Advice for Austin/San Ant./ 6 Flags Fiesta trip

[raftislander]

I am taking my DD(16) down to Austin, TX for spring break- 3/27 to 4/3, to visit my sister and see some sights. Never been before. Have an overnight jaunt planned to San Antonio to see Alamo/ Riverwalk and spend a day at Six Flags Fiesta. Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. My sister is not a big amusement park fan so wont be much help. What rides are "not to be missed" Which rides should we hit first to avoid lines, what is not worth it. Both my daughter and I are good at thrill rides, but it has been a long time since we have been to a non-Disney park, so may need a warm up coaster before hitting the most intense one the park has to offer. I think that I have read that there is one coaster that is so rough it is more likely to produce a headache than a thrill, but am not sure of the name- Rattler? maybe? We will probably hit the park on a Thursday.

Other tips about what to see in these areas would be appreciated. Sclitterbahns water park(sp?) is not open yet. Anyone been to the State history museum in Austin? I have a teen daughter, so ideas on good shopping areas for the young also appreciated.

I Love Diner's Drive-in's and Dives on the Food Channel and this area has several that have appeared on the show, but love to hear some suggestions about places to eat.
Thanks so much!

 

[poblano57]

Lucky for you - I live in Austin. Feel free to PM me if you want more opinions....

Things to do in Austin:

Eats: For the real deal on BBQ - Salt Lick. There are proponents of other BBQ spots here, but overall, you have to go here if Texas BBQ interest you - ambiance points added on top of great food.

Mexican - fancy - Fonda de San Miguel. not-so-fancy - Guero's or El Rancho for reliable Tex-Mex. Real trendy right now: La Condesa

Dessert: Amy's Ice Cream - many locations and great ice-cream.

Really a lot of great eateries - what type of food do you like or dislike?

Movies: Alamo Drafthouse - order dinner and watch a movie from your seat. Truly unique.

Shopping: My DW swears by Forever 21 - and their location here at the Domain is one of their biggest in the U.S. The Domain is a pretty nice and upscale open-air shopping place.

The Texas State History Museum is nice to visit; the Texas Capitol is definitely impressive to wander thru. Skip the LBJ library.

The happening spots in town are the Warehouse District and West 6th Street. East 6th Street is kinda touristy now - it's the most well-known part of town and should be wandered once. My favorite part of Austin is SoCo which is short for South Congress. You can walk SoCo and enjoy a whole evening among the eclectic shops and various eateries - you can't go wrong at South Congress Cafe, The Woodland, Guero's, Zen, Home Slice Pizza, etc. etc. Live music is pretty much all over the downtown area.

Austin is a primarily a late-night town too - most music clubs don't start music until 10pm though more or starting a little earlier now (9pm) than they used to.

Austin's has a nice hiking trail that runs 10.5 miles around the Colorado River which cuts the city in half - very nice to walk around (can rent canoes from several spots).

Try looking at http://www.austinchronicle.com/ - its our weekly independent alternative newspaper and has all of the arts and museum listings you'll need.

As far as Fiesta Texas goes, I think the following coasters are well-worth riding: Superman, Boomerang, Goliath, Poltergeist, and Twister. Avoid the Rattler - that's the headache-inducing ride. IF you have a few extra bucks, you might try their FLASH Pass system which is different than Disney's - they issue only a limited amount per day and you pay for the privilege - but you get virtually instant access to the front of the line. You are going in a non-busy time of the year so you shouldn't need to do this but just in case....

http://www.sixflags.com/fiestaTexas/tickets/Flashpass.aspx

If you get to Fiesta Texas early enough, you should have plenty of time to run thru that park's highlights in about 5-6 hours. Great Mexican food in S.A., of course - but try and avoid eating along the Riverwalk unless you have to - you are paying for the experience (which admittedly is unique)

Whatever you do, rush hour traffic in both Austin and S.A. is hair-raising - - it's best to avoid driving the main arteries between 4:15 and 6:30.

There is plenty to do here. The UT Campus houses 50,000 students so there is plenty of nightlife - which means your DD will probably enjoy herself here quite a bit - and so will you!

 

[raftislander]

Wow! Thanks poblano57...looks like I hit the motherload of information with you. I appreciate all the links. I like a wide variety of food. I grew up in California, but have been living in the NW for 25 years. I hope to eat a lot of fabulous mexican food during this week as just not many places up here that are great. I am more about the flavor of the food than the trendiness aspect of a particular restaurant. I think there is a Mercado near the Riverwalk that is supposed to have some great food places- any advice there? Two questions:...Is the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin or San Antonio? Are minors allowed in?

Thank you again for taking the time to be so thorough in your response.

 

[poblano57]

The Mercado has a couple of good Mexican food places - La Maragarita and Mi Tierra. Other - and IMHO better - Mexican food spots in S.A. are El Mirador and Rosario's.

The Alamo Draft House has several locations in Austin. Minors are definitely allowed in all showings (depending, of course, on what the film's rating is).

One Mexican restaurant a little out of the way in East Austin you might want to visit is Juan in a Million - it was featured in a "Man vs. Food" segment on the Food Channel. Try the Don Juan taco. One will fill you up with all of the Tex Mex goodness you can handle!

Feel free to ask further questions as needed!