You KNOW that you have seen them driving on downtown streets and floating on Lake Austin, but do you know what those giant-wheeled, awning-topped things full of screaming and singing tourists are doing in our town? Or what the heck they are? They are the amphibious vehicles known as the Austin Ducks.

Texas State Cemetary offers history lesson amidst pleasant, landscaped grounds.

If you haven't been to the State Cemetery in a while, you owe yourself a visit. It holds intrinsic fascination, all the more so since its recent renovation. Appalled by the site's neglected condition, the late former lieutenant governor Bob Bullock initiated the extensive makeover in 1997. His vision was for children to learn more about Texas history with one trip to the cemetery than they would in a whole school semester. That goal is handily realized on these 18 acres, with features modern and ancient.

When the weather here in Austin turns cold or cloudy, there are many indoor activities available throughout the town and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum downtown at MLK and Congress is right at the top of fun things to see. It’s not just another boring old dusty museum, it’s the newest museum in Austin and it offers three floors of interactive exhibits that appeal to all ages as well as Austin’s only IMAX Theatre. Physical exhibits and media programs are augmented by recreated environments that bring home the sights, sounds and even the smells of Texas to you as you take the tour.