Christopher & Tee’s guidebook

Your home is located in upscale Travis Heights - just south of downtown by Ladybird Lake (great hiking trail around the lake or rent a boat or kayak for the afternoon). This historic Austin neighborhood is an enjoyable 10 - 15 min stroll to the vibrant shopping/restaurants/cafes, boutiques, and music venues of South Congress (SOCO) and a short Uber/Lyft ride to the city nightlife. Distance from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport 10 mins by car without traffic *it's a a 5 min walk to Stacey Park: beautiful, wooded walking/bike trails, a playground, and a heated, spring-fed swimming pool. https://www.airbnb.com/locations/austin/travis-heights *SOCO https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/texas/articles/top-10-things-to-do-on-south-congress-austin/ https://austin.eater.com/maps/south-congress-austin-restaurants-bars-dining-guide-where-to-eat-travis-heights-bouldin-creek * the Whip Inn is your neighborhood "go to spot" about 4 blocks away: Starting as a neighborhood corner store, we carry a great convenience grocery selection, as well as a gastropub with 70 beers on tap, a full wine list & a from-scratch kitchen! Check out our live music & events http://whipin.com/calendar- *The Legendary Continental Club is just a few blocks away on South Congress http://continentalclub.com/#intro * The Elephant Room - amazing Jazz - also on Congress - but you'll need uber :) https://www.elephantroom.com/ *Elizabeth Street Cafe on 1st Street (1st street is super cool ) : Charming outpost offering French breakfast bites & creative Vietnamese plates for lunch & dinner, lots of good vegetarian fare https://elizabethstreetcafe.com/ *The Bat Flight from under Congress bridge is great fun https://freefuninaustin.com/how-to-see-bats-in-austin/ *******that should get you started ....and then some :)*********

Going Batty in Austin: The History Austin might not have any theme parks or large zoos, but America's largest urban bat colony has become the city's best-known (and ecologically correct) tourist attraction. It all started in 1980, when the team of engineers designing the Congress Avenue bridge unknowingly created the crevices that would soon become the home to the largest urban bat colony in North America. More than 1.5 million bats emerge each night at dusk, as they have for more than two decades, from the bridge's underbelly on food runs that blacken the otherwise red sky. It's become an Austin tradition to sit on the grassy banks and watch as the bats swarm out to feed on the local insect population Look at the chart below for the best times to watch the bats (a stone’s throw from the Hyatt) Feb: migration may begin March: many bats in Austin April: most have migrated May: mothers prepare for birth June: mothers give birth July: mothers feed at night August: pups can now fly Sept: excellent bat watching Oct: bats migrate south Nov: bats continue migration The colony, made up entirely of female and young animals, is at its most active when swarming out for the nightly feed. Such is the bat-density that bat-radars have detected bat-columns up to 10,000 bat-feet (3,050m) high. In June, each female gives birth to one pup, and every night at dusk, the families take to the skies in search of food. The spectacle of 1.5 million bats flitting forth at once looks a lot like a fast-moving, black, chittering river. It's become an Austin tradition to bring along a six-pack and cheer the bats as they head out to feast on an estimated 30,000lbs (13,500kg) of insects per night.