Bastrop is the county seat of Bastrop County, Texas, and is located about thirty miles east of Austin at 30°6'43" North, 97°19'1" West (30.112057, -97.316838). Bastrop was first settled in 1804 and incorporated on December 18, 1837. As of 2004, the city had a population of 7,006.
Understand
Bastrop Chamber of Commerce[1], 927 Main Street, 303-0558. M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-3PM. Visit the Chamber and pick up a free visitor's guide. If the chamber is closed, guides may be found in the box by the front door.
The Bastrop Advertiser is the oldest semi-weekly newspaper in the state of Texas. It publishes twice a week and can be purchased at most area convenience stores for $.50.
Bastrop does not have a smoking ordinance so patrons may smoke inside restaurants, unless it is forbidden by the restaurant.
Get in
By plane
Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is 30 miles (km) west of the city center. The most practical means of travel from the airport is by rental car but taxis are available. A one way trip by taxi is about $40.00 (credit cards accepted).
Auto rental companies at the airport:
Advantage Rent-A-Car 530-3330
Alamo 530-3500
Avis 530-3400
Budget 530-3350
Dollar 530-2277
Enterprise 530-8100
Hertz 530-3600
National 530-3550
Thrifty 530-6811
Taxis:
Airport Shuttle and Taxi 303-5505
By car
The main highway through Bastrop is Texas State Highway 71 which can be picked up off Interstate Highway 35 in Austin or off Interstate Highway 10 about 75 miles west of Houston.
Get around
Loop 150 off 71 takes you through the heart of historical downtown Bastrop. Once downtown, parking is plentiful and free. Bastrop is small enough that it is practical to park and walk to boutique shops, restaurants, the new river walk and the many historic houses located in the city.
See
Bastrop County Historical Society Museum 702 Main Street. 303-0057. M-F 1pm-5pm, Sa 10am-2pm. $2.00.
Central Texas Museum of Automotive History Highway 304, Rosanky.(512) 237-2635 Check out the double-decker bus!
Bastrop Fine Arts Guild Gallery 1009 Main Street Tuesday - Friday 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (512)321-8055
Do
Indoors
Bastrop Opera House[4] 711 Spring St. 321-6283. Professional theater productions in a historic building built in 1889.
Bastrop Skate Palace 488 Hwy. 95 N. 303-0320. Large indoor roller skating rink. Sessions Sa and Su 1pm-4pm.
Chestnut Square Family Entertainment Center[5] 1600 Chestnut Street. 581-3500. Multi-screen movie theater with stadium seating, bowling (bumpers available), indoor miniature golf and arcade
Outdoors
Bastrop State Park[6] Texas State Hwy. 21 about 1 mile east. (512) 321-2101. Su-Sa 8 am-5 pm (to 7 pm in summer) $4 per day, per person 13 and older. Located among the "Lost Pines of Texas," this 3,500-acre park has a swimming pool (summer only-fee), golf course (fee), a 10-acre lake, hiking trails, picnic tables, tent and RV campsites (fee), and 13 cabins (fee).
Fisherman's Park (City) and the Colorado River walk. Playground, Boat ramp
Lake Bastrop[8] This 906-acre lake offers recreational facilities in two parks, one on the north shore and one on the south shore, for boating (fee), fishing, swimming, water-skiing, picnicking, and camping (fee).
Lost Pines Golf Course[9] (inside Bastrop State Park) 303-1369
McKinney Roughs Nature Park[10] On Texas State Highway 71, 8.4 miles west of Bastrop.(512) 303-5073. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Closed on major holidays. $3 for adults, $1 seniors, no charge for children 13 and under. Great hiking.
Whataburger, 419 Highway 71 West, 321-0722. Open 24 hrs $Budget
Wendy's, 514 Hwy 71 W., 303-1580. $Budget
Chicken
Chicken Express 107 N. Hasler Blvd. 321-6800. Great Sweet Tea!
Church's 102 Hwy 71 W. 303-0484. Su-Sa 10:30am-9pm.
Chinese
China Chef 300 Hwy 71 W. 321-9802. Chinese lunch and Sunday buffets.
Italian
MaMa Mia's Italian Garden 904 College St. 321-7808. Tue-Thur 11:00am-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am-9:30pm, Sun 11:00am-3:00pm. Lunch Buffet Daily from 11:00am - 2:00pm.
Chili's Grill & Bar 734 Highway 71, 332-2644. $Mid-Range
Shady Oaks Restaurant, Hwy 71 W., 303-6447. This place is about 4 miles out of town between Bastrop and Austin, just west of where Hwy 21 merges with Hwy 71. The place looks suspect and the tables are a mish-mash of old dining sets and folding tables and chairs, but this place has great, down home, Southern style, stick to your ribs, kind of food. The Mexican plates are particularly good at a good price. $Mid-range.
Starbucks, 501 B Hwy 71 West, (512) 321-8051.
Texas Grill, 101 Hwy. 71, (512) 321-5491. Open 24 hrs. Country café Chicken fried steak. Cafeteria style lunch. Breakfast anytime. Was smoky in the past but is now NON-SMOKING
Big Mouth Southwestern Grill, 912 Main Street, (512)332-0074. In the middle of Downtown Bastrop. Beautiful setting, great food, live entertainment, full bar.
Drink
Boots Hwy 95 just past FM 1441. Beer and wine only. Live music, pool tables, DJ, and more. No kitchen.$Budget
Leon's Country Store FM 535 in Rockne. Quaint old beer joint, convenience store, & feed store.
Lone Oak Bar FM 1441 across from Boy Scout Camp. Beer joint with great old country jukebox.
Sleep
Elm Street Inn (Historic Manlove Chambers House), 502 Elm Street, ☎ (512) 581 1341, [14]. checkin: aft. 3pm; checkout: 11am. Built c. 1835. Tastefully decorated with period antiques. Three Bedrooms: one king size, one queen size, with en suite bathrooms plus a fully contained carriage house apt. adjacent. Built for Bartholomew Manlove - first mayor of Bastrop and lived in by Margaret Wilbarger Chambers - legendary pioneer. Located in town, walking distance to shops, restaurants, activities.(30:07:14N,97:19:28W)
Hotel/Motel/Bed & Breakfast
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, 575 Hyatt Lost Pines Road, (512) 308-1234, [15]. About 10 miles west of Bastrop. Resort and spa situated on 405 acres of Central Texas landscape, adjacent to the 1,100-acre McKinney Roughs Nature Park along the Colorado River. Equestrian center, golf course, swimming pool with water slide, and more!!!
Comfort Inn, 106 Hasler Blvd., (512) 321-3303. New two story motel. In walking distance to the Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Guadalajara, Schlotzsky's Deli, Cartwright's Famous Bar-B-Que.
Pecan Street Inn Bed & Breakfast, 1010 Pecan St., (512) 321-3315. Located in a historic landmark home.
Buttonwood Row B & B, 1402 Hill St., (512) 303-5664 Located in a historic landmark home.
Blue Heron Bed and Breakfast, 583 Union Chapel Rd., Cedar Creek. Just east of Austin on Hwy 71 towards Austin.
Bastrop Inn, 102 Childers Dr., (512) 321-3949
Days Inn 4102 Hwy 71 E., (512) 321-1157. Fairly new two story motel. Next too a convenience store with gas but not much else but just a short drive to main part of town on Hwy 71.
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites 491 Agnes., (512) 321-1900. New three story motel. In walking distance to the Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Guadalajara, Schlotzsky's Deli, Cartwright's Famous Bar-B-Que.
Tropicana Motel 103 Hwy 71 W., (512) 321-2526. Looks like it was built in the 50s or 60s. Pool. In walking distance to Pizza Hut, Texas Grill and Sonic Drive-In.
Best Western Inn of the Pines, 3110 Hwy 71 E., (512) 321-6000, [16]. New two story kind of by itself, but a just short drive to main part of town on Hwy 71.
RV parks
Bastrop River RV Park, 98 Hwy 71 W., 321-7500, [17]. Gated, paved, propane available, walkway to deck on river bank. New swimming pool, recently added!
Hobo Camp RV Park , 307 FM 1209, 512-332-2267.
Bastrop RV Park/By The Way Mobile Home Park, 689 Highway 71 West.
Get out
Bastrop is only 30 minutes (off rush hour) from Austin. The drive in to Austin on Hwy 71 is lined with antiques, gift shops, a flea market, a fossil and bonsai store, and many more central Texas cultural venues. Or you can go to Smithville to shop antiques and country kitsch. Or go to San Marcos for the outlet malls.
This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!
