Texas Trip 2

Yesterday I had fun sharing some tidbits from my boyfriend’s and my recent trip to Austin, Texas, which happens to be one of my new favorite cities. The sites and the weather on our trip were so beautiful that I ended up taking tons of photos. I’m sharing them with you today, as well as Austin trip ideas in case you’re planning an upcoming vacation. I’d highly suggest traveling to Texas, especially if you live in the Midwest. One Uber driver commented about the spike of Chicago tourists he’s seen, and why not? The winter weather is so much better in Austin than in Chicago, the flight between the two cities is just over two hours and the drinks are still inexpensive at Austin bars! (I mean, if bar prices aren’t a reason to travel to a city, I don’t know what is.) Read after the jump for my photo gallery and suggestions of things to do in Austin.

I have to say another “thank you” to my colleague Grant for his suggestions and to Peggy for sharing a recent Austin recap on her blog. They helped Steve and me fill our days with lots of fun sightseeing! Here are some top spots:

• We started our trip immediately at Jo’s Coffee on South Congress to take pics of the “I love you so much” graffiti.
• From there, we continued walking South Congress, full of local shops and amazing restaurants. Stop by Hotel San Jose for a drink on the patio if you have time. At night it has a chill, upscale atmosphere.

One of my favorite places we went was the HOPE Outdoor Gallery. This is a public art project where graffiti artists of all calibers can make art. It also led to a lot of photo opportunities and amazing views of the city at the top of the hill. I’d suggest comfortable clothes and tennis shoes because there’s a lot of dirt and some hill climbing involved.

Obviously I did not follow my own dress code advice.

Other great places to visit include:

• Rainey Street – A street full of houses converted into bars. It was pretty relaxed when I was there during the week. (For my UD grads, it’s just like the GHETTO.)
• The Dirty Sixth – Sixth Street, which is pretty much like the Bourbon St. of Austin. I grabbed street food there and people watched as I strolled through.
• West Sixth – A more upscale part of Sixth Street. We stopped here and went to Easy Tiger which has an outdoor beer garden and is pretty chill.
• Mount Bonnell – A hill overlooking all of Austin and the Colorado River. Be prepared to have major home envy when you see the houses built on the water! You can get here with a short Uber drive and spend about 30-45 minutes “hiking” and taking in the sights.
• Town Lake – If it’s warm enough, rent a kayak or paddle board and enjoy the outdoors!
• Blanton Museum of Art – The museum currently has a 1990s photography exhibit.
• University of Texas – Stop by the outdoor art installation Skyspace for a moment of respite.

These are just a few of the many, many suggestions we received from friends who’ve been to Austin! Comment below with what you think should be added to these Austin trip ideas.