I really enjoyed staying with Carol and Darrell! It actually felt just like staying with easy-going relatives. Their house is in a green, lush neighborhood a bit north of the city center (there is a highway close-by though, so you don't quite get the out-of-city calm).

Carol had a bike, helmet, lights, pump, and lock ready for me to use, and that was absolutely wonderful. It's just a 20 minute cycle into the liveliest parts of the city, and Austin has a pretty good system of bike trails (and Google Maps routes you along them). I ended up exploring Austin by bike, which has a lot of charm by itself, and also didn't need to use a bus or Uber even once!