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See the Congress Bridge Bats at Sunset. The Congress Avenue bridge spans Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin and is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America known as the Congress Bridge Bats. This colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats. Each night from around mid-March to early November, the Congress Bridge Bats bats emerge from under the bridge to blanket the sky as they head out to forage for food.
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Austin Detours – Live like a local and see why Austin is the coined the “Live Music Capitol of the World” on a live Music Crawl, experience Salt Lick Brewery and Salt Lick BBQ. https://austindetours.com/
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Austin Duck Adventures – The only land and water tour available in Austin – https://austinducks.com/
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Red River Cultural District: This is where music lives in Austin. This historic street is home to historic Stubb’s BBQ, The Mohawk, and Austin’s best gay bar for live music, Cheer Up Charlie’s. There is something for everyone on Red River, whether it’s the strongest single pours in Austin at Sidebar, or a vegan bacon cheeseburger from Arlo’s that is so close to the real thing, you’ll think someone lied to you about it being animal AND gluten free.
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“Dirty” 6th Street: Austin’s mix of bars, food, and fun that gets so lively they close it off to car traffic on Friday and Saturday nights, “Dirty” Sixth Street is an upbeat, fast- paced collection of some great spots. Recess Arcade Bar has a large selection of old-school games, Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar is a great place if you ever wanted to do a karaoke battle with live accompaniment, Casino El Camino has some of the best burgers in Austin, and Shakespeare's serves pitchers of your favorite cocktails.
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East 6th Street: East 6th Street is the calmer alternative to its more centrally located counterpart. Featuring some of Austin’s best dive bars, East 6th is a great place to unwind with a drink. Go play Bingo on Monday nights at the Brixton, two-step at the White Horse, and enjoy the extensive outdoor patio of Shangri-La.
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Rainey Street: Bring on the hipster bars! Rainey street is the classy alternative to a night out, featuring great food trucks, and a wide selection of craft beer spots. Enjoy a fire with s’mores at Banger’s, go see the architectural wonder of Container Bar, and visit a classic Austin staple at the Lustre Pearl.
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Zilker Park: If you venture out during the day and find yourself at Zilker Park, you won’t be sorry. From gorgeous hike and bike trails, to kayaking and paddle boarding on Lady Bird Lake, to taking an icy plunge in Barton Springs, there is a lot to do in the immediate vicinity of the home of the ACL music festival, including botanical gardens and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden.
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The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum: Do you want to learn about the “Story of Texas”? This is the best place to do it. The granite structure houses some great interactive exhibits about the history of Texas, as well as an IMAX theatre.
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Voodoo Doughnut – Crazy, colorful and classic doughnuts from the world famous Voodoo Doughnut from Portland has its Austin, TX outpost at 212 East 6th Street, open 24/7 https://www.voodoodoughnut.com/locations/austin-texas-6th-street/
For more information check out the AFAR Travel Guide for Austin
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