David, Vivian and I just spent a week in Austin, Texas to visit his sister and her husband. We had a great time in Austin and loved all the time we got to spend outdoors and exploring the city. The food was also much better than expected - we barely had a bad meal! I’ve laid out the highlights below, I hope you get a chance to visit Austin soon and that my tips are helpful!

What We Did

Auditorium Shores Park

We spent multiple days at Auditorium Shores Park because there was so much to do there! They had an amazing playground with turf and rubber ground, which was good since Vivian is still crawling so bark chips aren’t great for her. They also had a really fun splash pad that we didn’t go in because it wasn’t too hot while we were there, but it seemed like a good time! We also ate Bird Bird Biscuit in the park there, and just enjoyed walking through the park! It is right on the lake and has great views.

Walking Around Lady Bird Lake

Austin wraps around Lady Bird Lake, which really seems more like a river than a lake! There are great trails and boardwalks on either side, and the trail is 10 miles total. We spent lots of time walking along different sections of the lake. Sometimes it seems very much like you are in the city, but there are fun little pockets that feel more like you are deep in nature. There are also multiple bridges that go over the lake that offer fantastic views of the city.

Thinkery Children’s Museum

If you are traveling to Austin with kids the Thinkery is a must! It’s called a children’s museum but I would say it is more of an educational indoor play place for kids of all ages. There are multiple sections including a play cafe, a movement room, an arts and crafts area, a room about light, and an area for kids under two. They also had a really fun looking outdoor playground. Vivian was a little young for some of it but there was still plenty for her to do - I think slightly older kids could easily want to spend all day!

Barton Springs

Barton Springs Pool is a 3 acre pool fed from underground springs and is a super popular swimming spot. We went on a Friday and it still got pretty crowded, and we heard the weekends can be packed! The water was pretty chilly but we still had a great time getting to swim and relaxing on the grassy hills that surround the pool.

Walking on S Congress

S Congress is a popular shopping street in Austin with lots of shops, bars and great restaurants. Apparently it used to have more local stores, but now it seemed to have mostly bigger brands. We stayed in a neighborhood that was just a short walk away and enjoyed walking to dinner on S Congress or to get coffee in the morning. The Congress Avenue Bridge spans Ladybird Lake in Austin and connects S Congress to Congress Ave in downtown and is referred to as “bat bridge” because at night you can see all of the bats fly out from under it (which is an activity I actively avoided!).

Austin Central Library

The Austin Central Library is right on the lake in downtown Austin and is a very modern building with a cafe, a great children’s area and a rooftop deck! It was a fun place to spend a bit of time and it offered great views of the lake and of Austin!

Where We Ate and Drank

Aba

Aba was amazing Mediterranean food in a super cute garden location right off of S Congress street. The whipped feta spread was one of my favorite things I ate on the trip, but we loved everything we got here! The atmosphere was also really special - lots of twinkle lights, big comfy tables and chairs, and a really beautiful upscale but not stuffy vibe.

Loro

I was very pleasantly surprised by Loro - the food looked pretty good from the menu, but it was even better than I expected! The restaurant is a fusion of Asian and bbq, with two of the top chefs in Austin (Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Tyson Cole of Uchi) coming together. The wonton chips and dips were delicious, especially the Thai green salsa. For my main I got the crispy Szechuan tofu rice bowl, and if I could learn how to make tofu that delicious I would be eating it every day!

Suerte

David and I did a date night, just us two, on our trip and went to Suerte. We absolutely made the right decision for dinner, it was one of my favorite meals on our trip! We shared the guacamole and the sunchoke dish to start and both were delicous. Suerte is upscale Mexican food and everything was familiar but very elevated and unique. For our main dishes David had the carnitas tacos and I had a summer squash dish. This is a must go restaurant in Austin!

Patrizi’s

Patrizi’s is a handmade pasta food truck with a great outdoor dining area. Despite it pouring rain on us during the meal and having to eat huddled under a tree for some rain cover we had a great time here! The pasta was fantastic, especially considering it is from a food cart, and the vibe was relaxed and comfortable. The lines can get super long if you don’t go early though, so make sure to have an early dinner here!

Fresa’s

One thing I loved about Austin was all of the amazing outdoor patios and eating spaces that the restaurants had, and Fresa’s was especially beautiful! Fresa’s is a wood fired restaurant that specializes in grilled chicken and has a Mexican feel to the dishes. I had the Jerez Salad which was light and fresh but still filling, and David had a wood-grilled chicken meal that he loved too!

Veracruz All Natural

Breakfast tacos are huge in Austin, and after eating them at Veracruz I don’t understand why they aren’t more popular all over! The tacos at Veracruz were fantastic, and the salsa was fantastic as well. They don’t only make breakfast tacos either - David had an al pastor taco that he loved as well! You also get the option of either a corn of flour tortilla. As someone who doesn’t normally eat tacos because I don’t love corn tortillas, this was a great perk!

Zanzibar

On our date night we also went to Zanzibar, a great rooftop bar overlooking the lake in downtown Austin. We didn’t eat at Zanzibar, but our cocktails were great and the atmosphere was so much fun!

Zilker Brewing

We stopped for a beer at Zilker Brewing when we were on East 6th, and drank the beer at other restaurants. The brewery was a cool spot with a food cart and lots of seating, and we loved the beer here!

Paperboy

Hillary and Trevor love Paperboy, so even though there was almost a 90 minute wait they assured us the wait was worth it - they were right! We sat on a rooftop patio and enjoyed some bloody mary’s and a delicious brunch. I had the b.e.c. sandwich with avocado instead of bacon, and David loved his chicken and biscuit.