Presidental Tour

Description:

The City of Austin has developed one of the finest trail systems in the nation. Currently, over 50 miles of well-surfaced scenic paths follow natural greenbelts into all areas of the city, making an excellent trail accesible to all.

Description:

Not only is Chuy's popular with current Austin residents, it's often the first place that visiting University of Texas alums want to go to when they're in town. So it's crowded, almost always. Grab a swirl margarita (with a dollop of cherry flavor) and a seat in the large bar area, and enjoy top-notch people watching while you wait. There's also a free chips and salsa bar to tide you over until mealtime. The margaritas plus the gaudy decor -- shiny hubcaps, cartoon fish, an Elvis shrine -- can make you a little dizzy, so drink it all in slowly. The Classic Tex-Mex Enchiladas are a favorite of many Chuy's regulars. For serious appetites the "big as yo' face" steak burrito with green chiles (very spicy) may cause you to channel Elvis (in his chubby years).

Our Local Expert Says:

Simply the best place to be on a hot summer day. Cool water, shade trees and guitar-playing hipsters.

Description:

The water in Barton Springs swimming pool hovers around 68 degrees year-round, which means that it feels cool -- even cold -- in the heat of summer. It feels relatively warm in winter, though, and a few rugged souls swim there every morning, regardless of the weather. If you're more into lounging than exercise, there's a part of the massive pool dedicated to floats and floaters. On the hillsides surrounding the pool, you will see a snapshot of Austin culture. There's usually a group of twentysomethings kicking around a hacky-sack ball, a sixtyish man doing yoga, and (kid warning) a woman of indeterminate age without her top. Occasionally, a drum circle forms at the top of the hill. Guitars are almost as common as smart phones. On summer days when the temperature can soar above 100 degrees, this is the only reasonable place to be.

Description:

Doc's Motorworks is a locally-owned restaurant in a converted auto mechanic shop with the most impressive patio in Austin's see-or-be-scene South Congress District. Parking can be difficult in this popular section of downtown, but once you're settled on Doc's temperature-controlled patio, you can relax with a batch of onion rings and a cold draft beer. The casual restaurant is part sports bar, part grill. The restaurant offers moderate prices, daily happy hour deals and weekly food and drink specials. Try the burger and fries with a discounted pint, or a tasty Tex-Mex platter with a giant margarita. Doc's is open late and always busy. Mid-afternoon is your best shot for speedy service. Try the second location at 5207 Brodie Ln Suite 100 Austin, TX 78745 (+1 512 892 5200.)

Description:

This was one of the first restaurants to introduce fine dining a la Mexicana to Texas, and it's a landmark restaurant. But as of late, it has been in a holding pattern, keeping the quality up but not showing much imagination. You can get classic dishes such as mole poblano and cochinita pibil that are nicely prepared, but the dinner menu doesn't have much that's new. Fonda enjoys a faithful clientele that is locked in. These customers seek the dishes that they know, and the dining experience, when taken as a whole, is thoroughly enjoyable. There's something about the graceful rooms, the rich colors, and the attractive lighting that makes for a charming evening. For the pleasure of this experience, you pay quite a bit more than at other Mexican restaurants, but for a special evening it's worth it.

Sunday brunch is a big deal at Fonda, with a more interesting selection of dishes (such as fruit gazpacho and chilaquiles). If money were no object . . .

Our Local Expert Says:

This circular airport hotel, previously referred to as "the Donut," served as an air command center during the Vietnam War and Desert Storm.

Description:

• This hotel is located on the grounds of the Austin International Airport, just seven miles from downtown Austin.

• Each guestroom is equipped with cable/satellite TV, multiple-line telephones, high-speed Internet service, and coffee/tea maker.

• The hotel also offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor swimming pool, a restaurant, and a lobby bar.

Our Local Expert Says:

Though the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is worthwhile year-round, consider visiting in late March or early April when the blooms are at their peak.

Description:

While many may remember that Lady Bird Johnson was the First Lady who championed the planting of wildflowers along highways, Texans know her as an all-around environmental advocate. Her passion was not only for wildflowers but native plants of all kinds. So it's fitting that the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is both a showplace for beautiful plants and a botanical research center. The public botanical garden introduces visitors to the beauty of wildflowers and other native plants and natural landscapes through experience and education. Stroll through the 16 distinct gardens, the Ann and O.J. Weber Butterfly Garden, the sprawling South Meadow, or relax along the Erma Lowe Hill Country Stream. Knowledgeable docents explain the many roles of indigenous plants, as well as conservation techniques such as controlled burning and invasive species removal. For a more in-depth look at the former First Lady and her husband, visit the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum on the University of Texas at Austin campus.

Our Local Expert Says:

Wednesday evenings after 6pm are swamped when starving students on a budget come for the two-for-one burger special. Also favorites: the daily blue plate specials available from 11 a.m. to close.

Description:

The menu may be broader than the burgers, but the burgers are what set this place apart. There are 20 varieties in all, based on a thick, juicy patty medium cooked. Burgers range from the simplest one-patty version to a double-meat buffalo burger with all the trimmings. As for sides, the onion rings are delicious. For those who want their beef sans bun, they offer savory chicken fried steak, cooked tender with gravy that's not too thick and not too drippy. Whatever you order, be sure that you ask for lots of napkins.

Description:

This is one of the oldest governor's mansions in the country that is still being used on a continuous basis. Builder Abner Cook created a simple square home with four rooms downstairs and four rooms upstairs. A conservatory was added in 1914 along with a new kitchen area. The home showcases original artwork and furniture from yesteryear, as well as modern pieces added during the 1980s restoration. Guests are invited to enjoy viewing the first floor and lush grounds surrounding the home.

Our Local Expert Says:

The LBJ Library and Museum feels like a step back in time with both audio and video highlights from the 1960s, as well as a life-size replica of Johnson's Oval Office. Give yourself plenty of time to peruse this impressive Presidential museum.

Description:

In 1971, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum opened its doors on the University of Texas at Austin campus, housing millions of historical documents and other memorabilia of the 36th President of the United States of America. The 14-acre memorial, located adjacent to UT's LBJ School of Public Affairs, is one of the only Presidential libraries that's free to the public. Visitors browse items from the museum's permanent collection as well as touring exhibits, all fun and surprisingly educational.

Description:

This Clarksville restaurant, opened in 1975, manages to stay on Austin's dining forefront because of the innovative cuisine created by Executive Chef Alma Alcocer. Begin with one of his signature appetizers, perhaps crispy oysters or smoked duck bread pudding, follow with porcini scented gnocchi or veal osso buco, and top it off with an orange pudding cake. The menu is imaginative, the execution perfect, the service professional and the atmosphere comfortably elegant.

Our Local Expert Says:

This circular airport hotel, previously referred to as "the Donut," served as an air command center during the Vietnam War and Desert Storm.

Description:

• This hotel is located on the grounds of the Austin International Airport, just seven miles from downtown Austin.

• Each guestroom is equipped with cable/satellite TV, multiple-line telephones, high-speed Internet service, and coffee/tea maker.

• The hotel also offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor swimming pool, a restaurant, and a lobby bar.

Our Local Expert Says:

This circular airport hotel, previously referred to as "the Donut," served as an air command center during the Vietnam War and Desert Storm.

Description:

• This hotel is located on the grounds of the Austin International Airport, just seven miles from downtown Austin.

• Each guestroom is equipped with cable/satellite TV, multiple-line telephones, high-speed Internet service, and coffee/tea maker.

• The hotel also offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor swimming pool, a restaurant, and a lobby bar.

Description:

The LBJ Ranch House, known as the Texas White House, was the home of President Johnson and a center of political activity for more than 20 years. Today, Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson resides here. The Reconstructed Birthplace was built by President Johnson in 1964 on the site where he was born in 1908. The Johnsons furnished the home with family memorabilia and used it as a guest cottage. Along with his ancestors, President Johnson was buried at the Johnson Family Cemetery. Lyndon Johnson first attended classes in the one-room Junction School House at the age of four. And as president, he signed into law the Elementary and Secondary Education Act at the same one-room school. Registered Hereford cattle graze at the ranch and are displayed at the Show Barn.

Description:

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park tells the story of our 36th President in a unique and encompassing way. The story begins with Lyndon Johnson's ancestors, tracing the influences his family and his beloved Texas Hill Country had on the boy and the man. In Johnson City, the visitor can see how LBJ influenced his home town by bringing the resources of the U.S. Government to bear on improving the lives of his friends and neighbors. The park also affords a special opportunity to visit a working cattle ranch, preserved in the late 1960s time period. On the LBJ Ranch it is possible to experience the serenity and beauty from which the former president drew his strength and comfort. It is here that his final resting place is located. This entire "circle of life" gives the visitor a unique perspective into one of America's most noteworthy citizens by providing the most complete picture of an American president.

Description:

With all the black leather, neon and jazz here, one might be suspicious. Is this a trendy Mexican joint where the food takes a back seat to the slick atmosphere? The answer is a resounding no. One bite of the chile relleno en nogada is the proof--tender pork picadillo studded with raisins and stuffed into a roasted poblano pepper, then sauced with walnut cream. Or try the enchiladas, gorditas or flautas; all make excellent choices. Sunday brunch, with live jazz, is a winner, but dinner and happy hour are the real standout events. A second location accommodates North Austin at 10201 Jollyville Rd Austin, TX (+1 512 345 1042.)

Our Local Expert Says:

Before beginning your tour of the three levels of the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, purchase your tickets for the popular IMAX Theater. Six shows run at any one time so the lines can get long just before the show.

Description:

With a grand facade that includes a 35-foot-tall bronze star, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is hard to miss. The three-story museum, open since 2001, turns the fascinating and sometimes sordid history of the state into imaginative interactive exhibits for the enjoyment of all ages. Meet the state's first occupants on the first floor, hear Stephen F. Austin announce the Texas Revolution on the second and peruse the third level for an understanding of how big business -- mostly cotton, cattle, and oil -- has played a part in the making of the Lone Star State. Located just south of the University of Texas campus, a stone's throw from the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art and a short walk from the Texas State Capitol, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum also features Austin's only IMAX theater as well as the Spirit Theater, a 200-seat multimedia special effects theater with history-based shows.

Description:

This grill has a prominent lakeside location. In late spring through early fall, you'd be hard pressed to find a better spot to view the famed Congress Avenue Bats. However, despite these trappings, it is the exquisite food that brings in the return guests. Seafood is the most abundant choice on the menu. Try the lump crabcakes and grilled shrimp with a chipotle mango sauce or the roast salmon with chive potato and serrano basil aioli. An in-house pastry chef produces decadent dishes like chocolate intemperance and white chocolate raspberry cake.