Jaunt Journal

This month I have chosen to write about a favorite place of mine: Austin, Texas. This city of nearly 900,000 people is loaded with fun and inexpensive activities for everyone.

Austin lies 714 miles south of Eudora, making it an estimated 10 and a half hour drive. However, the Lone Star state is full of entertainment to make that long trip worthwhile. Some popular “must-sees” include the Congress Bridge bats, Mount Bonnell, Austin City Limits Music Festival, which are explained in further detail below, and many others.

“Going down to the green belt and hiking, biking, and floating were my favorite things to do in Austin” said Clint Kendall.

The Congress Bridge was reconstructed in 1980 and the new crevices in the architecture were perfect bat roosts according to batcon.org. Every summer evening, 1.5 million bats emerge from the bridge and take flight. Witnessing the world’s largest urban bat colony is phenomenal, speaking from personal experience.

Mount Bonnell provides a lovely view over the Colorado River. It is one of the best views in Austin, although it requires a bit of walking. The famous homes of George Strait and Matthew Mcconaughey can be seen from this location.

Austin City Limits is a music festival that began in 2002. It happens during two consecutive weekends of the year and attracts many music lovers. This year, it will be held the weekends of Sept. 30-Oct 2. and Oct. 7-9. The lineup has yet to be released but based off of previous years which have included the Weeknd, Lana Del Rey and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, I doubt it will disappoint. ACL festival is located in Zilker Park which is also a fun location anytime because it is full of bike/walking trails and a beautiful view of the Austin skyline.

The downtown area of Austin also has many sources of entertainment. Because it is located a few blocks south of the University of Texas, the downtown district is geared more toward the younger crowd. Live music is played all around this area which is perfect for any music-loving adventurers.

“I love going downtown because there are tons of fun things to do down there like concerts and going on the lake,” said Hannah Shuler-Yoes, a Sr. at an Austin high school.

Whether you choose to spend time hiking Mount Bonnell, jamming downtown at the various live music locations, or watching the bats at Congress Bridge, your time will not be wasted.

Necessities for this Jaunt

• A camera of course

• Hiking shoes to see the wonderful view at Mount Bonnell

• Spending money for various concerts around the city

If you do happen to venture to the locations mentioned in Jaunt Journal, use the hashtag “#JauntJournalEHS” to share your posts with fellow adventurers and possibly see your images featured in The Cardinal or on The Cardinal Online.