Transportation:

How to get to Austin:

ABIA - Austin Bergstrom International Airport - formerly Bergstrom Air Force Base, now know as ''Pickle Port''.

America West, 1-800-235-9292
American Airlines, 1-800-433-7300
Continental Airlines, 512-477-6716
Delta, 1-800-221-1212
Frontier, 1-800-432-1359
Northwest, 1-800-225-2525
Southwest, 1-800-435-9792
TWA, 1-800-221-2000
United, 1-800-241-6522
Vanguard, 1-800-826-4827

AmTrak Train - on the ''Texas Eagle'' Line
Serves: Chicago, St. Louis, Little Rock, Dallas - Fort Worth , San Antono, Los Angeles.
See Schedule .PDF file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Greyhound Bus

Automoblie - please bring your natural gas, electric, or solar powered car get map

Bicycle - ask Lance Armstong - Three Time Tour de France Champion.

Hitchhike - Remember to use your thumb!

Hot Air Balloon - if you just happen to land here, check the jetstream.

Lighter-Than-Air
Sundance Balloons

Yellow Submarine - limited seating, book in advance.

Rental Cars:

AAA Auto Rent 512-416-7557
Ace Rent a Car 512-386-6565
Alamo 800-327-9633
Avis 800-831-2847 at ABIA 512-530-3400
Advantage Rent-A-Car 512-388-3377
Budget 800-527-0700 ABIA 512-530-3350
Capps vans and cars 512-323-0003
Day 512-442-5503
Hertz 800-654-3131 ABIA 512-530-3600
Rent a Wreck - Cedar Park - 512-282-2612
Rent a Wreck - Manchaca Road 512-441-9609
Rent a Wreck - Manor Road - 512-474-6571
Rent a Wreck - Research Blvd. 512-836-9292
Thrifty Car Rental ABIA 512-530-6811
Dollar 800-800-4000 ABIA 512-530-7368
National 800-227-7368 ABIA 512-530-3550
Universal door to door service 512-835-9305

Local Public Transportaion:

Capital Metro Bus Service - Free Dillo Service Downtown - Routes, Schedules, and Maps 512-474-1200>.

The Yellow Bike Project - Grab one and ride it, good luck!
See also Red Bike Project info. Dane Co., WI. and the Austin Chronical Article - Yellow Bikes.

Cabs and Taxis: 1-800-TAXICAB

Ace Taxi 512-244-1133
American Yellow Checker Cab Co. 512-452-9999 *best
Austin Cab 512-478-2222
Roy's Taxi 512-482-0000
Yellow Cab Express 512-255-9990

Climate:

The Climate is Temperate.
300 Days of Sunshine Annually.
Average Temperature 72°F (winter 42°F-62°F, summer 75°F-95°F)
Average Annual Rainfall 32.49 inches
Snowfall is rare, Ice Storms are infrequent but do happen every few years.

For Up-To-The-Minute Weather Forecasts in the Greater Austin Area check these Local Television Stations:

KTBC FOX 7 Weather
KVUE 24 Weather
KXAN-TV 36 Weather
K-EYE 42 Weather

Language:

English is generally spoken in public.
Spanish is a common secondary language.
German is common in most areas South of Austin and North of San Antonio.
All Public Documents are in both English and Spanish.
Dialect specific is ''The Texas Draw...'' pronounced ''drawl...''
J's are usually pronounced as H's. H's are sometimes silent and O's are sometimes pronounced as A's.
Texan's say ''You'all...'' NOT ''You Guys...''
The Standard Greetings are ''Howdy!'' in person, and ''Ola'' by telephone.

Lodging:

There are plenty of Hotels downtown and several Motels along the I-35 corodore; also a few Guest Houses amd Hostiles can be easily found. Just make sure there is not a Longhorn Football game on the weekend because the rooms fill to capacity quickly during major events like this and the South by Southwest Music Festival. Here are a few favorite spots to crash for the night:

Hyatt Regency on Town Lake - 5 Stars, 512-477-1234, 800-233-1234
Holiday Inn on Town Lake - 4 1/2 Stars
Double Tree - Capital Area 3 Stars
Driskell Hotel - Built by Texas Cattle Baron Hessee Driskell in 1886, East 6th at 604 Brazos 512-474-5911.
The Omni - 3 Stars
Marriott -
The Radisson - Downtown
La Quinta Inn - Downtown 1 Star

For a more detailed list see SXSW-Hotels.

Camping:

America's Campground - formerly KOA on South I-35 with RV hook-ups.
McKenny Falls - On McKenny Road South of East Hwy. 71 close to ABIA.
Lake Travis - Several public sites that start at $5 per day, close to Austin.
Lake Bastrop - A nice lake and State Park 40 miles east of town, great fishing!

Resturants:

There are a pleather of resturants and dining establishments in Austin to experiance. The cousine ranges from the standard local Tex-Mex to exotic fare, don't forget that Texas Bar-B-Q. Here are a few favorite hot spots:

County Line one the Lake - Bar-B-Que
Carlos and Charlies on the Hill
Fonda San Miguel - Fine Cuisine from Old Mexico.
Threadgills - The Southwest's Standard, 6416 North Lamar
The Olive Garden - Italian, 2 locations

Breakfast:
The Red River Cafe - on Medical Arts, right off of Red River
The Omlettry - 4811 Burnet Road

Fast Food:
Airport Cafe - on Airport Blvd. just West of I-35
Dan's Hamburgers - 3 locations
Fran's Hamburgers - 2 locations
Schlotzky's - famous sour dough sandwiches, and pizza; several locations
Thundercloud Subs - 24 locations last count

Delivery:
Th Unversity Area - lot's of specialty deliveries, check the phone book.
Chinese Food - small service areas, check the phone book for one near you.

Pizza:
Pizza Hut - 512-444-4444
Mr. Ghatti's -
Papa Johns -
Dominoes - 512-476-7181

Entertainment:

The Capital Area Complex and The Governor's Mansion

Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum

The Unversity of Texas Tower Tour

6th Street - 100+ bars, clubs, and resturants see map.

Gay/Lesbian Bars - at least a dozen

The Hill Country Flyer - the actual steam engine is out for repairs at this time, but the train still runs from Austin to Burnett.

Lone Star Riverboat - Docked between the Congress and South First Street bridges on the south shore - Departure schedule: June through August, Tuesday through Sunday at 5:30 p.m., Friday Moonlight Cruise at 10:30 p.m.; September through November, Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. info: 512-3271388.

Music:

Austin Rocks - Austin Band Directory

South by Southwest Music and Film Festival SXSW

Jazz and Blues Festival

Selected Dates Only:

Pecan Street Art Festival

The Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival

Eeyore's Birthday Party

First Splash / Last Splash Day(s) - at Hippie Hollow

Auquafest - 2 weeks at Auditorium Shores

Blues on the Green - FREE Wednesday Night Concerts in the Park

Travis County Fair

Ice Bats - Austin's Hockey Team

Round Rock Express - Austin's Baseball Team

Texas Longhorns - Football, Basketball, etc.

Halloween Bash - On East 6th Street, draws 60,000-100,000 people.

Zilker Hillside Theatre -

Breweries and Wineries:
Tito's Homemade Vodka
Shiner Bock - Shiner, Texas
Live Oak Brewing - Web site comming soon...
Fall Creek Vinyareds - San Antonio

... and many more local Austin micro-breweries and pubs.

After Hours:
International House of Pancakes - North I-35 at Hwy. 183 (Breakfast Served 24/7)
Dorsett 221 Truck Stop - Exit 221 on I-35, just South of Austin near Buda, Full Service. (Food Served 24/7)
Doc's One Stop Truck Stop- Exit 275 on I-35 just North of Austin in Jarrell, Full Service, with Scales, CB Radio Repair Shop, and The Best Chicken Fried Steak!
Mojo's - Coffee House on the North end of The Drag with high speed computer connections. (24/7)
Le Fun - Video Game Arcade, 2200 Guadalupe, open until 4-5am (Depending on the day of the week).
Convienent Stores - Everywhere!
360 Overview - Nice view of the Austin Skyline, on The Capital of Texas Highway, North of the Pennybacker Bridge and South of the Wild Basin Preserve.
Pale Face Park - Sleep it off until the sun comes up, West Hwy. 71 Lake Travis (No charge if you leave before the Park Ranger gets to work)

Famlies and Kids:

1.25 Million Mexican Free-Tailed Bats - see also The Bat Conservatory Page

The Austin Zoo - You Gotta See Austin Zoo!

Zilker Botanical Gardens

Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum - for open minded famlies, some statues are nude.

The Natural History Museum - FREE

The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum - with I-Max Theater

The Lady Byrd Johnson Wildflower Research Center

Zachary Scott Theatre Center - Preforming Arts

Austin Childrens Museum - Interactive Childrens Museum, changing and permanent exibits.

The Austin Symphony

Laguna Gloria Art Museum - Close to Mount Bonnell.

Treaty Oak - where according to legend treaties with the Indians were signed.

Austin has its own professional symphony, ballet and opera companies; dozens of theaters, dance companies, vocal ensembles, and orchestras producing events year-round. Art museums, galleries galore and beautiful gardens replete with sculptures ease and please the eye with so many enticing shapes and colors.

Recreation:

More than 100 Swimming Holes

Barton Springs Pool - 65°F year round!

The Highland Lake Chain - including the Hippie Hollow Nude Beach.

14,300 Acres of Parks including 7,566 Public Acres.

Plenty of Hiking and Biking Trails

Austin Parks and Recreation Department Preserves

Mount Bonnell - 99 steps to 785 feet above sea level, highest point in the city limits, great sunsets!

Wind Surfing - At Lake Travis, Windy Point.

Golf Courses - Including The Barton Creek Resort and Country Club .

Austin's Most Secret Spots:
McKenny Mill - A Waterfall hid in the woods just a few feet North for ABIA, don't tell where!
Spyglass and Cambells Hole - Use Spyglass Hike and Bike Access, walk North about a quarter of a mile.
Twin Falls - At the 360 trun around, follow the trail about a quarter of a mile West.

Also in the Golden Triangle Area:

Theme Parks etc.:
Astroword - Houston
Six Flags over Texas - Arlington, Dallas-Ft. Worth
The Alamo - San Antonio
The San Antonio Zoo - San Antonio
Sea World - San Antonio
Schliterbahn Water Park- New Braunfels

The Third Coast:
Galveston Island and Beach
Padre Island and Beach

Shopping:

Barton Creek Mall
Lakeline Mall
North Cross Mall - The Ice Skate Rink is no longer there, closed on Aug. 31, 2001.
South Congress - Some quaint eclectic businesses here.
The Drag - on Guadalupe between MLK and 26th street, favorite hangouts for College types.

Megamarts:
Sam's Wholesale Club
Walmart - Chinese supplied American Consumables / 24 hrs.
Home Depot - Home and Hardware / 24 hrs.

Groceries:
Albertsons
Food Land
Fiesta
HEB
Randalls

Higher Education:

The University of Texas at Austin
Huston-Tillotson College
St. Edward's University
Concordia University at Austin
Southwest Texas State University
Austin Community College - microchip design
Southwestern University

Military:

Bergstrom AFB - Closed! Now Austin Bergstrom International Airport ABIA, you can still see the Command Complex now serving as a hotel.

Camp Mabry - State Post located on Loop 1 has a small PX and a Military Museum, also some static aircraft.

Fort Hood - Located 40 miles to the North in between Kileen and Temple, Texas.

San Antonio Air Force Bases: - 70 miles to the South.

Brooks AFB
Randolph AFB - public web site
Lackland AFB - map - Wilford Hall Medical Complex
Kelly AFB - Closed! Now Private Aircraft Production and Cival Research.

Government and Related Information:

The United States of America - First Government
The State of Texas
Texas Online
Texas Lottery Comission
Travis County
The City of Austin
The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau

Austin Maps:

Street Level Maps:
Map Quest
Map Blast

Austin Specific Maps:
Austin Chamber of Commerce Map Locator
Austin Area Map
Austin Bicyle Maps
Bike Routes in Central Austin - Clickable Map
Capital Metro Maps
The Unvisity of Texas at Austin Campus Maps
Dillo Map - Downtown
Downtown Austin Destinations
Downtown Jam - Construction and Detours
Downtown Austin Map- basic
Downtown Austin Map - detailed
Uptown Austin Map
East 6th Street
Warehouse District
Top 40 Employers
Libraries
The Austin Zoo
ABIA Airport Maps
An Old Austin Area Aeronautical Map
Xerox PARC Map Viewer for Austin, Texas
Firestations
Land Areas/ Planning Maps
Austin Planametric Map 1985
East Austin Topographical Map
Austin Geographic Information System (GIS) - Start Page
Travis County Plat Maps - Search!
Austin Outside Recreation & Activity Guide Map
w/ Town Lake Hike and Bike Trails

Employment:

Austin's Top 40 Employers:

1. University of Texas at Austin
2. Dell Computer Corp.
3. Motorola, Inc.
4. City of Austin
5. Austin ISD
6. HEB Grocery Co.
7. Seton Healthcare
8. IBM Corp.
9. IRS/Austin Center
10. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
11. Solectron Texas
12. Round Rock ISD
13. Wal-Mart Stores
14. Travis County Government
15. Applied Materials
16. Texas Department of Transportation
17. United States Postal Service
18. Austin Community College
19. Southwest Texas State University
20. Texas Department of Health
21. Texas Dept. of Mental Health & Mental Retardation
22. Texas Department of Public Safety
23. Southwestern Bell Telephone
24. Saint David's Healthcare
25. Texas Department of Human Services
26. Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
27. Kent Electronics
28. Randall's Food and Pharmacy
29. Faulkner Construction Company
30. Texas Attorney General's Office
31. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
32. Texas Workforce Commission
33. Girling Health Care
34. Leander ISD
35. 3M Austin
36. National Instruments, Inc.
37. Tivoli Systems, Inc.
38. Southern Union Gas
39. MCI Services
40. McDonald's

Media and Publications:

The Austin American Statesman - Newspaper
The Austin Chronical - Weekly Free Newspaper
The Daily Texan - The University of Texas at Austin Newspaper
Austin Business Journal - Magazine
Austin News - Free Weekly Classified Ads
Texas Radio Stations
This Week in Texas TWIT - Gay/Lesbian - No longer published? Still online.
Time Warner Cable

Radio:
590AM KLBJ - News and Sports, Weather and Traffic Information, ABC Radio Network
970 AM KIXL - Religion and Talk
1370 AM K-Juice Rock and Blues hits, Oldies

88.1 FM Candle 88 - Contemporary Christian Music
89.5 FM KMFA - Classical Music
90.5 FM NPR - National Public Radio
91.7 FM KVRX - Campus radio station of the University of Texas at Austin
92.1 FM KICK 92 - Contemporary Country
93.3 FM K-Jazz - Contemporary Jazz
93.7 FM KLBJ - Rock and Roll (web cam on site)
94.7FM Mix 94.7Adult Contemporary Music
95.5 FM Majic 95 - Soft Hits
96.7 FM KHFI - Top 40
101.5 FM 101X - New Rock Alternative
101.7FM KASE 101 - Country Music
102.3 FM Z102 - Rock tunes from the 60s, 70s and 80s
107.1 FM KGSR - Adult Album Alternative Music

BrainWash - Progressive Rock, Internet 'Real Audio' Only.

Broadcast Television:
2 NBC KPRC - * Houston
2 UPN San Antonio - * channel 2 depends on propagation conditions
3 - San Antonio
4 - San Antonio
5 KENS - San Antonio
6 Kileen / Bryan-College Station * - Depending on the conditions & FM Band interference
7 FOX KTBC - Austin
8 (San Antonio) * - weak signal
9 KRV9 Daily Texan - student TV - UT Austin Campus Area, low power
10 - San Antonio
11 PBS - San Antonio
12 - San Antonio
13 KVC - UPN Austin
18 PBS KLRU - Austin - Tapes Austin City Limits
20 GEMS - in Spanish
24 ABC KVUE -Austin
26 TBN - Christian Programing
30 Univision - in Spanish
35 WB KRRT Independent - San Antonio
36 NBC KXAN -Ausitn
42 CBS KEYE - Austin
46 - weak signal
49 - Sister Station of KNVA Austin
54 WB KNVA Independent - Austin
65 Telemundo KGBS - in Spanish
67 Shop at Home

TV on Satellite and Cable from Austin:
Austin News 8
The Austin Music Network

Online Web Cams:

Fox 7 Tower Cam
KEYE Cams - Newsroom(s)
Buzzcams - Austin
WebCams & Radar from Austin, Texas, USA - Nice itmWEB shot here.
New Home Web Cam
The Alamo - San Antonio, not too up to date.
Surf Cam - Surfside, Texas with Surfing Reports.

Astronomy:

Current Sky Map for Austin, Texas
McDonald Observatory - Fort Davis, Texas

Telescopes on Campus at the University of Texas at Austin:
Painter Hall - Open to the public Friday and Saturday nights.
R.L.M. Hall - Open to the public on Wednesday night.

Photos of Austin:

Austin Visions - Portrait of life in Austin.
Gutter Tribe - Austin chronical article and images.
Rheinheimer, Mike - Photos, images, and pictures of UT Austin, South Carolina, Big Bend National Park, and many other places and things.
Austin Photos - Wild World or Roads and Highways.

Texas Links:

No Place Like Texas - Texas links and Information.

Trivial and Useless Facts about Austin: (Folklore)

Austin's Sister Cities are >Adelaide, Australia; Koblenz, Germany; Lima, Peru; Maseru, Lesotho; Oita City, Japan; Old Orlu, Nigeria; Saltillo, Mexico; Taichung City, China; Xishuangbanna, China; and Kwangmyoung, Korea.

The Congress Bridge is at Burleson Park on the South Side of ABIA. (So don't be confused between that one; and the one the Bats live under.)

''Boy's Town'' circa 1890's in now ''The Warehouse District'' circa 1990's'. (Historical links provided when I find them again.)

The Drikill Hotel is Haunted!

The Portal to Another Dimention can be seen from the end of San Gabriel Street if you walk a few feet down the hill and look across Lamar Blvd. at night. (Indian Cliff Dwellings?)

If you toss three coins in the fountain at the University of Texas, you are sure to return to a better parking place next time.

U.T. Law Students play Ping Pong, and Ping Pong is the Law.

The Encyclopædia Britannica is illegal to possess in Texas because it contains recipes on how to brew beer. (TRUE!)

It is also illegal to milk your neighbors cow.

There is usually a dollar in the pocket of the bronze sculpture at Barton Springs Pool. If it's not there put it back or don't go swimming in the pool.

Leave a Rose on Stevie Ray's Statue and you will find True Love.
Strum his guitar and you will be safe while in Austin.
Stevie is looking for the Armadillo World Headquaters.

Emergency Services:

Dial 911 for Fire (Boberos), Police (Polcía), Ambulance (Alguaci), or Sheriff (Alguacil).
Dial 311 for non-emergency and non-life threatening related issues.

POISON CENTER (Envenenamiento) 1-800-764-7661 (1-800-POISON-1)

Starflight - Helicopters that Serve all of Central Texas.
Brackenridge Hospital - On Red River Downtown. (Children's and Public Hospital)
Seaton Healthcare - Hospital on 38th Street.
St. David's Hospital - On Red River just North of Brackenridge Hospital, several secondary locations. (Private)
Travis County Health Service - Indagent Care.
Texas Department of Public Service - State Police.
Travis County Sheriff's Office - County Police.
Austin Police Department - City Police.
Austin Fire Department - Some surrounding areas are served by Volenteer Fire Departments.

Bail Bonds: - Just in Case...

Bail Bond Information 512-930-3040

Ace Bail Bond 512-481-1178
Longhorn Bailbonds 512-476-2409
Freedom Bail Bonds - Surrounding Counties Willianson, Burnet, and Bell 512-930-3040 or 800-766-7002