If you ever find yourself in position to fly private, I recommend flying from this fixed based…read moreoperator. I was there on business and couldn't help but be in awe of this facility. However this is definitely not for the faint of heart. While I do not know if they offer any affordable options for the middle class, the first class options are top notch

Spotless, simple, and elegant. Definitely is very soothing for the OCD me!…read more The only suggestion I would like to propose is if could provide some kids books and fresh fruits.

This was my second time flying through Austin- Bergstrom International Airport and I am a fan. The…read morefirst thing I noticed was that the airport is very accessible for drop offs and pick ups. I have not navigated the parking there, but the drop off is right in front of the ticket counters and the pick up is right outside the door from the baggage claim. I also like the fact that the TSA pre-check is in a separate area from the regular TSA gates. Once I get through the TSA check the airport opens up into the gate area, so I'm not walking down corridors. It's all right there. Another thing that stands out about this airport as they have some really cool Austin inspired food and gift shops. I like how they incorporate the city and the music history and the food as if it's an extension of Austin itself. This airport stands out for the accessibility, the convenience and the atmosphere

flying back to ontario ca at gate 3…read more very busy today!! this international airport has a single terminal which is known as the barbara jordan !! expansions are under construction to accommodate commercial flights!!! local food as well as austin brand merchandising sold on retail !! none of food chain restaurants here ... it's local businesses being patronized here ....cool!! few eateries to mention are: earl campbell tacos flyeite chicken the peached tortilla medici coffee tacodeli annies cafe second bar + kitchen hut's hamburger salt lick bbq salvation pizza mad greens salad parkside restaurant hippies & hops restaurant austin city market mt comfort coffee ruta maya and many more

My brother in law (BIL) will be visiting us in Texas from Chicago for the summer starting in June…read more I was supposed to return to work after vacation on Tuesday, but I am too jetlagged for intensive work. Thus, I will not be starting back to work until next Monday. I have some time this week to recover and do a little scouting for things to do for my BIL. We have taken my BIL to most popular spots in Austin, however, we were looking for some new things to do. Thus, I headed to the Austin Visitors Center located on 5th Street near Congress. Let me be the first to say that the Austin Visitor Center has completed changed since I was there last. The last time I visited they were giving out maps, bluebonnet seeds and other trinkets. It is a full-on operation now...y'all! The Austin Visitor center has transformed into a one-stop shop for travel info, local recommendations, and shopping (yes...shopping!). Shopping includes clothing, hats, magnets, stuffed animals, to name just a few. Wow...I was not ready for this paparazzi of items. Other services include free maps and guides, tour booking services, free Wi Fi, restrooms, charging stations and luggage storage for a small fee. In addition, their coffee shop, 5th and Brew, is a nice respite for tourists. The space is large and spacious. The ladies in the Austin Visitor Center were super sweet and helpful! Such a pleasant experience.... Great space...excellent services.

When friends and family come to visit, I send them here (or I sometimes accompany them)…read more You can get anything here, from gifts and souvenirs to maps and coffee (they have a cafe). Tours are booked in and out of the center as well. A good idea if you only have limited time in Austin and want to see as much as possible. It's truly a welcoming place and a great representation of our city. I also like that there is a large room with comfy seating to rest your weary feet after a day of sightseeing, or to prep for your day of exploration. I can't say enough nice things about this place. It's clean and modern. The staff are so incredibly knowledgeable about everything related to Austin. Super friendly too.

When Steve and I were planning our trip to Austin, Texas we realized fairly quickly that we didn't…read moreknow the city very well at all. In previous vacations we took bus tours to get a little bit more familiar with the city and that is what we did with Austin. Only this time we rode a Double Decker bus! I have seen this kind of bus tour here and there and have seen it when I am in Seattle. Officially I think after this particular bus tour it was my first time riding a Double Decker bus. The weather was typical spring weather on our entire visit but the day we chose to take this tour it was nice and warm and a perfect time to go ride this bus followed by rain for a few days (This took place in April). The ride was so much fun and the tour guide was great! Austin is definitely a different cut than the rest of Texas and that was reflected in many of the people we met. Open mindedness being one and we really felt that with the tour guide. He was so knowledgeable of the city and the neighborhoods and all that made this bus tour all the more amazing. But of course they would probably have staff with personalities that would be compatible in this way. Riding on the top of the bus was so much fun. A few times we had to duck from tree branches and I lowered my head a few times from the traffic lights but that was just me getting nervous with being that high to a light. You see all the sights, famous buildings, museums, local culture, restaurant recommendations and so much more while on this tour. So this was a great experience! I was in Austin proper once a very long time ago and saw just how much it's grown. So it was cool getting acquainted with the city one more time thanks to this bus tour!

I was so looking forward to finally taking a tour of the city. I've been coming here visiting my…read moreson for the last dozen or so years and I've never done it. At first, I sat on the upper level. It was wonderful to be out in the fresh air. However, the sun was a little too much for me so I had to move down to the inside area. I was the only one down there which was fine, but it was really quite filthy. There was thick gray dust on the top rail of all the seats and the fabric on the seats themselves was all thick with black grease. The tour guide was really wonderful. Entertaining and knowledgeable with one exception that was actually kind of disturbing to me personally. When we got to South Congress he talked about the "I love you so much" wall. His story of a husband painting it for his wife could not have been more wrong. It was in fact done by an artist named Amy for her then girlfriend Liz an infamous Austin hotelier and restauranteur. It is an incredibly iconic part of Austin history and if it's told it should be not fiction. I hope for sure this can be corrected for future tours.

I may be late to casual personal events but when it comes to air travel, call me Early Bird. I…read moreleave nothing to chance when it comes to dealing with airport security & logistics snafus that can add uncertainty to getting on the plane on time. The hidden benefit is that I often have lots of extra time to stroll the concourse, get some steps in & blood flow going, and check out the interesting innovations, public art installations, and local flavor of the airports on my itinerary. Imagine my delight to find this little pocket of whimsy at the east end of the Barbara Jordan Terminal near Gate 14 (as if you're headed toward Delta and the Public Patio). The first indication of mystery is the infinity symbol on an overhead sign that would otherwise name a vendor or amenity. I simply had to stop & check it out. Procedure: Look at all the creative decor and signage. Smile. Step up to the kiosk, answer the questions, and generate your boarding pass (only virtual now, after originally being printable). Imagine yourself phasing through the physical barriers of reality into a different dimension of space & time! Verdict: Fun for all ages of folks with a good imagination, sense of humor, and decent reading habit in the sci-fi and fantasy genre. Cost: Zero dollars and just a few moments of time. Worth it!

This was cool for a minute, but is this really the best use of space at the airport? We're going to…read morewaste a row of chairs at that gate for half chairs because.... art? I'm over it, sorry.

I went on the first Digital Nomad trip to Costa Rica and absolutely loved it. They provided us with…read moregood accommodations, a 24/7 co-working space (with views of the jungle and ocean), and amazing food (all breakfasts and several group dinners covered). Of course, the company was awesome and I hope to travel with several of my new friends again. Several activities were also part of the trip, including a guided tour through the national park and a hike to some beautiful waterfalls. There was also plenty of optional activities, like kayaking, food tours, and zip-lining. Essentially, you could make the trip as busy or relaxed as you wanted and as your schedule would allow. By the end of my time in Costa Rica, I felt confident to travel out on my own and had some local places where I felt more like a "regular." That was in large part thanks to the Digital Nomad/U30X team for setting us up so well.

I just returned a few weeks ago from the first Digital Nomad Trip, which was in Costa Rica, and…read morewish I could have stayed longer! None of us knew what to expect going into it, but it exceeded my expectations and I had an incredible month with an amazing group of people. I wanted a change of scenery, to experience something new and exciting and meet some awesome people. This is exactly what I got out of this experience, and more. I enjoyed staying in the same location for the month and really getting to know the local places and people. Working during the week there was quite flawless and it was just business as usual. There was wifi all over the hostel and a coworking space open to us everyday. The weekend activities were varied and fun, and it was nice that it was all set up for us. We also did some excursions that we booked on our own during a free day, so you still have a choice of how you spend your time there. The upscale hostel we stayed at was a great place to be during our time in Manuel Antonio and DNT did a good job picking an accommodation in a prime location, which was close to lots of restaurants, supermarkets and the beach. I felt like I was able to really immerse myself in my surroundings as much or as little as I wanted. Before the trip departed, there was always someone readily available by email to help answer any questions or concerns I had, and it did help me feel more prepared for the trip. There are also emails sent out with a packing list and all other necessary info needed to get ready. Overall it was the best month I could have asked for and I can't wait to do another DNT month.

Pretty good hotel with a nice clean lobby and nice folks working there. Rooms are pretty good but…read morea bit on the smaller side. It kinda feels like an Aloft meets W hotels and they had a baby named Origin. Very much an Ian Schrager vibe to the design. Parking structure right across the street or you can valet for a fee.

The lobby here absolutely REEKS, worse than any hotel I've ever been in in my life. Have you people…read morenot heard of endocrine-system-disrupting phthalates??? The bathroom sink water comes out in a trickle and only in cold water. The toiletries are toxic. If you have to call the hotel, you get some idiot at a call center for Wyndham Hotels, and they are useless. Other than that it was a fine place to stay. My favorite parts were the no carpeting in the room, the huge window, the little secret outdoor lounge area, the bedbug-free bed, the free postcard, and the proximity of sweetgreen, lol. But damn! That disgusting-smelly lobby, and even into the elevators.... It was almost like they were trying to cover up a different bad smell, like sewage or something, maybe.

This is the area where hundreds gather to watch millions of bats take flight at sunset. The bats…read moreexit from underneath the Congress Bridge and the smell of corn chips lets you know they're coming. That's right, these Mexican free-tailed bats smell like corn chips. I've done this several times as a visitor and a resident. Every now and again we'll walk over from home (if it's not too hot) to get some exercise in as well. The observation center provides knowledgeable and educational information on the bats. As you can imagine, this is a crazy-popular activity and during tourist season (summer) it tends to get extremely busy. The best time to catch our winged friends for their departure is between the months of March and October. This spectacle is something I never tire of.

EVERYONE be Aware of this parking lot. We followed google map got into this parking lot for Bat…read moreObservation Center. We entered the lot with no gate or lot attendant at front. Lot was full with no open spot. We wait 30 minutes for parking than we left. One week later we received a bill statement almost $100 just because we entered the lot. what a SCAM. They said there is a sign when entering the lot stating no free parking. But the sign was hang on the fence and small, see picture. They should have attendant or gate let peoples know what's the fee is and sign if parking lot is FULL. Will file complaint in BBB as well