Hub and I and 2 year old son are thinking of spending a few days in Austin, TX around Christmas, just for fun. Do you have any recommendaions on where to stay (which part of town) and what to do? Thanks!

- check out the trail of lights www.ci.austin.tx.us/tol/

- Austin Children's museum
www.austinkids.org. Haven't been there in years since my kids were young.

- visit the state capitol. Free. You can spend 15min or a 2hrs. Impressive building w/ dome/rotunda, 2 chambers, etc.

- Texas State Museum - probably not well suited to 2yr old, but it's a good museum www.thestoryoftexas.com/

BBQ - many options
Music - many options

Thanks! Where should we stay? Downtown? It would be nice to be close to a park and walking trail, restaurants, shops, etc. Are there nice hikes nearby?

If it's in your budget, the Four Seasons is hard to beat. Downtown on Town Lake. There are walking trails along Town Lake that literally cross the FS property. You're also across the Lake from Zilker Park - very large with lots of trails and outdoor options. You're also within walking distance of 6th Street with all its music, restaurants, etc. They usually have weekend specials.

Regardless, definitely recommend staying downtown.

The Radisson Town Lake is also fine, and the jogging/walking trail is right outside the lobby. Also there is a Holiday Inn nearby. I haven't stayed there in awhile, but it's probably okay.

Agree with maryann that the Radisson is fine too. Have stayed there several times. Practically next door to the Four Seasons and it's right at Congress Ave - great spot to view the bats leaving under the Congress Ave bridge each night at sunset.

The bats won't be there at Christmas. They have migrated south for the Winter.

I would try Priceline for a 4* in the downtown area. Since there is no UT football game you should have no problem. I have gotten the Hyatt, Hilton and Omni, all good hotels, and all between $55 and most recently $85 / night.

If you are at all interested in art museums, the UT one is awesome. The one downtown, while small, would be worth a look as they have a cool room for families to create and explore art. Also you may all enjoy the Duck Tour through downtown and out on Lady Bird Johnson (formerly Town) Lake. If your 2 year old likes loud noies the duck whistles would be a blast.

Have fun it is a great city.

Downtown it is! Thanks for the tips.

There is a network of FREE trolley buses that run various routes through the downtown area. These are known as 'Dillos www.capmetro.org/riding/downtown_trollies.asp

While downtown Austin is walkable, it's always nice to be able to hop on a 'Dillo if even for just a few blocks, (esp w/ a 2yr old in tow).

The Silver 'Dillo runs east/west and will take you to the Whole Foods flagship store. It's a great place to pick up fresh foods or even sit down at one of the various counters for a good, quick, relatively cheap meal.

You might want to look at the Embassy Suites hotel near Congress Avenue. It's got a little extra room for your family; a full, hot breakfast in the morning and complimentary drinks in the evening. They also have an indoor pool which your son would probably enjoy. The hotel is located near the hike-and-bike trail around Town Lake and it's also within a couple blocks of Sandy's, my husband's favorite soft-serve ice cream stand when he was growing up in Austin. Even though you'll be there in December, it won't be too cold for Sandy's!

J62 - oops! You're right - forgot they were going over Christmas.

Can anyone tell me about interesting little towns in the hill country? Would that be a good daytrip from Austin?

Thanks for all the good info so far!

Gruene is a great little town - tons of antiques and cute shops. There's a restaurant called the Grist Mill that is right on the river - really cute spot, and sometimes they have live music. Get some of their homemade wine coolers. One of the shops in town sells Bluebell ice cream - good stuff. There's also an old dance hall there that has live country music; lots of famous singers got their start there. The Gruene Apple is a wonderful place to stay.

In Austin, you can go to Mt. Bonnell (sp?) and The Oasis is a fun restaurant with great views of Lake Travis - good spot for margaritas.

Besides Gruene (pronounced "Green" in case you were unaware), also consider Johnson City and Fredericksburg. Fredericksburg is a classic German hill country town and about 75 mi west of Austin. Both are very doable in a day IMO.

Another vote for Fredericksburg! It's wonderful! There are actually quite a few Texas Hill Country wineries around the Fredericksburg area, too.

We also went hiking at Enchanted Rock, and that was pretty cool.