Getting Away From the City in the City

Red Bud Isle -- a friendly place welcoming to dogs, dog lovers, fishermen, birds, and anyone seeking a refuge from the city around them. I left my house on Saturday morning (earlier than I am usually awake), got out of the car and walked into a place that, at first, seems just like any other park, except for the dogs running free. This is a place that is 5 minutes from my house in the middle of Austin; a place I pass every day, twice a day, that is purely natural, that I knew existed, but never bothered to visit.

As you walk around the perimeter and get deeper into the park you’ll be swarmed with different sounds ranging from pedestrians with their dogs, birds of every type, a dog splashing around in the river, fish popping to the surface to snatch some breakfast, and a squirrel barking its peculiar squirrel bark on a tree branch. Man-made sights that surround the park such as the river bluff houses, the bridge, and the dam are mostly hidden by the towering cypress trees. but had never taken the time to explore. Early in the morning you can find many different people bringing their dogs to enjoy an area where the dogs are allowed to run free. Walking into the park, you are met by the sights and sounds of dogs playing and chasing squirrels as people stand around having friendly chats with strangers.

While all of this is happening there is the buzz of cars passing by on the low-water bridge, an airplane passing overhead, and when the gates are up you can hear the roar of the dam. Over the tree tops stretches a radio tower and the LCRA dam. But all these sights and sounds are in their own way soothing. Listening to the cars pass over the bridge while you fish becomes calming as they each have a similar rhythm. There is always a slight hint that you are still in the city, however in this environment it is nature that drowns out the sounds of the city.

Red Bud Isle attracts people from all over Austin who want a quick escape. Most are Caucasian or Hispanic who come from as far west as Barton Creek, north from the UT campus and all the way from downtown Austin wearing clothes ranging from casualwear to sportswear.

When these people were asked what they think about the park, the answer was simple, “It’s great, you know, more of a forested area that is just right in the middle of town. You can drive your car just a couple of miles and you’re here.” The fisherman, I see almost every morning on my way to school, responded, “…it’s one of the

few spots I really like on Town Lake. It’s peaceful. It’s a nice little meditating spot. It’s a really green part of the city. Mornings like this are really pretty. It’s just a nice place to come down from the city and just relax.” What place seems more peaceful and serene than a lush green island surrounded by the calm Colorado River.

When I went up to one of these groups of dog owners to ask what they thought about having the dog park so centralized one, as if speaking for the group, told me, “ it’s perfect…” It offers not only this great atmosphere, but also many amazing views and opportunities for recreation such as fishing, canoeing, jogging, or just enjoying some fresh air, all free and easily accessible. But the main reason people go to Red Bud Isle is for their canine buddies. There is something that takes over on this island and immediately all the dogs become friends with each other. When a new dog comes to visit then all the others dogs run over, two sniffs, and the new dog is invited to play tag with the others. While the dogs run around with each other playing and splashing around in the waters of the Colorado, the owners begin to socialize with each other.

The deeper we got into the park,

leaving the dogs behind, we realized it was not just a park for dogs. By the end we didn’t even notice the dogs when we came to the end point that provided a perfect view of Town Lake with a couple canoers, a fisherman on a boat, the twisting roots of a cypress tree, and the water shimmering like glass. The only things you could hear were the birds, faint snatches of conversation from the canoers, and the sounds of the river.

All this combined creates a refuge for residents, dogs and nature to commune, right in the heart of the city.