Things to do outside Austin (Houston, Spring: find a job, construction, to live in)

[Av119]

My wife and i are considering relocating from PDX to Austin (hate the constant gloom and rain among other things) Prior we had been considering Phoenix area but its too ugly and dry there. So couple questions.

1. How humid does it feel in Austin at it's "worst"? Is it carry-spare-clothes humid? A couple friends who said they visited made a big deal. When I'm in Hawaii I love the humidity, but not sure how it compares.

2. What is there to do outside Austin area? We had considered Az cuz we could shoot up to the Sedona or visit the Grand Canyon area. I like to flyfish and We enjoy the outdoors so where can I visit some stunning nature within a 3hr drive. I'm not familiar with the terrain.

3. I'm assuming it's a non issue from what I gather but have to ask. My wife is Hispanic (one reason we decided to skip on AZ) and wonder if we could face any of the same BS going on in AZ.

thanks.

[h886]

It is very hot in Austin and often very humid too. It just depends what you can tolerate. Some people do just fine and others are miserable. You need to remember that it is oppressively hot from May-September, pretty hot at times in April and October (it was in the 90's throughout much of April), and if you're the sort of person who can't take the heat, this is the wrong city for you. Visit first, preferably during the hot summer months. There are other cities in the country where you'll get more variation, where it gets into the high 90's and 100's, but only for a week or two each year. In Austin, you can expect those temps every day for about 4 months out of every year. You have to decide what you're looking for. On the flip side, we have great mild winters. It's always a trade off.

One key question is whether you and your wife could find employment in the Austin area. Austin is great, but not much fun if you can't find a job.

[Av119]

Heat isn't a problem. I used to live in the desert of North Washington and it could reach 115 in the summers and I worked construction at the time.

I'm looking for an answer to my other questions as those are more important than humidity to me.

And I'm a CEO of a tech company so employment isn't an issue.

[Campeador]

For TX, Austin is well located for nature enthusiasts. There are great trails for Mt. Biking, hiking, etc. close and probably the best thing is that you're close to a lot of cool water. We discovered that the best way to deal with the heat is to be near or in water. Plenty of rivers to float nearby and other swimming holes.

Austin is pretty far from truly impressive natural wonders though. Big Bend National Park is probably the closest, and it's 8-10 hours. You're spoiled in PDX with so much great outdoor rec. so close.

I think your wife will feel welcome. I think TX is a surprisingly good place for Hispanics. Of course there are ignorant folks, but generally things are good.

[hlk]

Hawaii is more humid, but Austin gets hotter. It rains less, and we're currently experiencing a drought. Temperatures in the upper 90s to low 100s can last for weeks at a time during summer, without it really cooling off at night. Some days are humid and it's difficult to spend time outside, and some are more dry and breezy and pretty comfortable by my standards. The humidity varies enough here that I don't feel it's that oppressive, but YMMV. It's humid compared to places like California and Arizona, but much more tolerable than Florida and the Deep South, in my experience.

[h886]

Originally Posted by Av119

2. What is there to do outside Austin area? We had considered Az cuz we could shoot up to the Sedona or visit the Grand Canyon area. I like to flyfish and We enjoy the outdoors so where can I visit some stunning nature within a 3hr drive. I'm not familiar with the terrain.

3. I'm assuming it's a non issue from what I gather but have to ask. My wife is Hispanic (one reason we decided to skip on AZ) and wonder if we could face any of the same BS going on in AZ.

To answer the other two, I wouldn't really say that Austin has "stunning nature" anywhere nearby, not in the same way you find on the west coast. Parts of central Texas are hilly--think gentle rolling hills, though, not big ones. Other parts are pretty flat. We have lakes that are pretty. You really need to visit. One person's nice scenery is another's ugly. Austin is basically the opposite of Portland in terms of geography and climate...

You'd have to be more specific in your concerns for the latter question. Austin has a huge Hispanic population. White/Hispanic couples are a non-issue. As for what the future will hold in terms of politics and immigration reform, I think it's hard to call on that one. Both TX and AZ are border states that face many of the same challenges.

[N. Olikee]

--Austin certainly is not humid like Houston or Hawaii. However, there are times when we have humidity.

--You are not going to find the dramatic differences in landscape that Arizona or Hawaii has here. I'ts not going to be Western Oregon. Yet, there are plenty of interesting and scenic places to go close by. I love the Hill Country. Yes, I have heard there is plenty of good fly-fishing around.....just south of here. Don't know too much because I don't fly-fish.

--Having a wife (or any relative or acquaintance) who is Hispanic is such a non-issue, it's not worth mentioning or worrying about.

[kddowning]

I am a new implant from DC-Baltimore area and we still haven't used our AC more than 15 mins since coming here (and it's June!) - fans work fine for us with high ceilings. Love the weather here - not too hot yet.

My husband is Latino and I am White and we have no issues. My husband hasn't had any issues. He is of PR-Dominican descent.

I think it is very subjective to ask how hot a place is - I think a far statement is if you like hot, come check out Austin, if you hate hot - stay away. Humidity appears to be much less than East Coast from my opinion.

I find TX beautiful by the way... I too love Hill Country, but I also love seeing all the Longhorns and farm animals as we drive around. Austin is much greener than I would have expected and charm in a variety of ways is defintely present here.

[eepstein]

My comments in red:

Originally Posted by Av119

My wife and i are considering relocating from PDX to Austin (hate the constant gloom and rain among other things) Prior we had been considering Phoenix area but its too ugly and dry there. So couple questions.

1. How humid does it feel in Austin at it's "worst"? Is it carry-spare-clothes humid? A couple friends who said they visited made a big deal. When I'm in Hawaii I love the humidity, but not sure how it compares.

With the exception of some more humid conditions early in the morning, Austin has a similar summer climate to Tucson. Very little rain, very hot in the afternoon (95-100), and extremely dry most afternoons and evenings. By dry, I mean very low humidity to the point where the heat index is normally below the actual temperature in the late afternoon.

2. What is there to do outside Austin area? We had considered Az cuz we could shoot up to the Sedona or visit the Grand Canyon area. I like to flyfish and We enjoy the outdoors so where can I visit some stunning nature within a 3hr drive. I'm not familiar with the terrain.

With the exception of the mountains in far west Texas, the state has virtually nothing to offer as far as natural beauty. When in central Texas you'll hear a lot about the "hillbilly country". This is an area of hills west of Austin with lots of short, bushlike trees and an overall BROWN and dry look. I guess it depends where you come from. I guess it's interesting if you are coming from Houston, or Florida.

3. I'm assuming it's a non issue from what I gather but have to ask. My wife is Hispanic (one reason we decided to skip on AZ) and wonder if we could face any of the same BS going on in AZ.

Nah, i doubt it. Texas is pretty much a "free for all" state. Considering hispanics now make up close to 30% of the population, I doubt you'll have any problems.

thanks.

[hoffdano]

Austin doesn't have beauty like Hawaii, central Switzerland, or Sydney Australia. But we have more than rolling hills - we have steep cliffs, big trees, especially sturdy crazy live oaks, beautiful lakes with great water quality, and generally rugged terrain. It is certainly not fake manmade stuff like Palm Springs or Las Vegas.

Fly fishing is not as prevalent as fishing for bass with spinning tackle, but the Guadalupe river is stocked with rainbows. Lake Travis is an excellent fishing lake with at least four varieties of micropterus and many others. Lake Buchanan is noted for sizable striped bass.