grannyinthesky 0 #1 March 6, 2010 I get to make a short work trip to Austin, TX, and planned things so I'll have a bit of time to sightsee and skydive as well as work. It looks like there are dropzones in San Marcos and Temple that I could get to. Any suggestions for skydiving and/or sightseeing? "safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnDeere 0 #2 March 6, 2010 SD Temple is a great fam. run DZ! Not sure what plane they are running now but i think Turbin 206? PM Wendy (Faukner ?sp) on here she is a mod here. I have not jumped at San M. but alot of people in Texas consider it a tandem factory. Including the student that lived close to SM but drove 5 + hours to SD Dallas every weekend to to get a license But there should be great people were ever you go! Nothing opens like a Deere! You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mx757 4 #3 March 6, 2010 what heck skydive Dallas is a Tandem Factory too.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #4 March 6, 2010 Quote I get to make a short work trip to Austin, TX, and planned things so I'll have a bit of time to sightsee and skydive as well as work. It looks like there are dropzones in San Marcos and Temple that I could get to. Any suggestions for skydiving and/or sightseeing? GO on a ride along with Officer TackleBerry.... on that back of his motor Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnDeere 0 #5 March 6, 2010 Quote what heck skydive Dallas is a Tandem Factory too.. You have made this ASSinine clame before and you are as wrong now as you have ever been! SDD has Never been a tandem factory! You have told me you went there a year or so ago with a friend, and didnt jump. If you think SDD is a tandem factory then you have NO clue! As a matter of fact if your profile is correct i live 5 miles south of you. Please lets meet up, or you can goto SDD with me and i can prove you wrong! You are so wrong you have no clue! I nor anyone I know have EVER been kicked off a load for a tandem!SDD will fly the carvan with 5 funjumpers ALL day, or 1 funjumper in the 182 ALL day for the regular price of a jump ticket! PLEASE let me know what other DZ will fly a 182 with one jumper at regular price!!!!!!!!! I jumped there all day today and there were 0 students but they were going all day! QUIT lying! Or update your "definition" of a tandem factory! Send me a PM and I will give you my # cause you are evidently uninformed! BTW I do not work for SDD but I will not stand idle while others are lying about a DZ that takes such GOOD care of fun jumpers!Nothing opens like a Deere! You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #6 March 6, 2010 Jesus h christ playing a trombone in a basket! SD San Marcos has some great jumpers there. So does SD Dallas. Anyone want to guess what helps pays for both of those nice DZs to have nice turbines? Why can't Texas jumpers just simply get along and jump together? As for the OP. The list of stuff to do in that part of Texas is very very long. If you're going to be here later (like summer), then you need to go to Gruene and float the river. I like using the Rock'n R to rent a tube. Anyways, check out SD Temple and SD San Marcos, both are great DZs and different from each other. Either one you go to will probably find you a good time.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnDeere 0 #7 March 6, 2010 I was trying to keep it PC Dave but I will not stand by when someone straight up lyes about a DZ that puts all the $ the DZ makes back into the DZ. Dr & Ms Lee put alot into SDD for the love of the sport and take nothing back! They are the dream DZO's. For someone to talk shit as if the know 1st hand about a great DZ is not acceptable!Nothing opens like a Deere! You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Txflier 0 #8 March 6, 2010 Quote I was trying to keep it PC Dave but I will not stand by when someone straight up lyes about a DZ that puts all the $ the DZ makes back into the DZ. Dr & Ms Lee put alot into SDD for the love of the sport and take nothing back! They are the dream DZO's. For someone to talk shit as if the know 1st hand about a great DZ is not acceptable! whorah.. Dallas is a Great DZ.. not to the point of the Yanks DZ of SDC but it'll do for the south. I'm not the rope totin charlie Bronson wanna be that's getting us fucking lost. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #9 March 6, 2010 +1 I've only been to Skydive Dallas once, but it was first rate, and they made me feel right at home. I'd love to jump there again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #10 March 6, 2010 Quote I get to make a short work trip to Austin, TX, and planned things so I'll have a bit of time to sightsee and skydive as well as work. It looks like there are dropzones in San Marcos and Temple that I could get to. Any suggestions for skydiving and/or sightseeing? For skydiving, Temple is a little north of Austin and they are currently running a pac750. I don't know if they will still have it at the end of March but i believe they will. They also have a portable wind tunnel set up on the dz now too. Not like a full size tunnel but they can be great fun to both participate and watch others. Very friendly vibe there with a great dzo and staff. San Marcos is a little south of Austin and they are currently running a twin otter, caravan, and a 206 (rarely used) San Marcos does do a ton of tandems and i have heard people say they have been bumped off a load for them but i personally in the 8 years i jumped there never had it happen to me. I will tell you that you are more likely to meet and jump with people more easily at temple than san marcos though. I love the place but i have seen how visitors sometimes get lost in the crowd. For sight seeing stuff, Austin is the live music capital of TX (and the world if you ask me) At any given spot down town there will be local artists of any kind of music you could ever think of. Punk to folk, and House music to country. Lots of cool stuff just walking along S. Congress street too, little local artisan shops, restaurants that aren't chains, etc. The botanical gardens are awesome, barton creek is a cool place to hang out and take a dip if the weather is warm enough, or if you are adventurous you could head out to lake travis and hippie hollow for the only legal nude beach in TX The State Capitol building is impressive and very similar to the nations capitol in DC. The TX state history museum is pretty cool too. I would recommend stopping in for a burger at Casino El Camino (not really a casino) too while you are in town, they are down on 6th street but get out of there before 8 or so or else they close the streets and the place fills up with drunk college students in a hurry! If you have any specific questions or other interests just let me know. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Belgian_Draft 0 #11 March 6, 2010 I have never been to Austin but if I ever do I would put this at the very top of my priorities. http://www.austincityguide.com/content/congress-bridge-bats-austin.asp That has got to be one awesome sight. HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lippy 765 #12 March 6, 2010 Hey Granny! Austin is a lot of fun...I'd recommend Pete's Piano bar for a good laugh and a few drinks. San Antonio is about an hour down the road and the River Walk there is worth checking out if you have the time. There's some shit-talking going on about DZ's but I've had an absolutely amazing time at San Marcos & Temple. Maybe I've just been lucky but I've never been bumped or seen anybody bumped for tandems @ San Marcos. And SDD is NOT a tandem factory. Anybody who says that hasn't seen the joint and/or has a bone to grind. Sure they do a lot of tandem business, but they also do a hell of a lot to keep the fun jumpers not only happy and coming back, but also becoming better skydivers I got nuthin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun 1 #13 March 6, 2010 The Austin Nature Center has some nice trails. One that goes up a hill and has a nice view of the downtown skyline. It is connected to Zilker Park and the hike & bike trails that run all along the downtown lake and greenbelt, which is one of my favorite parts of the city. And someone already mentioned the bats at the Congress bridge; they're pretty cool to see. A short drive away is Hamilton Pool, another favorite place of mine. I'm not sure of the current conditions though. It seemed that the water level was pretty low when I was there in January. Again, some nice trails, plus year-round swimming. (There is also year-round swimming at the spring-fed pools near downtown Austin - Barton Springs and Deep Eddy.) The Capital building is interesting to tour, or the Texas State History Museum. You should definitely have some barbecue (especially brisket!) while you're there. I'd suggest Green Mesquite, Iron Works, Art's, or the County Line. Skydive San Marcos is my home dropzone, and I've always had a great time there, but it's been years since I've been there, so I don't know what it's like right now. Temple was fun too, but again I haven't been there in years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stitch 0 #14 March 6, 2010 SD Temple is much closer to Austin than Ssn Marcos. As far as I know they have a Caravan for the winter, plus 2 182's for slow days. They jump everyday weather permitting. Great vibe !! The Pollacks are good people. And Wendy can show you the lump of coal she got for Valentine's day. "No cookies for you"- GFD "I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65 Don't be a "Racer Hater" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun 1 #15 March 6, 2010 Oh yeah, and I'll also vouch for the restaurants/bars/shops along South Congress, the nude beach at Hippie Hollow, and the burgers at Casino El Camino. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shotgun 1 #16 March 6, 2010 QuoteSD Temple is much closer to Austin than Ssn Marcos. ? Depends on which part of Austin you're in. From downtown or South Austin, I'm pretty sure San Marcos is closer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,116 #17 March 6, 2010 These are great suggestions. At that time of year, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center should be pretty good too. Sixth street has good entertainment, including a real favorite of comedy/satire/music, Esther's Follies. And just walking around Zilker Park isn't bad, or shopping at the Whole Foods or Central Market mother ships... Wendy P.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #18 March 7, 2010 Wow!! Thanks, everyone. I'm getting the impression, that my trip there is not going to be anywhere near long enough. I might just have to make a return trip."safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
