Austin is a fun place to visit and can provide an inexpensive vacation.   It really is a pretty area, and one part of the vacation can include driving on the west side of Austin and enjoying the beauty of the hills and the Colorado River.

There are several free things to do while visiting Austin. Here are some places that do not charge admission:

* Texas State Capitol - open daily.  It’s 14 feet taller than the National Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and is recognized as one of the nation’s most distinguished capitol buildings.  It is definitely impressive inside and out.  The view from the ground floor looking straight up to the top of the rotunda area is awesome!   Children enjoy going up the beautiful staircases.   Located at 1100 Congress Ave.  (512) 463-0063

* Austin Nature and Science Center - provides families, individuals, and also groups with recreational and educational experiences including a “living museum,” trails,  interpretive exhibits, programs, and collections. Open on Saturday 9- 5 & Sunday 12- 5.   Located at 301 Nature Center Dr, Austin, TX.

(512) 327-8180

* Texas Memorial Museum - a natural history museum which contains exhibits about Texas’ geological and zoological history.  Children especially enjoy the first floor.  They are open on  Saturday from 10 -  5 & Sunday from 1-5 and are  located one block north of the UT football field at  2400 Trinity St.  Austin, TX  (512) 471-1604.  Free admission.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS WITH ADMISSION FEE:

• Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum - an excellent museum worth visiting!  Located at 1800 North Congress Avenue.  (512)-936-8746
• Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum – also a museum worth visiting.  Located at 2313 Red River Street.  (512) 916-5137
• Austin Children’s Museum located at 201 Colorado Street.  (512) 472-2499

* Texas Rowing Center located on the Hike and Bike Trail on Town Lake – a fun place to rent canoes.  They are open 6 AM until dusk every day.  (512) 467-7799.  (We have done this a couple of different times, and it’s a fun activity for the whole family.  Town Lake provides a great view of downtown Austin.)

#1, Kelly’s question. What is your favorite memory associated with the smell of a certain food? As in, you smell it, close your eyes and are instantly drawn back to a magical moment in time….

It would probably be the smell of my grandmother’s recipe for brown sugar “ice box” cookies baking in the oven.  My mother made those a lot when I was growing up.  (It’s a great cookie recipe that you chill in the fridge and then bake whenever you want.)
#2. Name something red that is in your cabinets.

Spaghetti sauce
#3. Ice. Do you have an ice maker, use ice cube trays or buy by the bag?

We have an ice maker and also use trays to make distilled water ice cubes.
#4. Pepper. What kind do you use most often? Is it in a grinder or a shaker?

I have both kinds, but we use the pepper grinder the most.

• Check ALL of the grocery ads every week.  Sometimes I will go to three different grocery stores in one week to buy their sale items.  I try not to make a special trip but stop at each store when I’m in that area anyway.
• Stock up when often-used items are on sale. If something is on sale at a great price and it’s something I use often, then I’ll stock up on it while I can get it at a bargain.  For example, if I can get cereal half price then I’ll buy two or three boxes.  If chicken breasts are on sale for 99c/pound, then I’ll buy several packages and freeze most of it.  If it’s a large package, then I will separate it into two or three smaller packages.
  
• Buy store brands. For the most part, store brands are just as good as name brands.  Through trial and error, though, I learned which  items need to be the name brand.
  
• Cut out coupons! Remember stores other than grocery stores will take coupons. (such as Walmart and Target)  Check and see if they do.  Also, try to find stores that double and triple coupons.  Remember, it defeats the purpose to buy something just because it’s on sale.  If it’s a huge bargain and you don’t need the item, donate it to a food pantry, benevolent center, etc.
  
• Plan your errands! In order to save gas, group your errands according to general areas.  For example, I try to stop by a certain grocery store because it’s on my way home.  Or I go to Sam’s Club, Target, and the bank on the same trip because they’re close to each other.
• Re-use paper towels that are barely used.  I save paper towels that I’ve dried clean hands on or towels that are barely used.  I let them dry and then store them in a pretty dish or canister.  Whenever there is a spill, I use those paper towels.  Why get a brand new towel just to clean up a messy spill off the floor?
  

#1. Mashed potatoes. Do you usually buy the boxes, the frozen or make from scratch.

Make from scratch.
#2. Cottage cheese. What kind do you like? (large curd, small curd, 2%, 4%, no salt, etc)

I buy low fat cottage cheese.
#3. Is there a food that you are brand loyal to?

For lunchmeat, I always buy Hormel Natural Choice Turkey with no nitrates or preservatives.  Get coupons!
#4. When cooking do you usually use fresh onions or the ones from the spice aisle that are chopped or powdered?

I nearly always use fresh onions.

We made an overnight trip to Austin this past weekend for State UIL Band Solo Contest.  This is the third (and last) year we’ve done this.  Our family tradition is to eat at Chuy’s when we’re in Austin, and so we had to eat there this time, too.  Besides, we had to celebrate our son getting a score of “1″ which is the highest score one can get at UIL.

Chuy’s is big on atmosphere and great food.  They have awesome  enchiladas, guacamole, and salsa, just to name a few items.  Tortillas are made there on location at their restaurants, chicken is cooked there (not frozen or canned chicken), guacamole and salsa are freshly made…does that give you an idea about the quality of their food?

They are also known for their cool T-shirts which they sell at the check-out counter, and probably their most famous T-shirt is “Keep Austin Weird.”

Their locations have spread from Austin to other Texas cities.  I looked online, and these are the Texas cities where Chuy’s is located:

* Austin (3 locations)

* Dallas

* Houston

* Round Rock
* San Antonio

* Selma

* Arlington

If you visit one of these places, try to eat at Chuy’s while you’re there.  It’s a fun place to eat great Tex-Mex Food.  Maybe it will become a family tradition with you, too!

NOTE:   The original Chuy’s from Austin is not located in Ft. Worth.  The one in Ft. Worth is “Chuys Mexican Restaurant” and Google just happens to have a link to the original Austin Chuy’s beside each Ft. Worth listing.  However, I made a phone call to verify and found out those are two distinct restaurants.