Austin Area Info

Austin is the proud home of the Lake Austin Spa Resort, which was recently ranked as the number one destination spa in all of North America.  The special designation was awarded to the spa based on the results of a reader’s poll in the Conde Nast Traveler.  Of course, the fact that the people chose the resort as the number one destination spa makes the recognition even more special.

Conde Nast readers aren’t the only ones that adore the spa resort.  In fact, it also received recognition as one of the best vacation spas in Allure last month. 

The resort has earned this recognition for many reasons.  In part, it is due to the simple charm and elegance of the buildings as well as the antique fixtures and décor found throughout the resort.  The spa also

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The Fourth of July is right around the corner and, if you live in Austin or if you are planning to visit the area during the holiday, you certainly want to know about the many different fireworks displays and other forms of celebration that are taking place in the area. 

Every year, the city of Austin used to put on a fantastic fireworks display over Lady Bird Lake (Which used to be called Town Lake), but the annual celebration now takes place at Zilker Park.  Not only can you enjoy some amazing pyrotechnics at the celebration, the Austin Symphony Orchestra is also planning to perform at the event.

More than 100,000 people usually attend this event each year, which officially begins at 8:30 pm.  If you are planning to join in the celebration, you

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If you are looking for a place to cool down in Austin, you will be happy to know that there are plenty of public swimming pools available for your enjoyment.  Here is a look at just a few:

• Barton Springs Pool – located near Barton Hills, this pool can be found on 3 acres of hillside land.  It features a shallow end for children as well as a deep end where floats are permitted to be used.  The average temperature of this pool, which is fed by a natural spring, is 68 degrees throughout the year.
• Clarksville Wading Pool – a small wading pool located in Clarksville.
• Deep Eddy Pool – part of the Deep Eddy Bathing Beach, this pool is large enough to swim laps or to simply relax in the wading

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Back in 2005, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. drew some negative attention when it announced that it would be opening a new campus over the Edwards Aquifer.  At the time, environmental organizations were quite upset at the thought of creating the $270 million campus, primarily because of the environmental sensitivity of the area.

The Sunnyvale, California-based company managed to silence nay-sayers, however, by implementing a few initiatives.  First, the company used environmentally-friendly materials in order to build the campus.  In addition, they built the facility utilizing what is known as a sustainable design.  The company has also developed plans to limit its impact on the quality of water and is working toward receiving Gold certification from the

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The Community Impact Newspaper reports that ground was recently broken on the new Cedar Park Events Center to be located on New Hope Drive. The new facility will cost an estimated $55 million to complete, with the city providing $43 million of the necessary funding.

The new facility, which will be the new home for the Texas Stars Hockey Club will encompass a total of 181,000 square feet of space.  The 16 acre development will include 91,000 square feet of commercial development as well as 91,000 square feet of retail space.  In all, the facility will offer 6,800 seats and will be utilized for a number of different events in addition to hockey.  Some of these include tennis, basketball, ice shows, boxing, and even community events such as meetings and

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If you are someone that is interested in pursuing a career in art, you will be happy to hear that the Art Institute of Austin has officially opened its doors.  Located near Toll 45 and IH 35, the institute opened on March 31 and has over 100 students enrolled in its programs.

The 38,000 square foot Art Institute of Austin used to house office space, but now contains an audio production booth, a computer lab, and several classrooms for burgeoning artists to learn more about their craft.  In fact, the new facility offers bachelor’s degrees in a number of different areas within the art field, including:

• Animation
• Audio Production
• Fashion Retail Management
• Graphic Design
• Interactive Media
• Interior

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Killeen, which is located near to Austin, is working toward creating the first zero-emission energy recycling oxidation system power plant.  According to the Killeen Daily Herald, the city council has decided to start negotiations regarding the plant, which will likely be housed at the Killeen Transfer Station site on Hwy 195.

The plant will cost an estimated $250 million to $300 million to build, with the expense being paid for by private investors.  As such, the city will not need to make any bond payments in order to complete the project, which is expected to be completed in about three years if all goes as planned.

With the help of the new plant, hazardous organic waste will be chemically broken down in order to create power.  Some of the waste to

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If you have children, whether they are young or teens, you will find that there is plenty to see and to do as a family in the Austin area.  Here is a look at just a few of the great attractions that Austin has to offer to families.

• Explore dozens of interactive exhibits at the Austin Children’s Museum
• Visit the Austin Nature and Science Center and take a walk down the Eco-Detective Trail, where you will encounter hands-on activities as well as close encounters with mammals, birds, and reptiles
• Take a swim or play in the pool fed by a spring at Deep Eddy
• Take a ride on the glass bottom boats at the Aquarena Center in San Marcos and look at exhibits of endangered species of animals
• Tike a

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Austin is home to a great variety of cultural and natural opportunities.  From magnificent natural landforms to man made attractions, Austin is a great place to learn about history an science while still having a good time.

The Candle Factory

Learn how candles are made at The Candle Factory.  Here, guests can watch as basket candles and satin-finished tapers are created.

Historic Georgetown

The nearby historic Georgetown is one of only nationally registered historic districts.  The Georgetown History and Visitor Information Center provides detailed information of the district’s history and sites.

The Chisholm Trail

The historic Chisholm Trail features eight different buildings that all date back to before the Civil War.  In addition, these homes are…

Despite all of the talk of a recession and a troubled economy, you would have a difficult time seeing signs of trouble if you were to visit Austin.  In fact, Austin has somehow managed to go against the norm and has been finding ways to prosper while much of the nation struggles with the current state of the economy.

One area that continues to boom in the city of Austin is employment.  In fact, when compared to national averages, Austin and the state of Texas are both outperforming the majority of the country.  According to recent reports, the total number of nonfarm employment rose by 2.6% in Texas when comparing April 2007 to April 2008.  Overall, the United States has only seen a 0.3% raise during that same period of time.  In addition, the seasonally…