08/26/2010

Explore Austin Beyond the BMES Meeting

The BMES Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas will be the best place all year to see cutting edge research and to network with colleagues.

The meeting also offers the opportunity to explore Austin which is regularly mentioned in travel guides as one of the premiere cities on the planet for music, food and culture. We recently interviewed Dr. Christine Schmidt, the chair of this year’s meeting and a professor at the University of Texas to talk about all that Austin has to offer to visitors.

BMES: Tickets for Austin City Limits Music Festival are all sold out, does that mean visitors will be shutout of all the festival has to offer?

CS: Tickets are usually available on Austin’s Craigslist or via the Austin American Statesman (online), typically at a pretty high cost. In addition, there will be many live music opportunities at the music venues on Austin’s 6th Street (http://www.6street.com) and in the Warehouse District on 4th and 5th streets. There will be live music “overflow” because of ACL!

BMES: Austin has a reputation for being a great food town, which cuisines should we definitely sample during out trip?

CS:  Tex-Mex and BBQ are the classic Texas flavors: Stubbs and Iron Works are “down and dirty” BBQ restaurants and Z-Tehas and Iron Cactus offer  great Mexican food and margaritas (Iron Cactus is considered one of the top 10 tequila bars in Texas). 

Typically, Austin food is a little more eclectic than the traditional Texas fare. For example, Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, which is directly adjacent to the convention center, offers “comfort food for modern folks”. There are many other great downtown restaurants, some local and some chains, including Eddie V’s Seafood Restaurant, Roy’s, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Truluck’s, Roaring Fork, Carmelo's Italian Restaurant, Spaghetti Warehouse, Old Pecan Street Café, Katz’s Deli, Frank & Angie's Pizza, and Huts Hamburgers.

South Congress (called “SoCo”) is a short cab ride away and offers many eclectic, hole-in-the-wall eating establishments. You can also get a good, healthy meal at the hot food bar at Whole Foods on Sixth Street and Lamar, which is a short taxi ride away. The Whole Foods on Lamar is one of the company’s largest, at 80,000 square feet, and is a treat to visit. Many Austin restaurants offer organic, vegan, and gluten-free options.

Checkout : http://business.intuit.com/boorah-restaurants/RestaurantSearch.do?location=Downtown,Austin,TX

http://www.austincityguide.com/navf/austin-restaurant-guide.asp?show=Downtown

BMES: Lance Armstrong famously does some of his training in and around Austin; which spot venues should we checkout for running, walking and other activities?

CS: The Town Lake (also called Lady Bird Lake) Hike and Bike Trail is close to downtown, and offers a great path for jogging and walking next to the river. In addition, Zilker Park is not too far from downtown, and boasts swimming year-round in their spring-fed pool. You can also rent canoes and kayaks at Zilker to enjoy Town Lake and the beautiful Austin skyline by water. The Zilker Botanical Gardens near Zilker Park is a great place to stroll.

We also have Lake Austin and Lake Travis nearby, for those who might want to venture a little farther (can rent a boat or just enjoy a swim). Austin, in general, is home to many parks and greenbelts, which offer ample fun for cyclists, hikers, swimmers, geocachers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds!

BMES: The LBJ Museum has a reputation as being one of the more interesting presidential libraries, any tips on what to do on visits to it? Any other museum-like places worth a visit while in Austin?

CS: Yes, the LBJ Presidential Library (http://www.lbjlibrary.org) is definitely worth a visit (there are only twelve Presidential Libraries in existence)! The entire museum is great. The museum is near the UT Austin campus and is a short cab ride from downtown; I would allow about 2 hours to visit the museum.

Other great museums include the Blanton Art Museum (http://www.blantonmuseum.org) and the Harry Ransom Center (http://www.hrc.utexas.edu), both on the University of Texas at Austin campus.  I would recommend checking the hours online before driving or taking a cab, and if driving, looking into parking options (there is ample parking at the LBJ museum and a parking garage near the Blanton Museum and Ransom Center).

BMES: If we are searching for cowboy boots, a 10-gallon hat or other local clothes and knick knacks, which districts should we check out?

CS: If you have a rental car or want to share a cab, Sheplers near Highland Mall has a great collection of authentic, high-quality hats and boots, as well as Longhorns to hang over your fireplace mantle.  Callahan’s also has some fun Texas-themed items and Western wear, and is located close to the Austin Airport. In terms of places downtown, Lucky Lizard Curios and Gifts on 6th Street has some not-so-standard novelty items that fit with the “Keep Austin Weird” theme. South Congress (“SoCo”) also has some unique little shops. Finally, there are also some nice souvenir shops at the Austin Airport, for that list minute shopping!

BMES: Any other tips for visitors?

CS: For quirky Austin comedy and satire, people should check out Esther's Follies (http://esthersfollies.com) on 6th Street.

For those traveling with children, the Austin Children’s Museum downtown is a fun visit. In addition, the Austin Science and Nature Center (http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/ansc) and the Zilker Botanical Gardens (http://www.zilkergarden.org) are great for kids and are only a short cab ride away.  The Austin Science and Nature Center has a dino pit that is a big hit with kids (http://www.utexas.edu/tmm/sponsored_sites/dino_pit).