My father was an officer in a state organization, Texas Association of Petroleum retailers so as a kid we ventured to Austin one weekend every month for his meeting. Stayed at the Terrace Motel on south congress located where the Magdalena hotel is located today. Remember driving the drag the weekend after the tower shooter on Aug 1 1966. Windows were still boarded up and town seemed subdued that trip. One of the other officers was friends with Willie Nelson, and he liked to hang out at the Broken Spoke where we were herded to several times. Not my mom's favorite, not that she was all that down to taking my sisters to the Petroleum club for the ladies luncheon during the national convention, but better than the spoke.
The Austin of the 60's and early 70's was nothing like the mad house of today, and as I remember it was rather pleasant.