cosmopolitan culture reinforced with Texas hospitality, Austin has plenty to offer both on the water and off.

There’s also this little gem: “No person shall operate a gas-powered motor vessel on the waters of Town Lake, except with the permission of the city.” That local ordinance translates into six wake-free miles of smooth water on this dammed section of the Colorado River. Formerly known as Town Lake, it was renamed in honor of Lady Bird Johnson, the former first lady who led the campaign to make the lake into a center of outdoor

Austin Rowing Club members; Sara-Mai Conway

recreation lined with parks and encircled by a 10-mile hike and bike trail. These factors, and Austin’s mild climate, make it one of the most pleasant places to row in America, particularly in winter and spring when college programs from as far away as Chicago and Michigan come to Austin to train. The weather offers just enough challenge—hot and sticky in the summer, and the occasional chill Blue Norther in the winter—so that you won’t take the reliably fine weather completely for granted.

The rowing scene in Austin is very active, with more than 1,000 rowers and four boathouses. Programs are available for juniors and masters, scullers and sweep rowers. The city’s three community boathouses have available rack space for singles, and Austin Rowing Club and Texas Rowing Center boast a well-maintained fleet of team boats. The seven yearly regattas include the Heart of Texas, a 1,000-meter spring classic, and the Head of the Colorado in the fall. The University of Texas varsity women’s and coed club programs also train here.

The boathouses are all downtown, close to restaurants, cafes and bars. Austin’s famed Sixth Street is just a short stroll from Austin Rowing Club, and in the summer you don’t even have to leave the water to see the live music that Austin is famous for: the Austin City Limits festival broadcasts from the banks of Lady Bird Lake.  

Morning on Lady Bird Lake; Kourt De Haas

The preponderance of rib joints (try Artz on South Lamar), Tex-Mex taquerias (El Chile on Congress Ave) and Lone-Star belt buckles leave no doubt that you’re in Texas. But Austin also boasts an edgy, iconoclastic vibe—and a “keep Austin weird” campaign dedicated to its preservation.

Rowing Almanac isn’t the first publication to praise Austin, either. The Travel Channel named it “America’s #1 College Town.” Travel & Leisure magazine ranks Austinites as the second most-friendly people in America, and Money magazine ranked Austin third on its “Best Big City to Live” list in 2009.

#3 Cape Coral,
Florida

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