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Austin, Texas

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There is so much LIFE in Austin. I first had asked myself, what can I really do in Austin. After visiting, I realized there is so much you can do in Austin.

Austin has a lot of old buildings and one of the most touristy things you can do in Austin is to visit the State Capitol. The acres around the capitol are great for walking around, snapping photos and relaxing underneath shady trees and people watching. You’ll also see a few monuments scattered around to commemorate heroes, volunteer fireman and soldiers.

After touring the Capitol, you can go down and walk along Congress Ave. There is so much to explore on and around Congress Ave. The street is filled with life and antiques to add to weirdness of Austin.

Brave a night on 6th Street? Or Rainey Street? Or both? I realized there are different parts of 6th St. West 6th, East 6th and the Dirty 6th. Prepare for LOTS of people. Lots of drunks and sloppy people, haha. West 6th isn’t as bad as Dirty 6th and well, East 6th is way more chill and known for where the “hipsters” like to go. East 6th also has a great selection of food trucks! However, Rainey Street, well it reminds me a little bit of Sunday Funday vibes in San Diego. From a small neighborhood of bungalows, to sipping on local beer and playing yard games; Rainey Street maintains historic character. From the great selection of food trucks to the cool bars such as The Tipsy Alchemist.

EAT…EAT and EAT!

WHERE TO EAT IN AUSTIN:

Austin is a foodie’s heaven. I can’t tell you how amazing the food tasted in the 512!

Some of my top picks are:

Taquero in Spanish is someone who makes tacos but “Taquero Mucho” is a play on “Te Quiero mucho”, which is, I love you so much in Spanish.

Taquero Mucho is all pink! When I mean all pink, I mean from the moment you walk up to the pink and white building, there is a pink phone booth with pink benches. Inside- pink walls, pink chairs, pink drinks and yes, pink tortillas. YES, I said PINK TORTILLAS! The food here is delicious and I’m already dying to come back here! It’s located in the heart of Austin and it’s a total Instagram worthy spot. From the pink drinks to the atmosphere to the incredible and friendly staff. Ask for Christovar, he’s such a sweetheart and will ensure your Taquero Mucho experience is one of a kind. You’d be damned coming to Austin and not visiting this place.
Grizzeldas (105 Tillery St, Austin, TX 78702)

Grizzeldas is filled with character and charm. This rustic-chic transports its guests to Central and Coastal Mexico with its lush greenery, shades of pink and floral wallpaper. The drinks are amazing. The grizz-mizz margarita is Grizzelda’s signature drink. It’s PINK on the rocks! Everything from the atmosphere to the food was incredible. If you’re a fan of aesthetics and quality food, this is your place!

Forthright (35 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701)

A cute little brunch café just south of Cesar Chavez and Brazos. A quiet cul-de-sac by Ladybird Lake.  An Austin  staple with honest food from scratch, prepared well using quality ingredients. Tall windows, natural light, a leafy patio with plenty of shade, a place for a read -this is a great place for coffee, brunch cocktails and your café favorites. We ordered the Biscuits and Gravy with a poached egg, Waffle Stack with blueberries and Avocado Toast with a poached egg. Everything was delicious and you can taste the quality in each and every bite. No complaints! I do recommend arriving early as this place has a wait for hours during brunch!

Numero 28 (452 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701)

No. 28 offers delicious Italian food in the heart of downtown Austin. Come in for fresh pastas, delicious oven-fired pizzas, delicious pizza-style paninis, small bites and Italian wines paired with wonderful meats and cheeses. This is a great spot for a nice dinner date or the perfect wine and cheese pairing for happy hour. The staff here at No. 28 is extremely friendly and happy. Well duh, they are Italian so why won’t they be? Christian, the owner’s son makes incredible cocktails and the Aperol Spritz was to die for. Each sip of their delicious bites paired with their Italian wines will leave you feeling like you are in Italy.

Wood-fired Mexican fare with cocktails, a colorful patio and so much more. From the atmosphere to the queso, this is a great place to come in for a drink or for some tacos. Fresa’s chicken is known for their wood-grilled chicken but this particular location also has grilled prawns and grilled steak. The Mexican street corn and grilled beets were so darn delicious, I want more. From their signature margaritas to the incredible atmosphere, Fresa’s is Austin’s staple.

Austin has no shortage of eateries. I feel like I need another trip to go there and experience ALL the local eats. Along with what I’ve already mentioned above with my top picks, here is a continued list of restaurants, food trucks, bars and breweries in Austin that all REQUIRE MASKS!

Restaurants & Food Trucks:

Bars & Breweries:

Although we’ve heard a lot of how Texas has lifted the mask mandate, well that doesn’t apply to everyone. Austin is liberal and they understand the importance of mask wearing. These are the few places I noticed where masks are required at the time of entrance and whenever you are not sitting at your table. I’m sure there are more but these are just the few I noticed in my few days in Austin.

Apart from eating and drinking, the best way to wine down is enjoying a glass of Merlot with a nice view. As you know from my other travel itineraries, rooftops are huge on my travel must do’s. My top pick is p6. It’s located at The LINE Hotel on Congress Ave. p6 is one of the newer rooftops in town and it sits right off Ladybird Lake. You get a nice view with Moroccan aesthetics. The ambience is quite lovely and I can ensure you that you will need to book reservations for this rooftop in advance as it’s becoming popular and they are booked up fast!

Other rooftops I didn’t go too but I do recommend, as I’ve heard great things are:

WHERE TO STAY IN AUSTIN:

Austin Proper Hotel- It’s nested in downtown, offering an artful immersion in lifestyle and well-being. Austin Proper has it all from globally influenced cuisines to a rooftop pool and lounge.

Austin Proper offers an upscale Mediterranean restaurant, Peacock as well as 2 other casual eateries. I highly recommend you make a reservation at the Mediterranean restaurant as it will blow your taste buds away. Every bite in was made to perfection.
From our room stay with the complimentary champagne to the friendliness of every single staff member, including Lauren (the Guest Relations Manager) made sure our stay was pure and cordial. I can’t emphasize this enough, Austin Proper was the perfect addition to our little mini getaway. Above all, I loved all the details, everything from our room aesthetics to the complex and balanced cocktails.
The good thing about Austin is it’s close enough to San Antonio to take a day trip. We rented a car during our time in Austin so we can make a day trip to San Antonio. San Antonio is roughly 1 hour and 10 minutes away from Austin on highway 35.

Here’s a one day itinerary of things to do in San Antonio:

The San Antonio Riverwalk was by far my favorite tourist attraction to do in Texas. I highly recommend it especially if you are only in San Antonio for the day. It’s filled with lots of charm. Shops, restaurants, river front bars and all the historic architecture.

Definitely a hidden gem that you wouldn’t expect to find in Texas. If you have drinks along the river walk, I do recommend you have them at Casa Rio. Casa Rio is one of the oldest restaurants in San Antonio and their margaritas are to die for.

From the river walk, you can head down to Alamo plaza, do some shopping and see the historic building.

Also, from the river walk, you can head down market street and head to San Antonio’s Historic Market Square. It’s filled with lots of locals, fresh michelada’s, pico di gallo and much more.

Touring the Historic Market was like chasing hidden gems in Texas that I would never expect to find. All the bright colors, the people and just living in the moment. The Historic Market Square is about a 20 minute walk from the river walk or about a 7 minute drive.

BEST BBQ in SAN ANTONIO:

We all know good BBQ when we see it, but when you hear about the recommendations from Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, as well as the locals, you know it’s meant to be worth the longggg wait.

Smoke Shack BBQ is a food staple among the locals. It’s located near the San Antonio Zoo. The hopping counter service place with rustic retro feel has the best barbeque sandwiches, platters and sides.

I can’t say no to ribs. Brisket is a thing in Texas and although these guys are known for their grilled cheese brisket….I just preferred the ribs. These ribs had the perfect smoke flavor with the right amount of sauce. The smoke, meatiness, tenderness and sauciness were all spot on here. Zero disappointment. I got their mac n cheese and their potato salad. The amount of each one was a perfect size…the mac n cheese was rich, dense with flavor and a spot of structure. Same goes for the potato salad…not mushy, not chewy, but just right with brisket ends tucked in there. The Smoke Shack has definitely set the bar high and I can see why this is voted one of the best BBQ joints among locals.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I can’t wait to hear about your Austin experience.

Greetings from Austin Mural (1720 S 1st St, Austin, TX)

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