Coming Up in ELC:
Scholarship Application: Summer 2024
- Application available online HERE
- Submission Deadline: Friday, April 5 @ 5:00 pm
- Two (2) scholarships are typically awarded: one for AEP and one for ELP
- Award will cover $1700 towards intensive tuition for the Summer I 2024 (10–week) session in either AEP or ELP.
Continuing Student Applications
- For Summer 2024
- Application available online HERE
- We would love to see you again!
Upcoming Social Events:
Talk Time
- Practice your English conversation skills with native English speakers!
- Wednesday, March 27
- –
- CBA 4.328
Happy Hour Social at Moody’s Kitchen
- Join your friends in the ELC for a fun happy hour social at Moody’s Kitchen restaurant.
- 4:30 – 6:00 pm
- Moody’s Kitchen 2530 Guadalupe St.
Outdoor Adventures
Austin is known for all the beautiful outdoor activities you can do here! We have tons of hiking trails, and places to swim, kayak, and paddleboard. You can be minutes from downtown and enjoy the peace of being outdoors.
Barton Springs Pool
- Natural spring-fed water.
- It’s COLD! 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit (20-21 degrees Celsius).
- Federally protected habitat, which is home to the Barton Springs Salamander.
- Hours: Guarded Swim- 8 am to 8 pm, every day except Thursday.
- $5 entry.
- Check for prohibited items
The Barton Creek Greenbelt
- We just call it “the Greenbelt.”
- 12.68 miles of gorgeous trails.
- Located just a few minutes south of downtown!
- Considered one of the top hiking trails in Texas.
- Great for hiking, mountain biking, several swimming holes (when there’s water), and even rock climbing on the limestone bluffs!
- Honestly, it can be a little confusing to find the access points. Click this link for a guide.
Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake
- Austinites often call the river-like water bisecting Austin either Town Lake or Lady Bird Lake, but it’s actually a reservoir of the Colorado River!
- 10+ miles (over 16 kilometers) of trail that meanders along the water’s edge.
- You’ll pass by skyscrapers, neighborhoods, ball fields, and cultural attractions.
- There’s even a Boardwalk portion of the Trail!
- Read more and find maps of the trail online here.
Kayaking & Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) on Lady Bird Lake
- These are two of the MOST popular activities to do on Lady Bird Lake in Austin.
- You sit down to kayak, and it can be fun and fast!
- You stand up to paddleboard, and it can be a fun way to work out your abs!
- There are several places to purchase rentals along the Hike-and-Bike Trail, check out these two popular locations: the Texas Rowing Center and the Rowing Dock.
- Price: $15 – $30 per hour or $35 – $65 for the day.
The Violet Crown Trail
- Take a hike on a tree-lined trail in south Austin!
- The trail is now 13 miles long (almost 21 km), running from Zilker Park to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
- Download a trailhead map online here.
Great Hills Park
- Great Hills Park is a City of Austin neighborhood park in a beautiful hill country setting, tucked away in northwest Austin. More than 80 acres in size, the park includes a large natural area with hiking trails, and a playscape.
- Park Hours: 5:00 am – 10:00 pm
- 10801 Sierra Oaks, Austin, TX 78759
- 85 Acres in the Bull Creek Watershed
- 1.7 miles (almost 3 km) of maintained trails and many more rough trails – see trail map
Zilker Botanical Garden
- Zilker Botanical Garden is nestled within Zilker Metropolitan Park in the heart of downtown Austin. Their themed gardens (Taniguchi Japanese Garden, Hartman Prehistoric Garden, and Rose Garden) are interconnected with pathways for all ages and abilities. With heritage live oaks, streams, and Koi-filled ponds, the Garden offers a peaceful respite in the middle of a busy city.
- Garden Hours: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Price: Adults $8
- Register online to save $2
- Tickets must be purchased in advance.
- Purchase General Admission tickets HERE.
- 2220 Barton Springs Rd.
- View the Garden Map
- ADA access is limited.
The Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum
- In 1985, Charles and Angie Umlauf gifted their home, his studio, and hundreds of sculptures to the City of Austin. Today, the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum’s Collection consists of over 2000 drawings and 273 sculptures by Charles Umlauf, 59 of which are continuously on view in the Umlauf Sculpture Garden.
- Museum & Garden Hours
- Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Saturday – Sunday: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Monday: Closed
- 605 Azie Morton Rd.
- Price: Students (with valid student ID) $3
- In Texas, there are more Umlauf sculptures in public locations than works by any other single sculptor!
- Umlauf became a Life Drawing and Sculpture professor in UT Austin’s art department in 1941. He taught at UT for 40 years, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1981.
- You can spot an Umlauf sculpture on the UT Austin campus in front of the GSB building next to CBA!
Meshal Almutairi says
Austin has many outdoor activities. I discover the west side of it, and I really enjoy it.
Thank you for sharing Jack!
Jack Taylor says
Thank you, Meshal. I’m so glad you enjoy the outdoor activities Austin has.
Yeonsu says
Thank you for good information
Jack Taylor says
You’re welcome. Thank you for reading!