Beautiful January Day at Zilker Park

The weather has definitely been up and down here lately, but after spending a week in cold, snowy New England, I embraced Saturday's 80 degrees with open arms and flip flops. To make the most of the day we headed down to Zilker Park, along with half of Austin, to enjoy the fresh air and soak up sun. Though I've run along Town Lake dozens of times now. I've never spent much time at Zilker Park so it was a refreshing change. Many parts are currently under construction for the new irrigation system being installed to calm the dust at ACL Fest and keep the grass greener, but we were still able to get in a nice walk on the Barton Creek Greenbelt and enjoy a picnic under a tree.

The run of 1,000 smells

One of my favorite things about my office location is that it overlooks Town Lake and I am able to not only enjoy the views of it every day, but I also get to enjoy walks and runs on it most days of the week.

Now officially called Lady Bird Lake, situated in the center of downtown Austin, the lake hosts thousands of runners weekly, as well as numerous dogs and their owners, bicyclists, walkers, stroller-pushing moms and dads, visitors to Austin, squirrels, ducks and many more. There are beautiful views from the several bridges that cross it, and many landscaped areas and benches for site seeing, relaxing, or catching your breath. It is a great spot to take a quick walk, sit and think, go for a longer run, or head out in a kayak or canoe.

Every day that I’m out there I tend to notice something new, but there a couple of spots that stand out to me along the standard 4 mile Mopac loop that I typically run.

• Congress Street Bridge – Home to the largest urban bat colony in North America, tourists and interested viewers line up along the bridge nightly to see the bats depart from their home. I really couldn’t believe how amazing the site actually is until I checked it out myself, and I highly recommend that it makes everyone’s Austin must see list. But I also must admit that the sounds and smells coming from under the bridge definitely make me speed up when I’m running by.
• Auditorium Shores – One of the Lake’s off-leash areas has a large swimming area for the dogs as well as a welcoming grassy area, a refreshing fountain that lets off mist on very hot days, and a cozy gazebo for relaxing. I always find it entertaining to watch all of the four-legged friends playing and enjoying the water.
• Zilker Park – Aside from ACL Fest, I have yet to spend much time at Zilker Park, but I do pass by it on my run and always enjoy the view. The 351 acre park hosts playgrounds, Zilker Botanical Gardens, Barton Springs Pool, The Zilker Zephyr miniature train, dog parks, picnic areas and the Hillside Theater. Many festivals are also held at the park including Austin City Limits Music Festival and the annual Zilker Park Kite Festival.
• Be sure to check out the statue of the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan. The late, Texas-born blues guitarist played got his start in Austin, and will forever be celebrated at this “must-see” spot.
• The courtesy water coolers at Auditorium Shores and the Mopac Bridge provided by RunTex are a refreshing bonus that should be taken advantage of, especially on a steamy day.

About the title: My boyfriend dubbed Town Lake that back when he was on the Texas track team and I can’t say that I disagree. The views and peacefulness definitely make up for it, but depending on your location along the lake there are some interesting aromas that pop up – especially during bat season!

I'm Proud to Have Survived ACL Fest

Much like when I attended Woodstock 99, I am very glad that I went to ACL Fest 2008, but I'm also not so sure if I can handle the entire 3 days again. Yes, the music was amazing, yes I got to see a lot of my favorite bands all in one place, and yes it was a lot of fun. However, I definitely cannot party like I used, and I definitely exhaust a lot quicker than I used to. With temperatures well over 85 degrees and a blazing sun shining down on us the afternoons were very long and exhausting. But once the sun went down and things cooled off we were able to bop around and really enjoy the music and scene around us. There are by far more pros than cons to the big event and I am happy that I was a part of it. C3 Presents certainly knows how to put on a show. From an incredible line up, to excellent food options, to great people watching, there was something to do for everyone and endless amounts of entertainment. There was even plenty of places to grab some shade, water and a blast of mist, and televisions to watch the debates and football on. Even the walk from the lake to Zilker Park was exciting when we saw a man riding his bicycle wearing only a G String! It was nice to see such a variety in the crowd too, and the various attractions catered to every age group and interest.

My personal pros and cons from the fest:

PROS

The Music: John Fogarty, Okkervil River, Foo Fighters, Raconteurs, Jenny Lewis, Tristan Prettyman, Alejandro Escovado, Neko Case, Robert Plant & Alison Kraus, Vampire Weekend, Tegan & Sara

Hanging out with our friends
Good acoustics

Fun setting

Great food selection

Plenty of port-a-potties that were kept suprisingly clean

Lots of art and product vendors

Friendly staff

Zilker Park was kept very clean thanks to the green/recycling promotions

Plenty of shade to hide from the hot sun

TVs to watch the debates or football

Lots of beer stands with short lines and fast service

CONS

The dust

Way too long of a line for Hudson's on the Bend's famous cones

Blazing hot sun

Conflicting schedules of bands

In the end I know I will at least go back next year with a one day pass and highly recommend that any music fans out there check out the scene as well.

Jeff, Kristen, Maggie, Joe @ ACL Fest

Nicole Atkins and The Sea

John Fogarty