Welcome to Austin!

[trackstar]

I would love to meet up with any of you board regulars who are coming to Austin!

Now, how can you find me? Well, for obvious reasons, I won't give out my cell number over the World Wide Web, so that's out. But take a look at this photo of me at last year's Bislett Games (image 141): http://share.shutterfly.com/action/shar ... &sm=0&sl=0

That's me in the white shirt, and I'll probably be sitting right next to that very same guy in the red shirt. His name is Bret. Tips on what I'll be wearing: On Thursday I'll have on a black shirt with a picture of the famous discus thrower statue; on other days, I'll either be wearing a U. of Texas track shirt or a Trackwire.com shirt. I might also have on a cowboy hat, if it's not too windy, to protect me from the sun; or maybe a Texas Relays baseball cap.

See you here!

[EPelle]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

That:s not Skip S with you? No, looked at another photo. Sorry.

[trackstar]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

I just realized, I should offer you some tourist info. Please allow me to shamelessly plug the weekly newspaper for which I work: If you go to http://austinchronicle.com and look at the "City Guide" links in the left-hand column, you'll see guides to area restaurants, nightclubs, and more. (Of course, businesses come and go, so I can't guarantee that any particular piece of info will be up to date, but most of it is.)

In fairness to our competitor, the daily, they have some guides of their own at http://statesman.com.

And, if you go to the official meet site at http://www.texassports.com/mainpages/tk ... index.html you will see a link to the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau.

[gh]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

Looks like Ken Flax with you.

[trackstar]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

Sorry, I'm afraid that I don't know who either Skip S or Ken Flax are. That's my buddy Bret Bloomquist, a former teammate at U. of Texas whose career was about as unremarkable as mine, and he's now the sports editor at the San Angelo Standard-Times.

[BillVol]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

I've always wanted to visit Austin. Hope everybody has fun. If I hit the Powerball tonight, I'll be there.

[HOOKONAUSTIN]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

I would advise anyone coming too be sure too get your Hotel room early... Texas #1 ranked baseball team will be hosting a super regional next weekend and i also think the state high school baseball championships maybe next weekend also.

[tandfman]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

Ken Flax was a member of two US Olympic teams (1988 and 1992) in the hammer throw.

[trackstar]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

My buddy definitely ain't no hammer thrower. Skinny, geeky distance runner like me. (Well, actually neither of us are too skinny these days.)

[trackstar]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

More travel advice: Don't forget your allergy medications. In addition to being the "Live Music Capital of the World," we are also the Evil Allergen Capital. Molds are particularly bad right now. I'm dying today.

[trackstar]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

One more bit of culinary advice: It just occurred to me that the most useful info might be eateries within walking distance of the stadium.

Here is a map of the stadium area: http://www.utexas.edu/maps/main/buildings/mms.html. "MMS" is Mike Myers Stadium.

If you get on Robert Dedman Drive and walk north a couple of blocks (past the LBJ Library complex), you'll come to Dean Keeton Street. Cross it, and Dedman turns into Medical Arts Street. Immediately across Dean Keeton, on the right, is Longhorn Po-Boys and Falafel, in the little strip center. As the name implies, it is a mix of standard American sandwiches and Mediterranean/Middle Eastern stuff, like gyros. Very yummy. About one more block north of that, on the left, is Red River Cafe. Standard diner food, not too spectacular, but good enough.

Go over to Interstate 35 and Dean Keeton, on the NW corner, and you'll find Arredondo's AusTexMex Cafe, which has classic Tex-Mex. Highly recommended: the carne guisada tacos. Also recommended, esp. for breakfast: migas. This dish, a regional fave, is eggs scrambled with tortilla strips, tomatoes, cheese, onions, and peppers. Awesome, especially if you add in chorizo sausage, and especially if you drank too many margaritas last night.

East of the stadium: Take Clyde Littlefield Drive across the interstate, which will become Manor Road, which about three or four blocks down will merge into 26th Street (which is the same thing as Dean Keeton Street). There you'll find a little cluster of restaurants, including Hoover's (AWESOME Southern cooking), Mi Madre's (more classic TexMex) and the Eastside Cafe (a very elegant cafe that almost rises to the level of "fine dining." They grow their own veggies in their organic garden out back).

Looking south of the stadium, Scholz Garten is a classic German beer garden that has been in operation since the 1800s. Good beer under beautiful pecan trees, and I think you can still get a good plate of nachos or a chicken fried steak or burger there. Famous hangout for Texas politicians. To get there, go to the other side of the football stadium to San Jacinto Blvd., and walk about five blocks south to 1607 San Jacinto.

[tandfman]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

Given the hour at which the meet ends each night, perhaps the most helpful bit of info would be decent places to eat that are open late.

[ycn]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

Lee, if you think Austin is bad for allergies, you haven't been in eastern Oklahoma during mold/dust/pollination season.

Nothing in Austin even comes close to comparing to that.

[kuha]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

Have you mentioned the bats?

[EPelle]

Re: Welcome to Austin!

Lee, you are the man! You are definitely in the right line of work!