac at Spicewood Springs/Anderson Lane, head
west.
Gilligans 407
Colorado St (512) 474-7474 Yummy seafood. Exit Mopac
at 5th, head east or exit I-35 at 6th, head west.
Austin Land and Cattle 1205
N Lamar Blvd (512) 472-1813 Steak for the carnivores. Exit Mopac
at Enfield, head east.
Austin Music
Austin is the self-proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World."
If you think all we listen to is country, you are very wrong. If
one style of music is dominant, it is blues - Stevie Ray Vaughn played
in Austin clubs that are still open today. The clubs are rocking
seven nights per week, and the hotspots include 6th Street between I-35
and Congress and north of 6th on Red River (see the Chronicle's
Live Music Venue Guide and the Downtown
Guide). To the west, the scene around 4th and Guadalupe will
soon be dead with the recent closing of the Electric Lounge and the impending
razing of Liberty Lunch.
Things get moving around 10PM, and bars close at 2AM. Check out the Austin Chronicle's club listings on Friday before you arrive or Austin360's club listings earlier in the week, or pick up a Chronicle around town. If you like to swing dance, Austin has a big swing scene..
Steamboat 403
E 6th St (512) 478-2912 Rock and blues in a historic venue
with great acoustics. Read
more
Ritz on 6th Street Go upstairs for jazz, swing or whatever
Elephant Room 315
Congress (512) 473-2279 Look for the blue neon sign in the basement
window across from Manuel's. A basement club, great venue for local
and touring jazz. It's a short walk south from the 6th Street area.
Read
more.
Liberty Lunch 405
W 2nd St (512) 477-0461 Warehouse club in the 4th street
district with local and touring acts. Due to be torn down to make
room one of those evil high tech companies. Read
more.
Continental Club 1315
S Congress Ave (512) 441-2444 Folk, swing, rock or whatever in
this south-of-the-river club. Catch 8-1/2 Souvenirs here if you can;
you'll hear lots of their swing at our wedding.
Antone's 213
W 5th St (512) 474-5314 This world-renowned blues club has moved
around town, and its namesake pled guilty to marijuana charges, but the
blues still plays. Read
more
Places of Interest
More interesting ideas can be found in Chronicle's Best
of Austin 1998: Outdoors and Recreation and Arts
and Entertainment.| Austin360
entertainment | Austin
City Links Recreation section | Page 6 of the pink section in the Southwestern
Bell yellow pages found at your hotel
The Congress Avenue Bats Congress
Avenue Bridge (512) 416-5700, extension 3636 About a million Mexican
free-tailed bats live under the Congress Avenue bridge. Their flight
out at dusk is a sight to see. There's no reason to be afraid - the
bats don't even get close to the tourists and locals that turn out.
Call the number above to get the flight schedule or read
more about the bats.
Barton Springs Pool Zilker
Park (512) 476-9044 If Austin's heat gets to you, go jump
into Barton
Springs Pool. This natural pool remains 68 degrees year round,
due to springs underneath. Wander around Zilker Park afterwards.
Exit Mopac at 2244 and follow the Zilker Park signs.
The Drag Guadalupe Street between Martin Luther King Blvd
and 26th Street (512) 478-0098 Great place to people watch, shop, eat
and hang out with the students and other interesting characters. Our reception
is on the Drag, at the Union on 24th and Guadalupe. Exit Mopac at Winsdor,
head east.
Wildflower Research Center 4801
La Crosse Ave (512) 292-4300 Lady Bird Johnson founded this center
to educate us and to show off Texas's wildflowers. Exit Mopac at
Slaughter, head east.
Mount Bonnell Mount Bonnell Road (512) 499-6700 Climb
100 steps for great views of the city and the river. Come at night
and kiss your sweetheart. Exit Mopac at 35th or at RM2222, head west.
Texas State Capitol Congress Avenue and 11th (512) 463-0063
Put your camera on the floor of rotunda... Read
more about the Capitol.
Other Texas Towns
Remember, Texas is big and most neighboring cities are quite a drive.
But if you want to try... Yahoo has pointers
to Texas attractions.
San Marcos 30 minutes south in I-35 Outlet
shopping
San Antonio 90 minutes south on I-35 The Alamo, restaurants
along the River Walk downtown, old Spanish mission churches
Houston 3 hours east on Hwy 290 Johnson Space Center,
lots of shopping
Lake Charles, LA 5 hours east on Hwy 290/I-10 Gambling
Dallas 4 hours north on I-35 A Zoo, the Cowboys, shopping
Laredo and Laredo Nuevo 4 hours south on I-35 Border
town, with shopping and Mexican food and cheap kahlua. You can cross the
border without a passport, but bring a driver's license.
Corpus Cristi 4 hours south on I-35 and small highways
Beach, an aircraft carrier, seafood, Bay fishing
South Padre Island 8 hours south on small highways Beach
Other Austin Info Sources