We ambled down to the Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin last weekend to (finally) check out the Boardwalk. The photo above is the "iconic" view of downtown from one of the short spurs off the walk (I've included a photo father down of the spur).
The purpose of the walk was to connect the walking/running/stumbling/biking trails on the south side of the lake to the rest of the trail system and create a loop. It is now possible to loop completely around the lake at Longhorn Dam farther downstream. Design work was done by pals of ours at Limbacher and Godfrey (for some reason, their website doesn't hi-light the project). Not everyone was happy about this project, but it is a nice addition to the heavily used downtown trails.
The design is interesting yet unassuming. Based on the crowds walking the walk, basking in the sunnier and warmer weather, and enjoying the spurs, it is already a massively popular. We need to get back out there in the evening hours to enjoy reflections of city lights off the water and the LEDs underneath the handrails to light the path.
If you plan on going (and don't live downtown), here are some tips on accessing the trail. We took the bus down to Republic square and crossed back to the northside on the walkway at I-35 (which allowed us to stop for fortifications along Raney Street).
Little-known fact: you can actually park anywhere along the trail and access the boardwalk from there. : ) The last few times we've been, we've parked at the tiny lot on Cesar Chavez just east of the Lamar footbridge and run around to the boardwalk. And then the rest of the way back.
ReplyDelete