For my special, lucky 7th leap year birthday, I decided to explore somewhere I haven’t been before – Austin, Texas. Honestly, the trendy Texas city did not disappoint. In my opinion, I found the heart of the Lone Star State to be a cleaner, safer Nashville.
I went during the ATX Open, so the hotels were pricey. It ended up being cheaper to do a short-term rental. We stayed at Kasa Austin and loved our spacious two-bed, two-bath apartment with an amazing view of Downton Austin.
Every morning while in Austin, I took full advantage of the iconic Jo’s Coffee for, of course, coffee but also breakfast (sandwiches, tacos, and pastries).
From my research, I knew Austin was riddled with speakeasies. While here, I had to go to one! Before filling our tummies with BBQ food, we stopped in the Firehouse Lounge, a bar in a circa-1885 fire station, for a quick drink.
When in Texas, barbecue is a must. For our first full day in Austin, also my birthday, we opted for the legendary Terry Black’s Barbecue. Everything was delicious, especially the ribs and cream corn. After stuffing my face, I was ready for a nap!
After a quick nap, we did some exploring, which included getting an espresso martini at Lamberts.
Then it was time to get ready for my birthday dinner 🥳. Let’s hear a little commotion for my dress from Altar’d State (and boots from Dolls Kill).
For dinner, we made a reservation at Caroline, which at this point had close to 11k reviews on Google and 4.8 stars. The food and service were both great; it was an amazing birthday dinner. I was so happy with my espresso martini and the chicken schnitzel.
We ended the evening with some live music, dancing, and drinks at White Horse. I was drawn to the live country music bar due to its name being a nod to a popular Taylor Swift, and I was fully drawn in once I experienced the fun and lively honky-tonk vibe.
Who doesn’t love a day trip? The next day, we drove to San Antonio to walk along the river, see the Alamo, and have some drinks and food.
The giant Prosecco Rita is from Rita’s on the River. From the look on my face, I was clearly surprised by its size. It’s definitely shareable.
Before heading back to Austin, we stopped at the historic Mexican cafe and bakery, Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia. We weren’t amazed by the food (more disappointed, really), but the restaurant was huge and interesting to experience.
If you’ve never been to Buc-ee’s or just love it as much as I do, I recommend stopping at one and stocking up on gas, food, and other goodies.
For dinner that night, we set out to Rainey Street like our Uber driver from the previous night recommended. We had some beers and sausages at Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden. I loved the vibe of this rustic and chic beer garden.
On Saturday, we took advantage of the clear, sunny sky and checked out Barton Springs. We didn’t go in the water, but we did get to see the area.
After doing some very light hiking, we treated ourselves to In-N-Out Burger. It’s always consistently delicious and sure hits the spot 😍🍔.
Since it was such a nice day and everyone in Austin was out and about, we did some exploring around the city.
I have to give another outfit shoutout to this dress from Altar’d State 🥰. Green cowgirl was clearly my vibe.
The Oasis On Lake Travis was a big highlight of the trip. The drive was totally worth it. I highly recommend going to see the sunset. The chicken and steak fajitas were great!
We brought our own lock to put up, but I think you can buy one there.
If you are already in the area, check out the Texas Capital. It’s even cool to take some pictures from the outside. I went in briefly to see what it was like.
I love going to museums when I travel, so it was nice to wander around the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Note: Exhibition admission is free on the first Sunday of every month for H-E-B Free First Sunday.
This trip was my first time trying Whataburger, and it was great! It may not be In-N-Out, but it was still delicious. The wings and Dr. Pepper shake, along with, of course, the burgers, were awesome.
After our bellies were nice and happy, we went to the Sign Bar, which I had been seeing all over social media. It had some great picture spots and was a really cool place to hang out.
If flying out of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, I recommend stopping at Interimaginary Departures, a departure lounge that sends you to over 120 fictional destinations found in literature, film, animation, and games. At this unique activation, you can even get an interimaginary plane ticket.
I would go back to Austin in a heartbeat. It was a magical trip that I wish I could experience all over again!
Until next time,
Caylin.
Caylin Jimenez 