Austin
Original NameWaterloo
Started HereWhole Foods
Population950,000

In many ways the hipster capital of the Lone Star State, Austin is an energetic, eclectic and relatively young city with plenty of excitement in store for visitors. Music is what many think about whenever they think Austin; this is after all the Live Music Capital of the World. Some of Texas’s best local bands play here first. With the University of Texas at Austin as part of the city landscape, Keeping Austin Weird has become a way of life. There is a reason this city is consistently ranked among the top places to live in the US. Austin has something for everyone. Beyond a cool downtown scene, visitors to Austin can also enjoy the outdoors. There is Lady Bird Lake, along with the Butler Hike and Bike Trail to help you keep active during your stay.

  • Austin City Limits

    Perhaps one of the biggest musical events to hit the city is the Austin City Limits Music Festival held in Zilker Park. Spring boarding off of the incredibly popularity of the ACL television show, the festival was created by the same people who developed Lollapalooza. With some of the biggest names in the industry playing, music lovers from around the world flock to Austin come festival time.

  • Sports

    This is a very energetic city. One of the main reasons: the Texas Longhorns. As members of the Big 12 Conference, they compete in several varsity sports, with two of the biggest being football and baseball. All told, they’ve won four National Football Championships and six baseball. Outside of the college action, Austin is a mecca for racing fans as the Formula 1 Grand Prix is located in the southern part of the city.

  • Food

    In large part because of its college town mentality, Austin is very much a food truck city. On any given day you can find everything from Korean BBQ to Gourmet Donuts with their over 1000 mobile dining spots. Food Court trailer parks seem to be popping up everywhere. And as far as drink, this is a craft brew kind of city, one of the top cities in the country for microbreweries.

  • SXSW

    South by Southwest is an annual festival of film, music, and business. The festival is held in March, and it brings international stars to see the latest in entertainment and business.

THE SEASONS
  • Winter is the slow tourism season, but the city still has plenty to do. From catching a Longhorns basketball game to hitting up one of the local breweries, you can always find something to do in this great city.

  • Spring and fall are the two busy seasons. South By Southwest is a major event that is held every March. April highs are right around 80 degrees.

  • Summers are a bit of a slow season as it is hot (highs in the mid to upper 90s).

  • Fall is another busy season with Austin City Limits happening in October. The school is back in session, and the Texas Longhorns football games are major events. October highs are in the low-80s.