I so wanted to be with everyone at Netroots Nation and get the chance to meet and speak with so many of the wonderful folks here whom I read your posts several time daily.
My mother was in a terrible accident, so I have had to instead hit the road to go and be with her. I always feel like I am in a strange and unknown country whenever I have to leave Austin and head to other areas of Texas now.
Anyway, I hope Net Roots is a huge and wonderful success and that you enjoy our fun and beautiful blue oasis in a sea of red, even with the even hotter than usual weather. A few thoughts for leisure time below.
Early mornings or late evenings, a walk or jog along Lady Bird Lake at the South end of downtown is always great. If you are feeling especially robust, you can rent a kayak or canoe. Just South of downtown, there is Zilker Park and Barton Springs pool, a spring fed pool that stays cool year round, even in the heat of summer.
Of course, the nightlife and restaurants you can wander into downtown. One of my new favorites is Bess Bistro on West 6th that Sandra Bullock opened. For those seeking gay places, there are several places around 4rth and 5th street and Lavaca – Oil Can Harry’s and Rain on 4rth and Rainbow Cattle Company (Country and Western) on 5th. There is also Charlie’s near the Capital.
At Lamar and 6th Street, Book People is a large, fun and still locally owned bookstore.
A fun visit is Toy Joy on Guadalupe neat the U.T. campus and the campus itself is beautiful to walk through. There is fun shopping and eating on Congress South of downtown. Ten Thousand Villages is a must. It is a non-profit run store front that features arts and crafts from around the world wherein the artisans and craftspeople have been paid a fair wage for their work. You can cool off at Amy’s Ice Cream, an Austin original with some of the best ice cream ever! Nearby, you can find Two Unemployed Democrats -- www.seeyageorge.com.
If you have a rental car and have any spare time, take Loop 1 (also know as Mopac) either South to Highway 71 and then West on 71 or North to RM 2222 and West on 2222 for some scenic hill country driving. Off of 2222, you can also take Mt. Bonnell (we call our hills mountains here). If you go in the evening, you can park at Mt. Bonnell Park and take a steep set of steps to the top, where you can look out on the lights of downtown and U.T. as well as Lake Austin.
There are tons of terrific restaurants -- too many to even start listing here but check the web or guidebooks for information. Grab some Tex-Mex for a guilty but delicious meal.
There is so much fun to see and do and I know you probably will not have a lot of spare time, so I think I will stop here.
Again, welcome to Austin and I wish I were with you!