If it’s hot and you need a place to cool yourself off, I know the perfect place to go. It’s got rope swings and sandy shores, boats and bats, cool water on sunny days, and plenty of other great features. What is this place? It’s my favorite place in Austin, ironically enough, Lake Austin.

If bats are your thing, you’ll definitely want to come to Congress Ave. Bridge, home of one of the largest bat colonies in the US. I’ve been there, to one of the largest attractions in Austin. The stillness and silence while I waited was maddening, I could hear my heart beating. Then, when night approached, I started hearing squeaks. Looking around to identify the noise, the sky blackened: due to the millions of bats drowning out the sky!

So, the bats are cool, but my favorite feature about Lake Austin is boating. Whether it’s wakeboarding or relaxing, there’s fun to be had for everyone in boating. What makes it better than boating anywhere else in Austin is because of the water quality. The water that is pulled from the bottom of Lake Travis (Lake Austin is a constant level lake) so the water is always cool, even on the hottest days. The lake is also narrow, which means a wave and bump reduction.

These are only some reasons why you should visit Lake Austin. I hope you see why it’s my favorite place!

Dark, damp, cold.

This, this wretched place; is where I live. It reflects me in more ways than one. This dark, empty place. Like my heart, I need someone to share this loneliness and darkness with. If only Christine was here with me, to cast the shadows away. If only…

My lair, with its lonely organ and deep, mirror-like lake, is far from welcoming. The labyrinth under the opera house holds no surprises around its many corners for me. The nooses hanging from the ceiling, as ominous as they would seem, haven’t caught anyone, as nobody ever comes for a “friendly visit”.

My lair is a lonely, terrible wreck. I’ve tried to leave, but everywhere I go, I’m turned down. Here, in a cruel, unfeeling way, is where I belong.