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From Mount Bonnell in Austin, Texas, you can see for miles. That's Lake Austin over there
or the Colorado River if you want to get technical. During the summer, you can sit up here and
watch boat races or catch a great view of the fireworks on fourth of July. If you look
to the east, you'll see the Austin skyline and the tower at the University of Texas.
This is also where the young and young at heart come to be alone. The park has a history
of being a romantic getaway. Legend has it, that a young woman, left to her death to escape
a band of Indians that killed her lover. The park has been a known tourist attraction since,
at least, 1850, and is the tallest point in the Austin City limits. That hill across the
lake is Mount Larson. It's a bit taller, but it's technically in the suburb of West Lake
Hills. So, Mount Bonnell gets to keep its title. At seven hundred and eighty five feet
tall, that's pretty high for a southern city. From up here, you can see the famous Penny
Backer Bridge in the distance. This stone was installed when the park was dedicated
in 1939 and list the names of those involved at the time. You can visit Mount Bonnell during
normal park hours from five a.m. to ten p.m. Though a day trip is usually best for the
kids due to the natural beauty of the setting.