Simple Getaway to Austin Texas

We love us some Austin! These past few years, we’ve been there so many times it never gets old. And there are many things to do on a small budget. Hotels can get expensive, but it’s always nice if you can make a connection with some friends or find a good AirBNB or HomeAway spot. Austin is so fun, there is literally something new to do each time we go and it doesn’t break the bank. This trip was mainly to visit some family graduating from college. So not too much time to check out the usual hot spots, but we wanted to share some of the locations we hit up this go around.

Driving down wasn’t too bad and this was baby’s first road trip. Stop 1 was on the way at Buc-EE’s gas station in Temple. Sounds lame, but its pretty cool if you’ve never been. This was a prefect stop along the way and is about an hour north of Austin. Not to mention the clean bathrooms, jerky sampling, snacks, and trinkets galore. The size of this place is ridiculous, but no wonder they are as busy as they are with all the things they have to offer.

After driving in, Day 1 was busy! We had to get ready for the graduation and with the baby that always gives us a late start, so no time to walk the city today. We headed to San Marcos for the graduation which is only 30 minutes from South Austin. The campus is beautiful and hilly, wish we had more time to walk it, but one really cool thing about the graduation was the tradition of jumping into the natural spring river off the campus. Though that was so fun, wish we could have done it as well!

Day 2 we found some time to finally get into the city. Be sure to grab a bite at Chi’lantro. We’ve gone here the past few visits. This place started off as a food truck a few years back and today has a few physical locations throughout Austin. We like visiting the one on South Lamar. It’s off the beaten path of South Lamar, so we can usually get in and out quickly. A few of the must haves are the kimchi fries, tacos and wings. Between those three items it is enough to fill 2 people. But if you have a really big appetite, try the burrito. It will blow away any Chipotle burrito and is super filing.

Next stop was “Hey Cupcake” at “The Picnic- Food Truck Park” for some dessert. This is right near Barton creek, so makes for a great place to walk around afterward. The wonderful array of food and shopping trucks will allow you to kill some good time. The covered sitting area is a real bonus from the Austin heat. Also, be sure to check out Butler Park which is not too far down the street from the food truck park. This place is great for walking, biking, and getting some good views and pics of the Colorado River and downtown Austin.

This trip was short and simple, but we hope to check out some other natural pools and springs next go around. If you’re visiting Austin for the first time here are a few of the places we’ve been and highly recommend…

• Hamilton Pool – Beautiful area with an awesome natural pool

• Lake Travis – Great hilly area that makes you feel you’ve left Texas. Guess you can call this part of the “Hill Country”.

• The Oasis at Lake Travis – Spectacular views over the lake with decent food and drinks

• Circuit of the Americas International Racetrack – Host of the Formula 1 race series and MotoGP to name a few.

• The Domain – Great place to grab some food and do some shopping in North Austin

• Rainey Street – South of the UT campus, great spot for patio bars and music. The old houses have been converted to bars and make for a great atmosphere.

• 6th Street – Blurry nights await if you go here otherwise stay away from if you’re not in college, it’s overwhelming but fun if you’re in the right mood.

• Amy’s Ice Cream – Great spot for some wacky ice cream concoctions.

• Gourdoughs – Gourmet doughnuts that will have you on a sugar high.