DOWNTOWN. Between March and November, more than a million-and-a-half free-tail bats spend their summer days under this prominent bridge (whose structure facilitates their habitats) and come out in the darkness to catch and eat thousands of pounds of insects nightly. It's quite an awe-inspiring spectacle to behold and can take all the bats more than a half-hour to take flight at times of heaviest concentration. The best time to catch sight is around 8:30pm.

UNIVERSITY AREA. The mile-long stretch of Guadalupe Street adjacent to the University of Texas campus has been called "The Drag" for decades, and the cruising along this eclectic strip is best done on foot. Students shuffle to class with cell phones attached, hipsters sip iced lattes and browse boutiques, and the homeless youth known as Drag Rats hit everyone up for change.

6TH STREET. Considered the soul of Austin, this crossroads of culture and commerce draws freaks, suits, students, and people-watchers. Congressmen share sidewalk space with professional doomsayers and families in the shadow of downtown high-rises, and you're bound to catch a regrettable glimpse of Leslie, Austin's most celebrated homeless dude who dresses in drag and sports a nasty thong.

BARTON SPRINGS DISTRICT. Austin legend Vaughan, who died tragically in 1990, is remembered here in bronze. The famed Dallas-born guitarist had deep roots in Austin, and this statue has been one of the city's top attractions since it was erected in 1993. On Texas's official Stevie Ray Vaughan Day (his birthday, October 3), you'll find the statue surrounded by flowers and candles.

DOWNTOWN. A grand, red-granite edifice befitting the Lone Star state, this building was completed in 1888 in Renaissance Revival style. The nation's largest state capitol, Austin's landmark can be seen from throughout the city, and its visual prominence is protected by law. Named to the National Register of Historic Places, the structure also offers lovely grounds and, thanks to major expansions in 1993, still houses a host of government offices. The Texas Capitol Visitors Center is located on the grounds at 112 E 11th Street in a castle-like building dating to 1857.