I love Town Lake also........great place to take your dogs and enjoy everything. Why don t you go to the Capitoll and look at all the beautiful history there? When it is raining, you need to be inside I guess..................
forgive me if I steer you wrong, but when I lived in Austin a year ago I often went to Book People on West 6th (near Lamar) and would sit at the cafe there and read. It was a nice atmosphere and they had coffee and baked items. There are also places to sit inside Whole Foods across the street, but it would be up to you to determine if that store is too crowded or noisy. It can be an interesting place to watch people if it is not too busy.