Austin Texas Info??

“What's the word on the surrounding area? I am looking into making this area my home base when I retire in about 2 years.”

“Austin City Limits on PBS was filmed there. ;-)
last edited: 11/06/07 1:03:10 PM”

“Yeah, thanks buddy!”

“Just don't move next door to my Texan relatives, unless you want some one to try and convince you to become a Mormon.”

“If they let me speak on my Catholic religion for 1/2 an hour they will get the same consideration from me. Not one Morman has taken me up on the offer! Ha ha ha!!!”

“I hear Bob Wills is still the king.”

“Mountains? No.
Winter? Not much.
Rivers? yes
Nightlife? yes!
College town? yes
Hot? yes in summer, muggy too.
Proximity to public lands? Not much.
Economic Development? going strong!
Home of the Longhorns and Lance Armstrong”

“Thanks, I will be traveling through the summer and based there in the winter. I've also heard it's a leader in green tech.

I love that site.”

“I love that town. Its a little overgrown, but still a great city. I miss it.”

“Tango -

Austin is a great town! I'm married to a Longhorn - actually a Jersey girl who went to college at UT. The people are really nice and it is a college town with lots of stuff to do - plenty of outdoor activities like Lake Travis to the NW (check out Hippie Hollow for some interesting scenery). A bit hot and humid in the Summer for my taste but pretty nice when it's cold in the northeast.”

“Tango-

Lived there for 6 years until Sept. '92. Austin was a great place. I lived outside the city limits in NW Travis County in the hill country, but heard it's been annexed by the city. I've also heard that it's grown quite a bit since I've been gone.

Hot in the summer, hardly any snow in winter, no real change of season other than temp. Great city, lots to do.”

“My family lives in Round Rock, just north of Austin. I worked for 13 years in Austin. It's my town. It's a green town, lots of hike/bike trails around it. Lake Travis just west in the hill country, some great parks around town, lots to do there. If you want a bit less bustle, go north to Round Rock or even up Hwy 79 toward Taylor and commute the back roads into town. My wife's family lives in Thorndale, a farming community 45 miles NE, and the drive in is easy, scenic, and about 45 minutes.
You have a lot of options around Austin.”

“My condolences. I avoid it as much as possible.

We have a slow moving internet group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimpleHikersInTexas/

We get together and go backpacking a few times a year. We are really far from any good backpacking spots, but there are a few not-so-good spots close.”

“hummm - sounds like Tango would fit right into that group ;-)”

“I have visited Austin a few times and loved it.

I wouldn't hesitate to move there. If you like music, Austin has it!”

“My plan is to sell the campground in 2ish years and base myself somewhere warm in the winter, possibly doing what I call a slow flip. Buy a rundown house and rehab it (in the winter only) and sell it after owning for 2 years to avoid cap gains tax. And in the summer travel and hike (mostly in the SW). So I really don't want to live IN Austin but somewhere near there, depends on the real estate market.

Thanks for all the info, I really needed personal opinions and info from trusted friends who have been there.

YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!”

“Austin has grown too fast and the real estate market is a joke - too many Californians with a couple mil in hand looking to move in. San Antonio or Waco would prolly suit you better.”

“Whacko?? I think I visited San Antonio years ago.

Thanks Toejam.”

“If Austin is too big, how about San Marcos? Or New Braunfels http://www.newbraunfels.com/
;-D

San Antonio too big for me, better than Houston or Dallas, though. Waco eh. I'd rather be in Austin.
last edited: 11/08/07 1:27:48 PM”

“You might like Las Cruces New Mexico. Check it out.”

“I am not looking at living IN Austin, but in the neighboring areas. Pflugerville, Round Rock something creek (I can't recall the name). I do appreciate all the info. I will have to go and drive around.”

“Check out the Salt Lick Barbeque if you go to Austin.”

“I most certainly will!”

“My best man just moved to Austin three months ago and he loves it. Tons of art, music, and culture and great weather. It was snowing here and he called me to tell me he was getting in the pool. Course you're in Florida so it'll probably be colder for you. I'm gonna visit it sometime in Feb or Mar for a long weekend. Three of my other friends visited him and liked it so much they live there now too.”

“That would be Brushy Creek in Round Rock. My mom lives on the Brushy..........
last edited: 11/08/07 4:05:25 PM”

“+1 for the Salt Lick...the best bbq I've ever had. As a native Tennessean that's not easy for me to admit.

http://www.saltlickbbq.com/”

“One of my climbing partners just moved to Denver from Austin - he really liked it there - course, he was a college kid.”

“Cool, I'm going to visit the area sometime soon.

Chappy, thanks.

Dub, I'd be interested in what the weather is like when you visit. (Also I moved, bought a campground in northern AZ. Cold winters HATE THE WINTERS HERE!)

Thanks for the link LLH.

You're a climber now?? Cool!”

“LOL, I know you hate cold! I remember you at Ithaca sitting by the fire with a heave sweater on - in JULY! LMAO!!!

yeah, took up climbing this summer - it ROCKS! Kept me from hiking much, but I still got in several bagnights over the summer.”

“It was chilly! I wasn't the only one either~! That is a GREAT new sport to take up!! I have a bag night this year!”

“WOO HOO!!!! You GO!”

“Tango, I'm here now, and as you requested...the weather is wonderful...around 70F, jeans and a tshirt.

I also have to give a +1 for the Salt Lick BBQ. It is the best BBQ I've ever eaten. So as far as food goes Austin has the best BBQ place and Glacier, MT has the best ribeye ever made.

I'm here through the weekend just exploring and hanging out. Gonna check out some of the parks and do some geocaching tomorrow.

Anyone else around this area right now?”

“Not this week (I'm up near Ft. Worth). I went trail running at Dinosaur Valley today.

My favorite hiking spot near Austin is Lake Georgetown.

Enjoy this great weather!”

“I'm heading for Round Rock Thursday. We have friends there and love it there. We like to leave the Tennessee cold behind for a few weeks and go to Texas. We usually go in mid-February, but got tied up this year. It's a bit of a drive, but Big Bend is a fantastic place for camping and hiking. In March Big Bend will be covered with Spring Breakers. But April and early May are great times to go to Big Bend.

Texas has a lot of great State Parks, but the hiking in the State Parks and Smokies is much better in Tennessee.

We will probably make a brief visit to South Padre Island (about 300 miles) after the Spring Breakers leave. You can hike on the beach for miles.

Texas is a no-income-tax state like Florida, but the property taxes and sales taxes are high. Like Florida, there is no sales tax on food. We'd live near Austin if we didn't have family in Tennessee.

It is hot there, but coming from Florida, you won't have a problem. The humidity is much less than Florida. It takes us a week or so to adapt after leaving Tennessee if we go in the middle of the summer.

There is definitely hiking in Texas than Florida. But the lakes are great in the Austin area.”

“Well here I am having moved to sunny hot Austin. Seems like a nice place so far!”

“boiled crawfish”

“You moved? As in relocated? Job or just a change of pace? Last I heard (I know some people, lol) you were tipping pints in Maine.”

“lol, I moved from Maine to Texas - little bit of a change!”

“I would think that's more than a little change!”

“Hangin' out with Willie and the Boys yet?”

“My what's hanging out Nible?”

“You'll fit in very well in Austin. Enjoy the coming summer.”

“why would anyone leave Maine?!”

“I didn't really want to go Twigeater - I loved Maine, but so so so much better opportunities in Austin. Maine economy is not really so hot.”

“Hangin' out means going out for a couple of beers, enjoying the night bar scene or just spending time together having a couple of beers and watching a game on t.v.

It may mean something different in California, j/k”

“Dang y2! I think you move more than I do!”

“lol Nimble - it was the willie thing I was joking about - ok a bad joke!

Hey LMG - tell me about it! I'm a bit pissed about leaving Maine, especially as spring had finally arrived and my fly fishing skills were improving - but it was the right decision in the long-term.

I think I'm moved about six times in the past seven years - I need to stay put for a while.

You're in Montana now right?”

“Y2,

Welcome to Texas

What part of Austin are you living in?”

“Yup ~ in Kalispell, Montana now! Great flyfishing around here if you ever get the chance. ;)

Bummer you aren't in Maine, we will be there for a couple of weeks in July.”