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"What Not to Miss" driving Houston-Austin-San Antonio for 5 day visit

"What Not to Miss" driving Houston-Austin-San Antonio for 5 day visit

Old Jul 10th, 2014, 11:47 AM
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"What Not to Miss" driving Houston-Austin-San Antonio for 5 day visit

My husband and I are planning to fly into Houston and drive to Austin - then through Hill Country to San Antonio & return to Houston Airport in 5 days this September. We want to see what that part of Texas might be like for retirement 2 years down the road.... We are active and adventurous but not campers! What are the "don't miss this" sights we should take in while doing this visit?

Also, great areas outside of Austin to explore buying a home?

Thanks for any tips
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Old Jul 10th, 2014, 02:37 PM
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Five days is not enough time to sightsee over a large area AND decide if you want to retire there—especially if those five days include the days you fly in and out (in that case, you really have only three days). You might be able to sightsee some on the days you go to and from Houston.

Unless you are thinking of retiring in San Antonio, however, I would leave it out entirely. Same for the Hill Country unless there are towns you are exploring for retirement. You would have more time to look around if you just flew into and out of Austin and skipped Houston as well.

As far as "great areas outside of Austin"—what does that mean to you? Does it mean immediate metro area (Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, etc.)? Does it mean small cities (San Marcos, Temple/Belton/Killeen) in the area? Does it mean small towns (there are plenty within an hour or so of Austin)?

You need to be more specific about what you are looking for in a retirement home (and what you are NOT looking for) in order for people to direct you.

Rather than visiting museums and scenic wonders, you probably out to be checking out Austin traffic at various times of day, grocery stores, hospitals and clinics, and the kinds of places you think you would frequent in retirement (houses of worship, social or service clubs, restaurants, shopping, and such). Make an appointment with a real estate agent or other person who deals with relocation, too.

And on the political side, Austin is the most liberal city in Texas. That has not bled over into the suburbs and countryside, at least historically. If you want "blue" neighbors, go for the city. You are more likely to have "red" neighbors not only in the small towns but also in the close-in suburbs.
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Old Jul 10th, 2014, 04:37 PM
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Thanks, Cranachin! This is a vacation for us, so we don't want to spend a lot of time sorting neighborhoods right now. Coming from Wash. DC, traffic can't be anything near what we're used to here Just thought we'd get a feel for the Austin area. We have been to SAT twice before and thru the Hill Country but weren't thinking about buying a place then! With most flights connecting in IAH, we thought we might just drive from Houston to Austin to get more of a feel on the ground. We could leave out SAT but want to enjoy some sights and fun, too!
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Old Jul 10th, 2014, 06:26 PM
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beachies7500,

Driving from IAH to Austin will take at least 2.5 hours (if there's no traffic), and I'm not sure it will give you a "feel for the Austin area". It will give you a glimpse from your car windows of US 290 and what lies along it. You won't really be in the Austin area for at least the first 2/3 of the trip. (The Hill Country lies west of Austin, so you won't be going through it from Houston.)

Some of the places not to miss, sightseeing-wise, include

- Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum

- Texas State Capitol (taller than the US Capitol)

- LBJ Presidential Library (on the UT campus in Austin; if you fly into IAH you can also take a detour to Texas A&M in College Station for the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library)

- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (although September is not the best time to visit)

- Watch the bats fly out from the Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset

- There's also the LBJ Ranch in Johnson City, and the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg

- Eat barbecue. Some people on Fodor's (and locally) will tell you that you HAVE to go to the Salt Lick (in Driftwood, south of Austin). Frankly, I have never been impressed by it (I lived in Austin for 7 years in the late 90s/early 00s). There are other places I like much better, but of course taste is a personal thing. Just don't go to Rudy's!

Be sure to buy a copy of and read the Austin American-Statesman (the print editions of newspapers always have stuff that the Internet versions don't).

Watch the morning and/or evening local newscasts to see what the stories are and how they report them. Remember the late news is at 10, not 11!

Listen to KLBJ (590 AM/99.7 FM) for Mark, Ed, & Sgt. Sam (5-10 AM) and Jeff Ward (3-6, with Ed from 6-7). They will give you the real scoop on Austin.

Enjoy your vacation! I'm still not sure, though, how much more of a "feel on the ground" of Austin you will get, with respect to moving there, than a tourist in DC has of what it's like to live there.
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Old Jul 10th, 2014, 07:36 PM
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If you are looking to drive on 290 from houston to Austin I would suggest a brief stop in Brenham. And if you are coming in on a Saturday either Snow's BBQ in Lexington just east of Austin or Franklins BBQ any day but be prepared to wait but you meet some nice people and can ask about various things to do and neighborhoods at that time. Best BBQ IN TEXAS according to Texas Monthly magazine and Snow's was right behind them.

Someone suggested. College Station home of TEXAS A&M but during the summer it is completely different than most of the rest of the year and the library isn't worth a two hour plus detour with limited time.
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Old Jul 10th, 2014, 07:39 PM
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Just saw it is during September. If a weekend Aggie football game it is worth seeing if you are sports fans as it is considered a top ten atmosphere for college football.
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Old Jul 11th, 2014, 09:51 AM
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Glad to know I'm "someone", WickedGood!

I'm guessing you suggested the brief stop in Brenham so they can get some Blue Bell ice cream?
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Old Aug 4th, 2014, 12:52 PM
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Thank you, Cranachin & Wicked Good, for your insights. We are 2 years out from leaving the DC area -- but thinking down the road about retirement lifestyle Appreciate all the suggestions. We own a business here in DC, so that's another consideration in moving... busy summer season, so just now checking on your comments!
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Old Aug 5th, 2014, 06:44 AM
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I live in the D.C. area and if you are trying to get away from this awful traffic, don't plan to live in or near Austin. We have family there and my spouse would love to retire there, but the traffic just gets worse every time we go back to visit.

We have relatives who have retired to the Hill Country (Fredericksburg) and we really enjoy going to visit them there. Lots of nice neighborhoods within walking distance of the cute downtown area.

I've also been watching "Fixer Upper" on HGTV since we have family in the Waco area too. There are a lot of cute houses and neighborhoods in Waco and it's really grown for the better (without the bad traffic) over the years.
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Old Aug 5th, 2014, 09:14 AM
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If you make it to San Antonio, take one of the boat tours of the river and eat at Boudro's on the River Walk - they have great tableside guacamole and prickly pear margaritas. If you have time, Gruene is a great little town right on the river - the Grist Mill is a good place to eat, and they also have Texas' oldest dance hall there and lots of little shops. Right outside Austin is Salt Lick BBQ - very good brisket and a great Texas atmosphere. Austin has a nice botanical garden, and we like to do the boat tour to see the bats fly out at night. There are some pretty views from Mt. Bonnell. The Oasis out by the lake is a fun place for dinner and drinks - great sunset views and sometimes they have live music.

http://boudros.com/

http://www.saltlickbbq.com/pages/Driftwood.html

http://gristmillrestaurant.com/

http://oasis-austin.com/

It sounds like you won't make to Galveston unless you spend time in Houston, but Moody Gardens is a lot of fun. They have a rain forest pyramid, aquarium, etc. The Kemah Boardwalk and NASA are also good.

http://www.moodygardens.com/
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Old Aug 5th, 2014, 09:16 AM
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Agree about Aggie football games - fantastic atmosphere and lots of school spirit.

Houston is great, but traffic is some of the worst.
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