What to do While Biking through Austin

Bruce Porter, Austin resident since 1984

Adventure Cycling’s Southern Tier bike route includes a trip through Austin. Austin’s a great city, and here I’ve tried to pull together some of the highlights. I hope you have a great visit!

First, if you’re traveling the Southern Tier, I’d strongly recommend this alternate route between Austin and Bastrop.

Second, Adventure Cycling’s Austin map is a bit outdated. Their errata notes might already include these corrections, but just in case…

· The city's airport moved several years ago, and the current map shows the old (now closed) location. The new location is shown on the map as "Bergstrom Air Force Base". The airport is now called Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA).

· One of the recommended sites is the Library of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which I’m sure is nice, although I’ve never been. If you want to visit, check their webpage for the new address.

· Another recommended site is the Laguna Gloria Art Museum. Again, visit their webpage for the new downtown location.

Finally, here are my top picks for things to do in Austin:

· The heart and soul of Austin is Barton Springs – a large, spring-fed, natural pool near downtown. The water is always 68 degrees F – which is great in the summer.

· Just south of the springs is Barton Creek Green Belt, a very nice and technically challenging mountain bike trail.

· The University of Texas is home of several good museums: the LBJ Presidential Library, the State History Museum, and (opening 2/06) the Blanton Art Museum.

· The local hostel