Austin, Texas, is just an incredible place to visit.

Austin has a variety of places to stay, ranging from hotels that cater to the business crowd, motels that cater to families, bed & breakfasts inns, spas and even RV parks and camping sites.

While Austin probably has a reputation for beef, music and beer, there is food for every taste, even for vegetarians. Music is a mainstay, and you can find fabulous music every night of the week in clubs and bars.

There is something for every member of the family. A children's museum is good for an afternoon trip and, while not specifically geared towards children, there's a river boat tour that the kids would love. Lush parks can be found around Austin as well. And have you ever heard of disc (Frisbee) golf? Give it a try. There are two public (regular) golf courses for the adults too.

Austin hosts a number of special weekend events, most of them can be interesting for anyone. Here's a partial list of regular events around the Austin area:

• Old Settler's Music Festival - acoustic jazz and blues, bluegrass, local favorites, arts and crafts, camping, food and drink
• Austin Reggae Festival - live reggae music from dozens of performers, ethnic food, arts and crafts vendors. This festival benefits hungry families in central Texas.
• Texas Hill Country Food & Wine Festival - wine tastings, wine auction, cooking demonstrations, seminars, live music

For shopping, there are vintage clothing stores, souvenir shops, art galleries, toy stores, malls and boutiques.

Definitely check out the Austin, Texas, tourism board at www.austin texas.org for an incredible interactive experience. Another good website is http://austin.about.com . Between the two, you can plan out your trip, making it exactly what you want. (You can even sign up for their newsletters, which will keep you updated on the future weekend events.) Scouting out a Barnes & Noble or Borders may also reward you with some great Austin travel guides too, so don't neglect the books that are out there.

You can't beat Austin for a good old time.