Austin - Category of Backgroud

Austin spreads about twenty miles northsouth and eighteen miles eastwest, severed by I-35 (between Dallas and San Antonio) to the east. The Colorado River runs south of downtown. Flights come in at the tasteful Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (tel 512/530-2242). Eight miles southeast of downtown at the intersection of highways 71 and 183, it takes about twenty minutes to get downtown by taxi (Yellow Checker Cabs; tel 512/472-1111; around $25) or by SuperShuttle vans (tel 512/258-3826, www.supershuttle.com ; $11) while the #100 bus runs approximately once an hour to the campus and downtown (MonFri 5am11pm, Sat 7am11pm, Sun 8am10.30pm) for a bargain fare of 50.

Austin has a good public transportation system. The Capital METRO bus runs downtown, crosstown and through the campus for a flat fare of 50 (express services charge a dollar), with additional shuttle routes for students distinguishable by the longhorn emblem beside the route number (MonFri 5.30am12.30am, times vary widely on Sat & Sun). Schedules are available from the Customer Service Center at 801 Congress Ave (MonFri 8am5pm), or you can call the METRO information line on 512/474-1200. The Dillo, also run by METRO, is a free downtown trolley system, running along five routes, including three out to the UT campus, every ten to forty minutes between 6.30am and 8.30pm on weekdays; limited schedule on weekends. Bicycles can be rented from Bicycle Sport Shop, 1426 Toomey Rd (MonFri 10am7pm, Sat 9am6pm, Sun 11am5pm; tel 512/477-3472). Walking is an easy and pleasant way of getting around; organized walking tours leave from the south entrance of the capitol (MarchNov Sat 2pm, Sun 9am; tel 512/478-0098).

The visitor center is at 201 E Second St (MonFri 8.30am5pm, Sat & Sun 9am5pm; tel 512/478-0098 or 1-800/926-2282, www.austintexas.org ) and there's a State Tourist Information Center (daily 9am5pm; tel 512/305-8400) in the foyer of the state capitol (free), with changing exhibits of Texacana and a video presentation. The post office is at 510 Guadalupe St (MonFri 7am6.30pm, Sat 8am3pm; tel 512/494-2210; zip code 78701).

AUSTIN was only a tiny community on the verdant banks of the (Texas) Colorado River when Mirabeau B. Lamar, president of the Republic, suggested in 1839 that it would make a better capital. Early building had to be done under armed guard, as angry Comanche watched from the surrounding hills, but despite its perilous location, the city thrived.

These days it wears its status as capital of Texas very lightly; sightseeing rates as a low priority against simply hanging out. Since the 1960s, this laid-back and progressive city has been a haven for artists, musicians and writers. Many visitors come specifically for the music . Local musicians are renowned for their innovative reworkings of Texas's country, folk and R&B heritage, often severing their rural roots to use Austin's enthusiastic environment as a springboard to national recognition. Janis Joplin had her start here in the early 1960s, and at the end of that decade, Austin was second only to San Francisco in its adherence to the ''turn on, tune in, drop out'' philosophy, with locals coining the term ''headneck'' to describe themselves. Musicians hungry for fame still tumble out of buses from all over Texas to seek their fortunes in the literally hundreds of live venues.

Austin is one of the few cities in the state where cycling is a viable alternative to driving. It may not have completely avoided the usual problems of urban growth thanks to a sizeable population leap. But it feels wonderfully safe for visitors, even women traveling alone, and the presence of the vast UT campus adds to the atmosphere, even if almost every shop and streetlamp is adorned with the unsightly brown and white colors of the college's Longhorns football team.

Within the city limits a great park system offers numerous hiking and biking trails and a wonderful spring-fed swimming pool. Looking further afield, Austin makes a fine base for exploring the green Hill Country that rolls away to the west.