Frantic Fred's Travel Tips:
Austin, TX

by Miles O'Neal, Jetlag, Ltd.

The Live Music Capital of the World

Austin is located in central Texas, in what's known hereabouts as "the Hill Country". And west of I-35 it does, indeed get hilly for a couple of hours (as the longhorn drives his Caddie) before things flatten out.

It's fairly well in the middle of the USA:

Yet for the most part, everyone pretty much gets along. Oh, sure, you have some extremists (one example: a local, environmentally conscious health food chain threatened to drop its web provider if they worked with Evyl Land Developers) but overall people pretty well get along. Madellaine Murray O'Hair finally gave up on Austin, because it wouldn't get radical enough in her direction.

Austin calls itself the "Live Music Capital of the World". I'm not aware of anyone else contending for the title. Austin City Limits is broadcast from here. There's certainly a lot of live music going on, and the SXSW (South by Southwest) music happening occurs here every year.

Austin's most famous statue is of Stevie Ray Vaughn.

But Austin has become infected by the same deadly virus that destroyed Atlanta - an unchecked desire for uncontrolled growth. In two years it grew at least 50% because it was on the Top 10 List of Desirable Places to Live. That growth also knocked it off the list.

I hope they figure it out before it's too late.

Last updated: 09 November 1997

Copyright 1997 Miles O'Neal, Austin, TX. All rights reserved.

Miles O'Neal <meo@XYZZY.rru.com> [remove the "XYZZY." to make things work!] c/o RNN / 1705 Oak Forest Dr / Round Rock, TX / 78681-1514