Austin by Day

I went to Austin, Texas this past weekend. Why? It was on my bucket list of U.S. cities for about a year, due to its subliminal infiltration of my mind. I just kept reading about the city in all kinds of travel articles and I couldn’t get images of Austin’s music and food scenes out of my mind. So I went.

Now I have lots to share with you about Austin – check out my official daytime must-do’s and how-to’s in Austin:

1. Morning coffee at Mozart’s: take a quick Uber to Mozart’s for a morning caffeine fix. Listen: refillable iced coffee on a beautiful patio on the Colorado River? Win.

2. Lunch at la Barbecue: This is the new best BBQ in Austin. Skip the four-hour line at Franklin Barbecue, and spend an hour in this one, salivating over the smoky brisket scents coming from the pit, and enjoying a free beer. The pitmaster, John Lewis, came from Franklin Barbecue, so it’s the best of both worlds.

3. Walk South Congress Ave: In order to walk off the brisket, beef rib, chipotle cole slaw, buttermilk potato salad and sausages, I suggest a walk down South Congress. The vibe is friendly and the look is a combination of an old Western town mixed with 50s retro. Take your pick at the many eclectic thrift stores, listen to vibrant street music, hoe-down at The Continental Club and, if you must, snack at the many food trailers sprinkled around the area.

4. “Greetings from Austin” sign: Search “Roadhouse Relics” on Google Maps, start walking and you’ll come across the “Greetings from Austin” sign. It’s a short walk from South Congress so why not take a quick pit stop for a photo op? Also there are more food trailers nearby. (Sorry).

Bats: Stand on the Congress Avenue Bridge at sundown to watch 1.5 million bats emerge from under the bridge. The largest urban bat population in North America, these suckers take over 10 minutes to fly out from under the bridge creating a trail of bats that spans for miles in the sky. How do I know it’s over 10 minutes? I only stayed for 10 minutes. They just kept coming, ok? I got bored.

6. Texas State Capitol building: Just as evening approaches, you can make it to the Texas State Capitol and relax. It’s a beautiful location for a walk, or for me, it was a great place to sit and reflect on why I ate so much.

Austin by Day Map:

 

How to’s in Austin:

*How to get there –JetBlue

The airline has nonstop flights for $200-$300 to Austin.

*Where to stay – SpringHill Suites South by Marriott

             An eight-minute complimentary shuttle ride into downtown Austin, 20-minute uber ride from the airport. Can’t beat it for under $200/night.

*How to get around – Uber

            Ubers are crawling all over Austin – it was never longer than a five-minute wait for a driver, and Austin is so small that rides are cheap. No rental car               needed!

 

Now what? Austin by Night! @maryinmanhattan