The city of Austin is consolidating 23 temporary shelters for evacuees into seven, the main hub is at the Austin Convention Center.

At the height there were more than 6,000 Texans who fled the Gulf Coast staying at shelters in Austin.

The number of evacuees has now dwindled to 1956.

On Monday in a photo op at Austin's convention center, Texas Governor Rick Perry encouraged the remaining evacuees to stay put until officials in their hometowns gave the okay to return.

"The worse thing that can happen is for you to leave the confines of a relatively comfortable air-conditioned setting to go back into the area where it doesn't have power back up, you'll be putting a strain on the resources there that are still being used for search and rescue," Perry said.

While the experience has been harrowing for some evacuees, others say they're trying to make a vacation out of the ordeal.

Cousins Jason Smith and Casey Jarrell of Beaumont have been camping in a tent at McKinney Falls State Park since Friday.

"You know we're waking up eating breakfast and to have a Whitetail Deer walk right pass you that's kind of awesome," said Smith.

"We explore Austin, we went to the Capitol, we go hiking, doing a little swimming, we saw the waterfalls, just enjoying it," Casey Jarrell said.

The campers say they do worry some about the status of their Beaumont homes but promise they'll heed the governor's warning about staying in Austin until further notice.

"As soon as they tell us that the lights are back on and the city is back up and moving we're going to head back home" says Smith.