I bet it’s hard to believe that this is me, in sandals, in November. But I sure was sporting them when I visited Austin a few months ago! Let me just tell you that Austin is a city that I have to return to ASAP. There is so much to see, do and eat that I am going to need a few days just dedicated to that. But, in the short amount of time that we had there (less than 48 hours actually), we managed to do quite a bit!

THINGS TO DO

Like I mentioned, we were on a tight schedule, but here’s what we did…and what we will do next time!

• Stay downtown! You’ll be in the heart of it all.
• Austin is the State Capitol of Texas and a short walk from the Westin. Take a stroll down and see some historic landmarks on the way.
• The murals in Austin are pretty lovely. There are so many and you can find a really good list here. Next time, I’ll get a picture in from of I Love You So Much!
• I’m a museum lady, so next time I visit, I’m going to The Contemporary Austin and the Blanton Museum of Art.
• Look up what local festival is happening during the time of year you’re visiting. When we were there, it was also the Texas Book Festival, so there were streets shut down and all walks of life out and about.
• Rent bikes and roll around town and the Colorado River Walk.
• All of my coffee lovers should hit up Houndstooth Coffee. There are two locations (I went Downtown and next time will go to the one on N. Lamar). If you enjoy your brew onsite, you’ll be delighted by a surprise waiting for you at the bottom of your mug.
• E-A-T ! If you stay at the Westin, you have to enjoy their restaurant on site: Stella San Jac for brunch. It’s to die for! Don’t skip the biscuits!
• Torchy’s Tacos came recommended by locals, but I didn’t make it there… THIS TIME. I will go there first thing next time!
• The Gospel Brunch at Stubb’s BBQ cannot be missed. It is buffet style and full of all of the good things you want. Plus, the music is so good, it might make you tear up. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything…

You can find a ton more things to do on the Visit Austin website.

 CONGRESS STREET SHOPS

Congress Street is where much of the action is at. You’ll find restaurants, bars, retail, and can have quite the people watching experience just walking up and down. My friend Erin moved to Austin last year so we had a chance to catch up while I was there! I only had Saturday afternoon to explore, so she and I just perused the stores, tried on cowboy boots, had fun trying on glasses at the Warby Parker store, and had a couple of drinks at Perla’s before I had to return to the hotel for the company dinner.

The Warby Parker store has a photo booth so we took full advantage.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed at the Westin Austin which was walking distance to so much. We have to stay here again on our next visit! The Westin Austin has a rooftop pool and bar so the nighttime scene is ace. DJ party by the pool? Who’s complaining?! Also, the Westin is home to the delicious Stella San Jac I mentioned above. There would be a picture of the room, except that we were only in there at night… and you know I can’t take a picture at night, so you’ll have to settle for some pictures of the property.

I know there are so many more gems to discover in ATX, so, if you have a recommendation, please leave it in the comments so we can all take advantage!

Thanks for reading! xo

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