Austin is the capital of Texas and home to numerous colleges, making Austin an eclectic mix of history, politics and a trendy university atmosphere. Downtown Austin has old, stately buildings with grand architecture; some of which house the hippest clubs in the city. The distinctive State Capitol Building is the largest in the U.S., and one of two dozen government office buildings in the Capitol Complex.

Austin is known as the "Live Music Capital of the World" and has more live music venues per capita than such places as Nashville, Memphis, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or New York City. Sixth Street and the Warehouse District are the most famous gathering spots of these Austin venues, but music is all over the city. Live music is even played at the airport and City Council meetings and Austin showcases local talent with free concerts at the plaza of City Hall.

Austin is also very green. Biking and hiking paths abound at Zilker Park, where you can also take riverboat tours on Town Lake. Lake Travis is a popular spot for water activities and camping. March through early November, you can watch the nightly flight of 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats from beneath the Congress Ave. Bridge.

In the spring, don't miss the blooms at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, twenty miles outside of Austin. It features regional displays of every wildflower and plant growing in Texas. Lady Bird Johnson was a driving force behind the planting of miles and miles of wildflowers along Texas highways.

A mass of highways surrounds Austin. I-35 is the main access highway.