A Million Bats in Austin
Posted on Feb 08, 2010 under Travel | No CommentOutside my junior high school, there was a cliff and small cave where a few bats wheeled around at dusk. Years later, I had a chance to see over a million bats exit Carlsbad Caverns, a dark cloud of Mexican freetail bats swirling out from the Natural Entrance and into the sky; however, today, if I want to do some bat-watching, I’d make my way to Austin, Texas, and watch the million and a half of the free tail bats pour out from the Congress Avenue Bridge. I’ve seen it before, and it’s an astonishing show of nature that occurs nightly in the Texas state capital.
To see this sight, go to the top of the bridge or from below, and wait for dusk. You’ll want to bring along a hat as well, when these creatures make their entrance into the sky. You’ll find on Congress Street a sculpture to honor this creature, titled Nightwing. The bats are, of course, only one of the things that make Austin a favorite city of mine. Afterwards, you’ll have a choice of great music and great restaurants (all seeming to have an abundance of chips and original recipes for queso dip. Most of the time, though, I’m in the mood for taking some time out with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake or pie, and that means Mozart’s, a great little coffee shop on the banks of Austin Town Lake.
If you’re in the city, take a night out, see the bats and have a cup of joe at Mozart’s with friends. After that, while the million and a half bats take care of any pesky mosquitoes, you can find in Austin hotels that are the best you’ll find anywhere for a great night’s sleep.
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