Family fun in Austin, Texas

As the bat boat approaches the bridge, the chatter is audible from above. We are entering the danger zone.

The captain warns us not to look up. Anyone who has been slimed by a seagull on a South Jersey boardwalk knows what he's talking about.

Every spring, 800,000 Mexican free-tailed bats -- many of them pregnant females -- roost under the Congress Avenue bridge that spans Lady Bird Johnson Lake. As traffic rumbles across the bridge, the colony enjoys a good day's sleep before emerging at dusk to feast on Austin's bug life.

The bats are not only good for tourism -- they do a darn good job at pest control. There's virtually no sign of mosquitoes around town.

Watching the bats' nightly takeoff is just one family activity that my wife and daughters enjoyed over a long weekend here. We feasted on Southern barbecue, toured the University of Texas and the state Capitol, and browsed quirky shops.

At the lake, we're hardly alone. People line the bridge's walkway, and boats bob. Kids play with glow sticks, and tour boat operators count dollars. This bat thing is a happening.

Finally, the creepy creatures send out a couple of bat scouts, just as our captain predicted, though he isn't sure what it is they scout.

Then the bats begin dropping out from under the bridge and flying like you know what. The flight can go on for as long as 45 minutes in the peak season, August, when the pups learn to fly.

As sunset draws near, we head back to the dock, and I finally have a good answer for my daughters, Delaney, 16, and Kacey, 12, for why we came to Austin: Who else do you know who has gone bat watching? When we first decided to visit the Texas capital, the girls' reactions were hardly "yee haw." I had never been to the Lone Star State, but I had heard good things about Austin, I told them, and the price was right, thanks to mom's business trip.

Temperatures in the mid-70s in mid-March didn't hurt, either.

THINGS TO DO

After flying most of the day, we waste little time before checking out a Texas staple -- barbecue. We head to the Salt Lick (512-858-4959, saltlickbbq.com), about a 35-minute drive into Texas Hill Country. Established in 1967, the Salt Lick has four dining rooms and an outdoor pavilion where more than a few cowboys and friends kick back with a cooler of beer while they wait for their table inside on this cool evening.

We're hungry enough to tackle the all-you-can-eat, family-style dinner at $18.95 per mouth. The platters of beef, sausage, and pork ribs, served with potato salad, coleslaw, beans, bread, pickles, and onions, hit the spot.

The next morning, we find out how Texans can eat all that barbecue and stay fit. They exercise -- a lot. Last year, the third annual American Fitness Index, computed by the American College of Sports Medicine, listed Austin as the 10th-fittest city in the country (Philadelphia was 26th.) It's easy to see why when we come across Lady Bird Johnson Trail outside our hotel. Rush-hour walkers, runners, and cyclists fill the path that circles the lake. Everyone exudes fitness, and there isn't a Tastykake to be found.

Along one stretch of the loop is the city's dog park, which my wife, Kerry, calls the happiest place in Austin. In the no-leash-required zone, canines frolic and fetch, sniff and splash, and chase tails to their hearts' content. It's all very laid back and entertaining for dog lovers like Kacey, who could spend the day there.

But in keeping with the morning's fitness theme, we head to the awakening Warehouse District to see what kind of businessman Austin's favorite son is (Sorry, Stephen F.).

Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop is owned by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong (512-473-0222, mellowjohnnys.com). Who knew? The shop's name comes from a nickname Armstrong earned in the Tour de France, maillot jaune, French for the Tour leader's yellow jersey. Somehow from that came Mellow Johnny's.

Armstrong's shop is worth the stop. On display are his Tour yellow jerseys and enough high-end bikes to equip several packed pelotons.

We pick up a couple of T-shirts and a tip for anyone who hopes to catch Armstrong in the store: Get there early. A store clerk says he makes unannounced visits before it opens.

"I hate when he does that," the young woman says with a smile.

Next, it's on to the University of Texas (utexas.edu), home to 48,000 students. With Delaney just a couple years from college, a campus tour might be useful. She likes the compact campus; me, too, but a little more grass and a little less concrete would make it even more appealing.

The UT Tower is the most recognizable landmark and symbol. At 307 feet, the 27-floor tower, designed by Paul Cret of Philadelphia and completed in 1937, can be seen from almost anywhere in Austin.

For me, the tour wouldn't be complete without checking out the football stadium. With row after row of burnt-orange seats, Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is an impressive structure -- better looking than Beaver Stadium (sorry, Penn State fans) -- though lacking in tailgating real estate. Guarding one entrance is a larger-than-life statue of Longhorn legend Earl Campbell. At least I think it's larger than life; Campbell was a monster.

Hungry once again, we head to the Drag, the commercial district that serves the college crowd. We pass on a joint called Texadelphia for more local fare. Afterward, we hit the shopping strip with wall-to-wall burnt-orange garb and gear and stores paying homage to UT heroes such as Campbell and Roger Clemens (Texans must be loyal). "Keep Austin Weird" signs and T-shirts are everywhere in the Drag, billed as a funky, eclectic shopping district.

SHOPPING

The next day, though, we find really offbeat shopping on South Congress Avenue, down the road from the bat colony. SoCo, as it's called, is hip and nostalgic. Our first stop is Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, a costume shop and vintage-clothing emporium that boasts everything from Elvis jumpsuits to brocade swashbucklers' coats. Rumor has it that Bob Dylan shopped here for his retro wear (lucyindisguise.com).

For more traditional Texas duds, Allen's Boots has an amazing array of boots, cowboy hats, and trophy-size belt buckles. These boots are works of art, with price tags to match, although there are some bargains starting around $150. We ogle a few pairs in the $1,000 range and a limited-edition alligator-belly masterpiece by the elite boot maker Lucchese -- just 125 in existence, just $12,500 a pair (allensboots.com).

For those who don't mind wearing another cowboy's footwear, there's Uncommon Objects, where vintage boots share space with all sorts of antiques, junque, and kitsch (uncommonobjects.com).

Delaney and Kacey fail to appreciate the funky objets d'art from their parents' childhoods, so we stroll down to the sweetest spot in town -- the Big Top Candy Shop (facebook.com/bigtopcandyshop).

Greatest candy store ever. It's like a candy museum, with everything from high-end truffles to gummies in bulk. There is nostalgia (remember cinnamon toothpicks?), romance (adult-themed chewing gum), and adventure (chocolate-covered bacon). We stock up on enough sugar and calories to power us through the rest of our trip.

From South Congress, we stroll down Sixth Avenue, the Live Music Capital of the World's party district. It's early afternoon, and the bars and clubs are beginning to stir.

Just a few blocks away, on one of Austin's highest points, stands the Texas-size state Capitol (512-305-8400, tspb.state.tx.us). Completed in 1888, it is the largest state capitol and, at 310 feet, stands nearly as tall as the U.S. Capitol.

On a kid-friendly, 45-minute tour of the complex, we pass portraits of Texas icons and paintings of legendary battles and learn a few interesting nuggets about Texas history. Who knew that the flags of six nations have flown over Texas territory -- Spain, France, Mexico, the Confederate States of America, the United States, and the Republic of Texas, which was led by Virginia native Sam Houston.

As our last day in Texas winds down, we drive 35 minutes northwest to Lake Travis to take in a sunset. I'm skeptical. I've watched sunsets in the Florida Keys and Hawaii and a sunrise in Maine, but Texas? Come on.

Sitting on an outdoor deck at the Oasis ("Sunset Capital of Texas") restaurant, 450 feet above Lake Travis, we enjoy a good meal, kick back, and watch the sun set in the west.

Turns out Texas can do sunsets, too.