a southern yankee abroad

Last weekend, a good friend of mine got married in Austin, which meant I finally had a good reason to visit this amazing city! Given what I already knew about Austin, I had a feeling I would love this place, and this prediction absolutely proved to be true. What was supposed to be 72 hours in Austin actually turned out to be 48 hours (I may have slept through my alarm and missed my flight)…oops! Fortunately, United was very accommodating and understanding, and helped me re-book for the very next morning for a small fee (thanks United!). Once I arrived in Austin, the rest of the weekend could not have been more fun. Below is a breakdown of how I spent my weekend in Austin.

Day 1

Lunch at Torchy’s Tacos

This place is an Austin establishment (so I’m told). After settling into my Airbnb on arrival, my friend/native Texan tour guide Chris introduced me to this delicious food truck in South Austin off 1st Street. All of the tacos were reasonably priced and huge (especially compared to the tacos you get in NYC…I guess this is what they mean when they say everything is bigger here!) I ordered the Green Chile Pork and the Independent taco (as in real life, the Democrat was too expensive and the Republican was made up of sketchy ingredients, so I went with the Independent).

Visit the TX State Capitol

The State Capitol building and grounds are free and open to the public. A fun place to explore and get your history fix!

Hang Out on Rainey Street

Rainey Street features a row of laid-back, bungalow-style bars with a large variety of local brews on tap. We found ourselves at Bangers, which featured a beer garden-style outdoor seating area complete with cornhole games. Food trucks are conveniently scattered throughout the street!

Dinner at Lambert’s BBQ

Another Austin establishment, so I’m told. I was still full from my Torchy’s but I did try some of Beth’s brisket and the mac and cheese, which was made with Tabasco and goat cheese. It definitely ranks as one of the top 3 best mac and cheese dishes I’ve ever tried…I highly recommend!  

Watch the Bats

Strangely enough, hundreds of thousands of bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin each night at dusk to attend to their nightly feeding. We were advised to arrive about 30 minutes before sunset to watch this happen. We posted up on the bridge at around 7:30, and hundreds of people had already staked out their viewing spot. Hundreds more people joined us before the bats finally flew out around 8:30pm. The sight was truly eerie to watch–to me, it looked like someone turned on a water spigot and bats instead of water started pouring out from an opening in a bridge. A cloud of bats could also be seen flying miles away down the river. This is truly one of the main things that makes Austin “weird”!

Visit Sixth Street

Sixth Street is the center of the nightlife in Austin, and it has your standard mix of live music venues and college-type bars. This street reminds me a lot of Broadway in Nashville… it’s a good time and worth stopping by!

Day 2

Rent Bikes and Ride Along the Colorado River

The Colorado River is absolutely beautiful, and the trail along the south end of the river offers beautiful views of the city. Beth and I rented bikes from Barton Springs Bike Rentals and took off for a three hour self-guided ride along the river and through South Austin!  

Lunch at Torchy’s Tacos (again…I know!)

As Beth had not tried Torchy’s yet, I broke down and ate lunch here a second day in a row (just kidding…I willingly ate here again! I loved this place from the first minute!) This time, I ordered the Baja Shrimp and the Trailer Park (non-trashy style…meaning without queso!)

Enjoy the Murals and Artwork

Our bike ride and walking the day before took us past a lot of great murals and artwork unique to Austin.

Grab a juice at Juiceland.

Located next to the bike rental shop, this quirky little spot provided the perfect post-biking refreshment. I got the “Gingerade,” which is like a spicy fresh squeezed lemonade drink with cayenne pepper. I was very excited to learn they’ve opened their first location outside of TX in Brooklyn, so I am looking forward to visiting them there!

Visit The Driskill

My friend’s wedding reception was at The Driskill, but it is definitely worth visiting in its own right. This place is iconic Texas! While the reception was fantastic, I can only imagine the food and cocktails normally served at the restaurant and bar in the Driskill are just as good. The Driskill is also located on Sixth Street, so it’s very easy to go out nearby!

I loved Austin’s vibe. It is not surprising to me that 100 people are moving there each day! Hopefully, the city can maintain its “small-town” charm and quirkiness and low cost of living despite these changes. I know, at least last weekend, the sun seems to shine a little brighter in Austin!