<p>For Rice there is a Rice rate at the Medical Center Marriott (right across the street from Rice campus). It’s a nice hotel. Rice Village has restaurants (both chain and ethnic) and upscale shops. It’s right near campus. Goode Company is a don’t miss. There is a 3 mile loop around the perimeter of campus where everyone walks/runs. It’s a nice thing to do.<br>
GO OWLS!!!</p>
<p>Here’s a recent thread about weekend activities near UT <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-texas-austin/932918-what-do-you-do-weekend-austin-share.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-texas-austin/932918-what-do-you-do-weekend-austin-share.html</a></p>
<p>Whenever we go to Austin, we make sure to visit the Kerbey Lane Cafe on Guadalupe. It’s open 24/7, and has a very casual Austin vibe. I also love shopping at all the vintage stores out on South Congress.</p>
<p>There is so much to do around Rice that you can’t go wrong. You can stick to the Rice Village area, or venture around Houston. Houston is known for the variety and quality of our restaurants. If you want an very upscale hotel, try Hotel Zaza. And, don’t miss the Galleria!</p>
<p>curmudgeon: If you make it further south on 183 to Luling I think the best barbeque of all is at City Market. Just beware, there are no plates, no forks and no knives, spoons for beans are available. :)</p>
<p>For barbecue in Austin, you must try the Salt Lick. FYI, it’s BYOB because it is located in a dry county. There is a Salt Lick in the Austin airport but it’s just not the same as the real deal. I generally avoid red meat but make an exception for this place.</p>
<p>In Houston, the Hilton Houston Plaza/Medical Center is another hotel option. Within a block of Rice and they also offer Rice rates. </p>
<p>All of Houston restaurants suggested so far are good, IMO. If you want other recs based on specific desires, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>There’s also a “Rice rate” at the Springhill Suites on Old Spanish Trail. It used to be $79 but I think it’s currently $89.</p>
<p>There are restaurants at Rice Village that are good. Definitely walk around there while visiting Rice since this is within walking distance for the students.</p>
<p>I haven’t been there in years and years, but I used to love the Gingerbread pancakes at this little hippie-vibed breakfast place.</p>
<p>The Omelettry*
4811 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78756</p>
<p>*Used to only accept cash; don’t know about now.</p>
<p>Still highly regarded.</p>
<p>^^^^That’s great to hear. Maybe I’ll head over there on Saturday morning after I finish (hopefully) my very first 5K race (AustinPride 5K).</p>
<p>crewguy,
We always stayed at the… not as bad as it sounds… Best Western Medical Center on Main St when we went to Rice. Its perfectly adequate and they also have a special Rice rate. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. Can anyone talk about the Asian Studies programs at both Rice and Trinity? We have been hearing that the Chinese program is especially good at Trinity.</p>
<p>I apologize for taking so long to respond to my own thread. Work has been, well, hectic.</p>
<p>DD wants to study engineering and was impressed by the info found on UT’s engineering website. Where, aside from campus, should I take her to show her where the students hang out? Any restaurants or shops that are student favorites? I want her to get a feel for what it would be like to be a student at UT.</p>
<p>colmom - not sure your daughter will enjoy this, but I would… Go north of campus on Guadalupe and buy a crazy toy at Toy Joy or some vintage clothes at Buffalo Exchange. Eat ice cream at Amy’s or spinach pizza at Mangia. Check out Central Market if you love gourmet and organic at better prices than Whole Foods. Finally go to Barton Springs and jump in the cool, clear spring fed water. Aaaah.</p>
<p>colmomto2, what kind of engineering is your daughter interested in? I majored in Architectural Engineering (structural) at UT. My son is going to study Biomedical Engineering there next year. The university has wonderful research facilities and lots of world-class faculty. My co-workers in New England couldn’t believe some of the professors I got to study under! I found them to be very accessible and interested in students, too. Feel free to PM me if you have more questions.</p>
<p>Barton Springs is a do-not-miss! I practically lived there when I was in junior high.</p>
<p>Make sure to go to the Oasis for dinner one night, and watch the sunset. They ring a big bell as the sun dips below the horizon. The restaurant is way up on high cliffs over Lake Travis. A series of outside decks provides great views for everyone!</p>
<p>The Hula Hut on Lake Austin is a fun place, too - lots of students. I felt very old the last time I ate there!</p>
<p>Of course, don’t miss the Student Union and the Co-Op on Guadalupe.</p>
<p>We stayed last year at the Omni in downtown Austin. Our room faced S toward 6th St and the amplified music from roof-top bars was a problem on Saturday night. Sixth St on a Saturday night is wall to wall (mostly underaged) students bent on drinking. While that may be where some of the 50,000 students are, you may not want your student to think that’s all that’s going on at UT.
Walk down Guadalupe - but don’t think that all students have tatoos just because there are several parlors there. High school kids seem to love Guadalupe… WhichWich is a good spot for a quick lunch.
Non-college activity: The most enjoyable thing we did that weekend was the Segway tour! Zipping around downtown, circle the capital building, back by the bridge and the bats, then back to the start in the growing dusk… much more fun than I had anticipated. A bit like skiing, a bit like motor scootors.</p>
<p>Yep, architectural engineering has caught her eye. She’s not 100% sure which area of engineering she wants to study, but she’s leaning hard toward the civil side of engineering - especially structural engineering. She’s also looking at MIT, Purdue, and Cornell. The only other contender in area of engineering is naval architecture which is at UMich. We’re going to have quite the College Road Trip - from Boston to Austin!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great info. My DD’s response to all the “things to do” suggestions (especially Barton Springs, Toy Joy, and the Oasis) is, “Cool.” Translation = “I’d really like to go those places, but am way too cool to just say so.”</p>