[ARDF] ARDF champs travel notes

[Kenneth E. Harker]

     For those of you travelling to Austin for the 2008 United States 
ARDF Championsips, here are some travel notes:

* To get to Bastrop from the airport, exit to SH-71 east.  SH-71 is 
  not limited access most of the way to Bastrop.

* The neighborhood to the north and east of the airport is not the best.
  Prior to its development as a commercial airport, Bergstrom was an
  Air Force base, so the area immediately around it has never been a 
  high-rent district.  East of the SH-130 interchange (currently under
  construction), the drive gets to be rural quickly.

* There is some construction east of the airport where SH-130 is being 
  built.  It's mainly lane shifts and shouldn't slow you down too much.

* A large, multi-panel hologram is hanging above the doors leaving Baggage
  Claim Area 3 toward the street.  The hologram was made by a local company
  named Zebra Imaging.  I worked for Zebra in the 1999-2000 timeframe 
  when that hologram was made in their Pflugerville facility.

* The airport Hilton, a distinctively round building north of the main
  loop road to/from the terminal, was once the headquarters building for
  Bergstrom Air Force Base.

* The cheapest gasoline in the area is a Shell station on the westbound
  side of SH-71 just east of the Travis County/Bastrop County line.  Today's
  price: $3.43/gallon.  In Bastrop proper, it was between $3.45 and $3.53.

* The town of Bastrop has a low power AM broadcast station on 530 AM that
  may or may not have anything useful to say about goings-on in town next
  weekend.  KLBJ 590 AM has news, weather, and traffic (although it won't 
  cover Bastrop traffic unless there's a MAJOR accident).  KGSR 107.1 FM 
  is the best example of Austin-style music on the radio.

* The ten day weather forecasts currently predicts high temperatures of
  92F, 92F, and 91F for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with partly sunny
  to mostly sunny conditions.  You can expect on-course temperatures into
  the mid-80s in that case.  In central Texas, the daily high temperature
  tends to occur around 5PM.

* We strongly recommend that you carry water or sports drink with you on
  the course to stay hydrated.  Everyone is also encouraged to bring
  sunscreen.  There are only a few spots in the park with flying insects;
  in general, insect repellant is not needed.

* If you stop in at Cindy's Gone Hog Wild, ask about the Whisky Myers band.

-- 
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/