2 Best Sights in West Austin and Zilker Park, Austin

No visit to Austin is complete without a ceremonial dip in the sacred waters of Barton Springs. A hallowed oasis within the Zilker Park area, this historic spring-fed pool maintains a constant 68°F temperature year-round, and the chilly waters attract hordes of people from all walks of life. (Admission is free from October 31 through spring break to help incentivize you during the cooler months.) The grassy slopes surrounding the pool are an idyllic place to post up for some of the best people-watching in town; unique experiences, like the free nightly and full-moon swims, are unforgettable; and the annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day attracts thousands. The pool is closed Thursdays for cleaning the delicate, protected natural habitat, and weather can affect operating hours throughout the season, so be sure to check their website in advance.

The oldest swimming pool in Texas (established 1915), this man-made, spring-fed swimming hole just off Lake Austin Boulevard was the centerpiece of an early-20th-century resort and was restored by the Works Progress Administration in the mid-1930s. In recent years, Friends of Deep Eddy, a volunteer community group, led a successful effort to fully restore the long-closed 1936 bathhouse and it remains a beloved local institution for all ages and walks of life. The water is chilly (68°–70°), so just a smidge warmer than Barton Springs, but the brisk water is more accessible for kids thanks to the wade-in entry in the shallow end. Seasonal and weather conditions can affect operating hours and admission prices.