If you’re looking to get out of dodge for a long weekend, search no further. The capital of Texas, Austin is surrounded by art, fantastic food, and tons of activities. Being our first time in Austin I researched where to eat and what to do prior to our stay. If you get the opportunity to visit Austin, I highly recommend it for a long weekend or even a bachelor or bachelorette party as we saw tons!
Ramada Wyndham 4323 S IH 35 Austin, TX 78744 United States
A 2 night stay at this south Austin hotel allowed us to easily access many places before we headed to Lake Travis.
Cosmic Coffee and Beer Garden: 121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX
Our first stop at 8am was to grab coffee at this beautiful beer garden. The place was pretty busy with breakfast food trucks, business people networking and working over coffee. They served different forms of coffee, beer on tap, frozen boozy coffee and muffins. The breakfast tacos and coffee were a great way to kick off the day of sigh seeing.
Fun Photo Opportunities: These spots are all walkable of each other.
Outfit Details: Jean Dress, Boots, mesh socks
Greetings from Austin sign 1720 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
Willie Nelson mural 100-130 E Elizabeth St, Austin, TX 78704
Love from austin mural 1912 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Austin Motel, 1220 S Congress Ave: Talk about throwback! This vintage ascetic was very cute and in a great location.
Allen's Boots:1522 S Congress Ave. Opens at 9am
Also close to the above locations Allen's is a must! Lined with thousands of boots and cowboy hats it truly was the spirit of Texas.
June's All Day We had an 11am reservation after we walked around, shopped and took photos. This spot is very overrated and overpriced. We split a breakfast sandwich as we were not impressed with the menu at all. Disappointed in the recommendation and I would suggest finding another brunch location.
Incredible, 10 out of 10! This was the best move we could have made for a quick bite after our disappointment at June's. Patrons can pre-order or walk up and put in their order at the kiosk. We got the Queen Beak and it was the perfect mixture of spice, flavor and crunch. There is only outdoor seating available, but patio is well shaded and breezy.
St Elmo’s Brewery Located in The Yard beside a winery, multiple bars, a whiskey distillery and more. It was like a bunch of warehouses got together for a block party! As we walked into the brewery Dylan served us up some delicious pints and we chose to sit at the bar because the patio was a steamy 95 degrees. The pints were cold and the merch was styling!
Longhorns Stadium Shop
2109 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78712
The shop opened at 11am and it was nice to take a quick walk around this beautiful UT campus. The stadium is enormous, and this area is located north of where we were staying.
Arlo Grey, 111 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701
Located in the lobby of the Line Hotel Downtown Arlo Grey is on my must eat list! The restaurant vibe is classy but not off-putting with a lot of touches that make you feel like you are fine dining at home. Providing lovely views of Town Lake is not the only reason I was extremely excited for this reservation. I have been a Kristen Kish fan since her premiere on Top Chef Season 10. Kish opened Arlo Grey a few years ago with a menu that showcases her culinary travels. From start to finish we enjoyed everything from the craft cocktails at the bar to the service and recommendations Steph, our server, provided. We indulged in the Lobster Tortelloni to start. Followed the Mafadini, which I could eat this everyday; it was absolutely incredible. Lastly we enjoyed the fantastic AG Burger and Salad, with whipped potatoes on top- WOW! Honestly, one of the best meals we have had in a while. Following dinner we took a stroll overlooking the water then walked to Rainey St. to find the action.
Outfit Details: Dress
Unbarlievable : 76 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
Located on the popular Rainey St, this fun circus theme bar was recommended by our friend, Dale. A large colorful giraffe greets you out front and there is a large slide inside the bar to enjoy. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we went twice. The the outside seating area had big screen TVs to watch the playoffs games and po-a-shot games. Best part was the drinks were fairly priced and the staff was wonderful.
Other Bars On Rainey St:
The Tipsy Alchemist, Bangers, Clive Bar, Bangers, and more...
The nice thing about Moonshine's is it was first come first serve. The bad thing is there was over an hour wait. We went to the bar and got bloody Mary's, not my favorite. Following I had their Hard Lemonade drink- it was delicious! Our table shared the deviled eggs, and the biscuits and gravy were to die for! For my meal I had the Salmon Johnny Cakes, which were really good. The Hoss Deluxe sandwich was ordered by a friend and was my favorite dish. Following breakfast the boys jumped on city scooters and led us to Rainey Street for some day drinking.
BBQ
We did not get to try the best BBQ in the city but these two spots were constantly recommended
Franklin BBQ 900 E 11th St. - Original and the best, however the lines are very long, and the BBQ sells out. You can pre order months in advance.
La BBQ 2401 E. Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX - One of the best and shorter lines. Pre-ordering is also available.
This downtown’s rooftop bar features games, draft and frozen drinks. The "Bad Life Choices" drink served up by Natalie had a limit of 2 per person; high alcohol and highly recommended!
We did not have a reservation; however the bar was open and Jason, the bartender, invited us to sit down and order a carafe of mimosa. Brunch was delicious; avocado toast, breakfast tacos, and smoked salmon cream cheese bruschetta!
Lake Travis Air B&B 14940 Arrowhead Drive, Leander, TX
We headed about 30 minutes to Lake Travis to meet the rest of our group. This mansion had a gym, pool and enough room for all 9 of us to be comfortable. My friend, Karina found this gem and communicated with the new renter prior to our stay.
Overlooking Lake Travis, the Oasis was a destination we had to see. Many locals told us that the food is overrated but the views were unbelievable. Mostly correct, but the sunset was stunning! Our group walked up to the restaurant to the right under the brewery. We got in line and ordered some bar food and drinks; I got a delicious Jameson coffee smoothy! With multiple busy levels it was defiantly a tourist attraction. After the sun set so did the bars, which was disappointing as we wanted to investigate multiple areas but they were closing.
Tubing Down the San Marco River
2024 North Old Bastrop Hwy. San Marcos, 78666
What a day on the river! Grab some friends, bring some drinks and enjoy a long float on the San Marco River. Floating the river is a fun summer tradition in Texas—and maybe an unfamiliar one if you are a first timer to Austin, as we were. Here's a quick guide to our tubing experience.
The most popular tubing destination, the spring-fed San Marcos River stays a cool 75ish all year round. About 30 miles away from Austin, and hour 15 from Lake Travis it draws floaters of all ages, from families to adults ready to day drink. Our group of 9 made advance reservations with Texas State Tubes which had a private shuttle option for 10 people; about $100 per person. This was perfect as we had 9 tubers, and we knew we needed a driver for our day of fun on the river. Isabella showed up at our house at 10:15am in an older van and a large cooler for us. We loaded our bags and booze for the journey. On the way we stopped to use the bathroom, grab ice, and more drinks. Once we arrived we loaded the floating coolers that were provided and walked over to pick out our tube. It was extremely busy as we were there for Memorial Weekend. Finally situated and ready to go Isabella assured us she would be awaiting us at the end and we could store our bags in the locked van while we floated.
Floating requires being prepared while also traveling light. Some spots in the water were very rough, and many rocks can cut up your legs and feet. A fun tip Isabella provided us was an area called shot-gun island where floaters pulled over and would shot-gun beers and hang out. The 3 hour-ish trip was very enjoyable filled with a lot of laughs.
I cannot stress enough, do not bring anything valuable! I lost my Ray Bans and my husband lost his Pit Vipers during the trip. To top it all off, at the end of our float employees were cutting ties to the tubes. One staff member accidentally cut my friends water-proofed phone off her float and it sunk to the bottom. They actually recovered it 2 days later in working condition. Best advice, is think before you float!
Once we all got to the deck we found Isabella waiting and all 9 of us piled back into the van. On the way back to Lake Travis she stopped at Rasin Canes for some food, as we were all very hungry. Isabella was easy going, an incredible guide and extremely helpful with the phone situation. Overall, it was a fantastic day and highly recommended if you are in Austin!
Outfit Details: Swim Suit
Some Essentials:
• Water shoes—the uglier the better (no flip flops- you will lose them!)
• Sunscreen (don't forget your legs!)
• Water to stay hydrated
• Snacks- we did cheese and peperoni, but wish we had more
• A stocked cooler (and some extra money to pay for a cooler tube if needed)
• Something to hold your ID and money, such as a waterproof pouch
There are also some things you should leave behind:
• Your phone and other valuables, which could end up on the riverbed
• Styrofoam and glass
• Towels and change of clothes
Party on 6th Street
421 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
If you enjoy funny banter, request songs, and drink and sing til your hearts content this is the bar for you! The dueling piano staff sang anything from the 70's and beyond. You want country, you got it, you want rock & roll, blues, rap and beyond this is the bar for you. Our group rolled in, paid a ninexpensive cover and loved the talent from start to finish! We requested songs, tipped the staff and laughed and sang all night.
212 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
I've always wanted to try the famous Voodoo donuts. I was excited to see this location and the line was not too long at around 6:30pm. The place had a cool vibe and design, and the donuts were in a rotating showcase. The donuts were very rich and needed to split. Worth a try if you love sweets.
