Austin / San Antonio Trip
 

My wife and I retired in 2007, and are looking to relocate, probably at a Del Webb community. There's one in Austin (Georgetown, actually), and another in San Antonio. So we're heading down later this month, spending 3 days in each city.

We'll spend some time at the DW places, but we'll have most of our time free. In San Antonio we're staying at the Radisson Hill Country, because DW gets a great rate there. And in Austin, we'll be staying at the Del Webb community itself.

We did the same thing last month in Arizona, and fell in love with one of the DW places there. I personally prefer the state of Texas to Arizona, and I want my wife to see it in its best light (she's never been there). The idea is to see if there's are places where we'd like to live, not just visit. Any help will be appreciated.

Just took a look at the Del Webb site to read about the San Antonio location near 1604 and 151. The site states it's, "a beautiful, unspoiled part of San Antonio."

Good thing you're coming here to see for yourself all the construction that's going on in this particular area. It once was unspoiled but the landscape is quickly changing. Should you find yourself stuck in grid-lock traffic in this area, particularly on 1604 near 151, fear not. The great toll meisters are headed this way to ease the congestion. Construction on that project begins end of 2009.

This area is experiencing a lot of growing pains and will continue to do so for awhile. From what I've read, San Antonio's real estate and commercial markets are not suffering in the current economy.

If you're willing to grow with the city it's an easy drive to downtown from there and someday the roads leading to I-10, which take you to the Hill Country, will be reachable with less aggravation.

Best wishes to you, I hope you find what you're looking for.

I think you and your wife will love Georgetown. It is a very nice area with a cute historic downtown. I looked at the Dell Webb site for Sun City (that's the name of the community in Georgetown) and one thing that stands out is that "Sun City is just minutes from Austin". That is not true unless you consider over a half hour to be minutes. They must not be talking about getting to downtown Austin. There are new toll roads that make the drive more pleasant though and just make sure you go to Austin (or leave Austin) during non rush hour times. And, when you do visit, try and stay off I-35 as much as possible. That road will make you not want to live here.

There are plenty of nice restaurants and shopping in Georgetown. Make sure you spend some time in the cute downtown area. For more shopping (and every chain store known to man) just go to Round Rock, which actually is just minutes from Georgetown.

Make sure you visit in the summer too. You'll need to see the weather here when it is hardest to take. I had no idea there was a Del Webb community in San Antonio until you mentioned it, and AnnMarie is right, that area is experiencing incredible growth right now, and the unspoiled is being spoiled as fast as they can manage it!

AustinTraveler...we just tried the 71/MOPAC/45 route for the first time this weekend. Would have worked well if, on the way north, we'd managed to get ON 71, rather than the service road and it's interminable red lights and we totally missed it on the way back south...getting off I-35 where 45/1 were signed, but it put us on a service road again and we never found MOPAC! :( We exited one exit too soon is all I can figure, taking <i>business</i> 45 and 1?? It is confusing if you aren't familiar with it.

Is 130 too far out of the way? After interminable delays in the Dallas Mixmaster 4 hours earlier (over a half hour to get through that), we were at each other's throats when we messed up the 45/1 exit and ended up circling back to I-35. I don't mind paying the toll if we can avoid the traffic on I-35--we just need to figure out which is best now, 130 or 71/MOPAC/45?

OO, I wish I could help you but I'm pretty confused about the toll roads too. I live near downtown and don't venture up to Georgetown or Round Rock often. The last time I went to IKEA (in Round Rock) I took Mopac (aka Loop 1) north to the new toll road (45) and then exited on 35 close to IKEA. On the way back home, I completely missed the exit to get back on the toll road and ended up taking 35 (yukk).

I haven't had a need to take 130 yet but from what I've seen of all the toll roads, there is no traffic at all so it has to be better than the regular highways. And as far as 71 in South Austin, I'm not surprised you missed that. The roads in South Austin are, in my opinion, incredibly confusing. I just stick to Mopac and try not to venture too far away.

I would go to the TXDot website and see if they have good maps to use for your next trip. Google and the other maps aren't updated with the toll roads yet. Good luck!

And Jimmy, I agree with OO about visiting in the summer too.

Thanks AustinTraveler--glad to know even residents can get confused by it! We had our Garmin going but poor Emily Garmin had never heard of the new highways evidently--she kept trying to recalculate our route and her map showed us driving through apparent fields. :)

130 goes much further north than 1/45, good planning for a change, and eventually you'll be able to get on it much further south of Austin as well. When that southern segment is done, it will be our preferred route around Austin...providing we can find it!

I just found a map that might help others, Jimmy too if he wants to get from Georgetown area to downtown Austin or vice versa. http://www.txtag.org/centex.php

We've got a Garmin too (we call her Garmie), and I was planning to let it ferry me around the area. I've got the latest maps loaded on it, but I don't know if Garmie can keep up with the road building going on.

You pointed out a problem with these Del Webb places, and others like them; they are big enough that they change the character of their area. We saw this in Arizona. I liked that the San Antonio one was actually in the town, but if it makes the area unbearable that's not exactly an advantage. We'll hopefully be smart enought to see the big picture.

We do plan to spend time in the &quot;bad&quot; season before we make any purchase decision. We're in Wisconsin, and a Texas summer can't be worse than a Wisconsin winter. Can it? Anyway, we're considering keeping our current home, although that's probably a pipe dream.

Any itinerary suggestions for the two cities, given that we're spending 3 days in each?

I love both places (heck, I love Texas in general!), but I esp. love the San Antonio culture... never seems to &quot;feel&quot; like a big city.

Of course you'll be on the Riverwalk, and La Villita is a critical part of that tour, esp. if there's something going on at the Arneson! But take the King William portion of the riverwalk, too, and do not miss having breakfast at the Guenther House (Pioneer Flour Mill).

From there, you might drive the old mission trail--it's a national park signposted driving tour that will give you the real flavor of the city's culture. If you're there on Sunday, you can attend the mariachi mass at Mission San Jose.

Shopping at the Quarry or renting a paddle boat in Breckenridge Park or browsing through El Mercado are all great pasttimes, and if there's a performance at the Majestic (downtown), don't miss the chance to see the theater!

There is almost too much to do to even give you a start on ideas. My best idea to see the Alamo: go to the Hyatt from the Riverwalk level, go into and through the lobby, following the waterfalls, go out the other side and keep following the water until you come out at the top of the steps and voila! The Alamo, quite spectcular at night but impressive anytime.

I need a trip to San Antonio soon!

Thank you, Ann!

Hi Jimmy,

Here are some things not to miss in Austin:

Head downtown and visit the Capitol building and grounds. If you enjoy museums, check out Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. There's an IMAX theater there and if you've never been, it's a must. Another new museum is the Blanton Museum of Art. Both are very close to the Capitol.

Also downtown is Whole Foods. Yes, this is a grocery store but trust me it's not to be missed. It's the flagship store and WF's headquarters.

More history can be found on Sixth Street at the Driskill Hotel. This is a beautiful hotel and would be a great place for lunch or snack. Great for dinner too but very pricey. The rest of Sixth Street is Austin's version of Bourbon Street.

Nice shops and restaurants can be found in the Second Street area. Funky shops can be found along South Congress. Check it all out and get a good feel for the differences that can be found here.

If you enjoy walking, check out the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail. It's where you'll find me in about an hour (LOL!). Actually, the lake has been renamed Ladybird Lake but everyone still calls it Town Lake.

For nice scenery, check out Mt. Bonnell, just north of downtown. You have to walk up about 100 steps to get to the top but the views of the hills and Lake Austin are great. Drive along 2222 and 360 for great views of the hills. You'll swear you're not in Texas. If one of your days is a warm sunny one (it was 80 the day before yesterday), definitely head out to the Oasis on Lake Travis. The views are spectacular and you'll take tons of pictures.

Lastly, check out Georgetown and it's cute downtown. Remember, that's where the community is and that's where you'll end up spending most of your time. If your wife needs a shopping break, there is an outlet mall in Round Rock.

Please report back and let us know how your trip went and what your thoughts are on both places. Have fun!!

Thanks, AustinTraveler. That is very helpful. We shop at the local Whole Foods, so if possible we will visit the &quot;mother ship.&quot; But I thought I'd heard that the Oasis burned down?

I just realized we will be in Texas for the (I hope) Packers vs. Cowboys game. That will be weird. Winner gets to lose to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

And I promise to write a trip report!

Hi Jimmy,

Yes, the Oasis did burn but it is back and more beautiful than ever. Unfortunately, the menu hasn't improved but we just stick with chips, salsa and queso, and drinks, of course!

Jimmy, I quite forgot a really good introduction to Texas in general is in downtown San Antonio... the Institute of Texan Cultures. It's more of an experience than a museum, and the theater in the round is a very nice show. The Folk Life Festival in June is outstanding. You can get info at www.texancultures.utsa.edu/.

I definitely agree with OO and Austin traveler... I'm used to Fla humidity (which is the real problem) so the San Antonio temps/humidity is SOP for me, but it can be oppressive if you're not used to it. Even I can't take Gruene Hall (between SA and Austin) in the summer, much as I love the town and the dancehall, because no a/c. I look like a beet in about 15 minutes!

So a good time for your &quot;warm-weather visit&quot; might be during the Folk Life Festival in June or even in mid-April (yes, it's generally pretty hot by then), during &quot;Fiesta!&quot; This 10-day party is comparable only to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but Fiesta San Antonio is very family-oriented. The whole city gets decked out with events and historical Fiesta displays and there are parades over several days, each with a different flavor. The Battle of Flowers is daytime (started when ladies in carriages started tossing flowers at each other during a parade in the 1890s); the Flambeau parade is at night; the River Parade is also at night, but on the river on barges (yes, bands and all). You can get reserved seats for any of them. The King William Fair parade is really fun because anyone can be in it, including scout troops from the neighborhood, low-riders with bouncing cars, military bands, dog rescue groups, etc. The opening ceremonies at Alamo Plaza are pretty fun, too... has the mayor and other dignitaries throwing cascarones (confetti-filled eggs) at each other. They usually pass out cascarones to the people in the audience, too! By the end of Fiesta! the streets are covered in confetti. Everyone exchanges/collects Fiesta! medals and wear them on sashes or just pinned on their clothes; there is a charreada (rodeo) hosted by the San Antonio Charros; Fiesta! queens on floats usually heed the calls to &quot;Show us your shoes!&quot; (as opposed to the more lascivious requests in Mardi Gras) by hoisting the hems of their phenomenal gowns to wiggle their decorated tennis shoes at the crowds. In short, a LOT of fun. See www.fiesta-sa.org/ for info.

Soon as Fiesta! ends, the &quot;Return of the Chili Queens&quot; starts at El Mercado, a big street party with some of the best homemade Mexican food stands you'll ever belly up to.

If you time it right at the end of this month, you may be able to take in the Cowboy Breakfast, which kicks off the San Antonio Stock Show &amp; Rodeo. About 50,000 people usually turn out for breakfast at 5:00 in the morning, and yes, lots of them are cowboys. If you go, have a breakfast taco for me!

FlaAnn...it sounds as if you used to live here? You know all the &quot;to dos, certainly, way better than I do! We've been here two years and moved here from Tampa, which I miss very much. Oddly, and perhaps because of our lifestyle in Tampa, where we were outside summer (sailing) and winter, Gruene Hall doesn't bother me at all in the summer. I've wondered if some of those big things in the ceiling might actually be compressors, because although it's not cool for sure, (and couldn't be with all those screened windows) neither does it seem terribly hot to me--cooler than all those ceiling fans would make it, I would have thought! At least you are out of the sun, where you really can cook.

Comparing heat and humidity, it's hotter temperature-wise in San Antonio than Tampa in the summer, but Tampa has the edge in humidity. The two equalize each other I guess, because summer here feels much like summer in FL did. It can be an issue for people coming from northern climates. The worst of the months is August...Fiesta it's still pretty nice.

I do love Gruene Hall any time of year and I hope it's something you can take in, Jimmy, while you are here. It has become our favorite Sunday afternoon activity here, whereas in Tampa, we'd be out on the water. Now if I had my druthers, ...... ;)

Yes, OO, you guessed it, I spent many a year in San Antonio and would move back in a minute, or to the Hill Country. I'm sweating it out in the Fla panhandle now and seem doomed to live in the heat.

One of my favorite things to do is drive up to Gruene, stop in at the dancehall for a cold beer and to listen to the music on a day when the temps make the chicken wire windows plenty comfortable, then wander back behind to the Gristmill for a burger on the river.

Another goodie you may not know is the Bracken Cafe, just off Loop 1604, which is an old limestone stage stop, I believe. Nowadays it also serves great burgers (do you detect a trend, here?) or catfish and fried pickles in a VERY down-home atmosphere (i.e., cold drinks you get for yourself from a cooler). The big fun is waiting for the train to whistle by on the tracks just across the road and watching the doors on the place get sucked outwards. Ha. Like I said before, I need a trip to SA real bad. You might try going up to Canyon Lake someday when you're really missing the water... believe y'all have gotten enough water this year that you can still go boating on the lakes there??

Bracken Caf&eacute;? I must live near it...we are the next town over from Bracken, and their volunteer fire dept services our little town. I drive 2252 daily to get most anywhere I need to get, and that train you talk about is undoubtedly the same one that holds me up several times a week. LOL In Bracken there is a place called the Hanging tree Saloon, we've been to once. It is an anachronism, for sure. The smoke was so bad though our reeking clothes went straight into the washer when we got home...we didn't make it further than the utility room from the garage. :) I'll have to look for the Bracken Cafe...it must be right near the Hanging Tree Saloon. LOL Does this not sound like Texas??

We do love Gruene Hall...I went by myself New Years Eve afternoon while my husband had to work. Our favorites from Austin, Band of Heathens, were playing. Nothing is nicer on a summer afternoon than to sit on one of the porches hanging over the river at the Grist Mill and have some big old bad-for-you onion rings after Gruene Hall. We had so much rain by the way, that the bridge at the foot of the hill was structurally damaged and is being replaced.

Come on over! We've been talking about a Gruene Hall GTG. :)

Hanging Tree Saloon...yikes, not Hanging Dog. @-)

&quot;Big old bad-for-you onion rings&quot; are a MUST for me when we're in Gruene. Dee-lish!!!!

If you ever have a chance to see Slade Cleve at Gruene Hall (or anywhere else)definitely go for it. He is the best.

That's 3 laps around Town Lake for you AustinTraveler!

Slade Cleve...duly noted, thanks.

We just booked a place to stay for the three nights in Austin. We're staying at the Omni downtown, which looks to be right in the middle of the action. I was able to get it for $85 per night on Priceline, which is a pretty good deal I think.

So we've got a hotel in SAT and one in AUS, a car rented, and our flights are set. We're ready to go! (but we have to wait a week).