photo: Carlos Delgado

No matter how far removed from school we are, by the time June rolls around many of us still yearn for a few months of freewheeling childlike fun. I still long for the summers I spent growing up in Austin, Texas. It provides all you’d expect of an epic summer experience, so please join me for a local’s tour featuring a few personal highlights in this week’s installment of #WhereToGoWednesday.

Austin deserves all the press and praise it gets for its world-famous music scene and the innate coolness that comes from being a high-tech hub, but there is far more to do than simply club hop and shop for skinny jeans in the heart of Texas. Here are a few tips for spending some summer vacation time in the town that we’d all like to keep weird.

On a Lake
Austin is an anomaly to people who think of the Lone Star state as one vast expanse of flat, dry land. Hilly and green, it’s blessed with a string of lakes that course through town, and on the water is the place to be during the summer. I spent every weekend on a boat as a kid, and even more time when I could finally drive the boat to waterski and hang out lakeside with friends. You should, too! Rent a boat on Lake Travis, a paddleboard on Lake Austin, or a canoe on Lake Bird Lake right in downtown.

In a Texas-Sized Pool
Speaking of water, the most famous pool in Austin is also one of its most refreshing. Barton Springs Pool, located within the downtown area’s 358-acre Zilker Park, is one of the city’s most famous landmarks and because it’s spring fed, stays a refreshing 68 degrees year round. Drawing an eclectic crowd, Barton Springs is almost as good for people watching as it is for swimming. Topless sunbathing is legal and although not as popular as it was in the psychedelic 70s, it’s still practiced by some visitors. Part of the pool has been left as natural limestone, so you can spot fish and sea plants while you swim laps in three acres of water.
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