a Weekend in Austin, TX
September was such a busy month for us!! We went on an incredible two week vacation right before I made a super quick trip to Ohio for a few days. Then, WE HAD A VISITOR!! My super kind, awesome, sweet friend from college came to Texas for her very first time! I was so excited when Emily decided to come to Texas to cross Austin off of her travel bucket list!
We spent a quick weekend in Austin doing ALL the things, and eating ALL the things! We had a blast, and then Emily even got to spend the night in the RV and cuddle with Jake and Mushu! Emily, thanks so much for coming to visit!!! Showing you around a little bit of Texas was a blast, come back anytime! (;
Emily got to experience Airbnb for the first time on our trip to Austin, and we couldn’t have found a better apartment! The apartment was so cute, in a great location, and we felt really safe there. Click here to check out the listing!
P.S. CLICK HERE to get $40 Airbnb credit for your first booking! I LOVE Airbnb and we use it pretty often, I always check Airbnb first when planning a trip!
THINGS TO DO:
-Buc-ee’s
If you’re driving from Houston to Austin, you HAVE to stop at Buc-ee’s. For those of you who dont know, Buc-ee’s is thee best gas station you could ever possibly stop at. There is essentially everything you could ever need inside of a Buc-ee’s, including but not limited to: souvieniers, everything you could ever imagine with a beaver on it, fresh made snacks, a deli, freshly made baked goods, BBQ cut off the slab right in front of you, ridiculously CLEAN bathrooms, and so much more. If you ever see a Buc-ee’s, STOP THERE NO MATTER WHAT.
-Pecan Street Festival
We happened to be in town for the Pecan Street Festival! The Pecan Street Festival is located on 6th street. We shopped, listened to live music, I drank a little (wine popsicles!? Yes please!) and took in the sights. From what I can tell, there is a Fall fest and a Spring fest. I’d highly recommend this street festival if you get the chance to attend!
-check out the wall murals
There are SO many wall murals in Austin! We drove by a few, and stopped and took pics at a few others. Austin is just overflowing with art of all kinds, and the wall murals are incredible! Bonus, they’re FREE to see! Can’t beat that!
-shopping on South Congress
This is especially true if you’re in Austin for your first time. Shopping on South Congress is an experience, even if you don’t purchase much. You’ll find food, drinks, souvenirs, cowboy boots, coffee, boutiques, and so much more.
-See the bats of the Congress Avenue bridge
We did a “bat boat tour” and it was…quite the experience haha! I really am so glad that we did this, but would probably never have to do it again. Seeing the bats come out of the bridge for the night was so neat, and being up close was awesome. But I’d recommend wearing something with a hood (haha!) The particular cruise we went on was even BYOB! We met a fun couple from Ohio (which was fun since Emily and I are both Ohioans!) and overall enjoyed the experience (and definitely showered when we got home after haha!!!) There are several different company’s that off the “bat tours”, we went with Lone Star Riverboat Cruises and we were happy with our experience!
-check out the museums
We were in town for free museum day wahoo! We drove out to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and had a really nice time wandering around the park. There are SO many museums in and around Austin though, so if that’s your thing, you’ll have PLENTY of options on your trip to Austin.
WHERE TO EAT:
-Juan in a Million
BREAKFAST TACOS YUM! Emily found this place on a few blogs, and I have to say it may have been my favorite meal. Real, fresh, delicious breakfast tacos, great service, and parking available behind the restaurant!
-Terry Black’s Barbeque
If you research Austin at all, you will see tons of recommendations for Terry Black’s. Trust me and the tons of other people that will tell you, go eat at Terry Black’s. *If you don’t want to wait in line, go in between “typical” meal hours!
-Lane Cafe
Lane Cafe has several locations and was listed on several blogs we read as a great breakfast place. We were not disappointed!! Emily also got to experience chips and queso for breakfast which is definitely something you have to do when you're in TX (:
Planning a trip to Austin?? My personal favorite Austin blogger (and one of my favorite overall bloggers) is A Taste of Koko and she has TONS of posts about what to do and where to eat in Austin Texas. Check her out if you haven’t already!!
