A weekend in Austin
Just spent a girls’ weekend in Austin, Texas! It was my first time in Austin, and really in Texas (I was in Waco for a few hours in 2006, but I don’t really count that).
I came to visit my friend Katie who moved to Austin from San Francisco almost a year ago. We knew each other because I photographed for her brand, Underclub Co., but we reconnected on a recent women’s retreat in Tulum where we randomly ran into each other (fate or what?!). Another girl we met in Tulum also joined - Michelle!
We didn’t have any major plans for the weekend other than exploring Austin. And explore we did!! Here’s a little guide to the places we ate and explored.
WHERE TO EAT/DRINK (Vegan + gluten-free friendly)
Cosmic Cafe
We had tea/coffee here daily. It’s a super cute spot with lots of outdoor seating and food trucks, along with it’s large menu of breakfast and alcoholic drinks. It becomes a 21+ area after 9pm. The parking lot is shared with a climbing gym, so it might be tough to find a parking space if you’re coming on a weekend.
Blenders and Bowls
Super cute healthy cafe with acai bowls, smoothies, and gluten-free toast options. There are a few locations throughout Austin, and the aesthetic is goals.
Fresa’s Chicken
Sure, this cute lunch/dinner spot has the word “chicken” in the name, but surprisingly there are actually quite a few vegan options! You can make their veggie bowls vegan by substituting cauliflower for meat. Also their guac is bomb. Pro-tip: sit at the bar because the bartender’s are super fun. We went to the South First location and it was a super cute date-night vibe.
WHAT TO DO
Polar Plunge in the Barton Springs Pool
There’s an annual tradition of jumping into the river on New Year’s day, but you can do it any time you visit! Barton Springs Pool is a sectioned off part of the river where there’s a lifeguard and lots of elderly swimmers. The water wasn’t as cold as we feared, and it was such a fun and exhilarating activity! Highly recommend it any time of year.
Check out my Instagram post for a video of us jumping in.
Zilker Park to Downtown Trail Walk
This is a super fun, easy, long walk along a trail that runs adjacent to the river, from Zilker Park to Downtown Austin via the Butler trail. The Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge offers a gorgeous view of the river and cityscape, and don’t forget that bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge (that’s why this city has bat icons all over - supposedly you can see them come out at dusk).
Zilker Park is also a super cute area to hang out - lots of people playing sports, having picnics, and lots of adorable dogs and kids.
South Congress
Exploring the South Congress area that’s full of shops, restaurants, and live music is a perfect Sunday morning activity. Most of the action is in the span between Annie Street and Nellie Street. Get ready for crystals and cowboy boots, blues country singing, and lots and lots of bbq. And definitely grab a photo in front of this mural at S Congress and E Milton.
East 6th
Haven’t had enough walking? Walk some more on East 6th! This is a more industrial area with a ton of cute restaurants, cafes, outdoor seating, and vintage shops. The span is from around Red River street through Robert Martinez Jr Street. But be careful if you go west of the freeway as that area is called the Dirty 6th and has bars full of drunk college students, and apparently some violence.
As you can tell, we spent most of our time walking, and with no regrets. Also spent a lot of time with Katie’s furry friends. Until next time Austin!
Got more Austin recommendations? Leave them in the comments!
