Arguably the coolest city in America, Austin is an inspiringly diverse mixture. One part small-town retro and another part Silicon Valley-lite, the Texan capital is tough to pin down; a picture-perfect common ground for 1960s hipsters, rodeo riders and internet entrepreneurs alike. It’s also a city on the up. Founded on the Colorado river back in 1839, Austin has been home to the University of Texas since 1883. From these collegial beginnings a socially-conscious, forward-thinking city has grown and judging from the recent population boom, people simply can’t get enough. And now Austin boasts its very own Formula One circuit on its south-eastern outskirts. The first-ever purpose-built Formula One facility in the US, the Circuit of The Americas is a 20-turn, anticlockwise, gradient-changing addition to the F1 calendar.
The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which is situated five miles southeast of the centre, services the city. Buses run into town every 40 minutes or so, although all the usual smaller shuttles, taxis and rental cars are easily available too. Once in the city itself you won’t struggle to find public transport to suit your needs, with buses and pedicabs amongst the most popular choices. Sample some great food. Be it the finger-licking barbecue on offer at the Salt Lick BBQ, the curried crabcakes at the Clay Pit, the burgers at Casino el Camino or the excellent street food and authentic Tacos on offer around town. City-wide, you’ll spy bumper stickers and t-shirts affirming the officially unofficial slogan of ‘Keep Austin weird’ and there are certainly plenty of oddities to keep even the most inquisitive minds flummoxed. From visiting the colony of bats that occupy the city’s Congress Avenue Bridge to taking a tour around the Museum of Emphmerata, you won’t be stuck for something unusual to do. In
Austin, weird is certainly wonderful but there’s plenty more traditional tourist attractions to enjoy including the Capitol Building, the nightlife of Sixth Street, the beautiful Governor’s mansion and the Austin Children’s Museum. With a lot of lush green space and a lovely climate, Austinites are outdoorsy folk so join in and find time to sample the hike-and-bike trails along Lady Bird Lake, swimming at Barton Springs or the Deep Eddy Pool, or boating on Lake Travis.