Long time no see! Hope all has been well with y'all. I have been quite busy traveling with work to Texas. Though traveling for work has taken a lot of time from me, it also got me several other spots to share with you up my sleeves. Especially since a good friend of mine is planning a trip to Austin, I've decided to continue my previous Mess with Texas series, but this time with a focus on Austin. Consider this the Part 3 of the Texas series.
I've talked briefly about my Austin experience in my previous blog, Mess with Texas - Part 2. Check it out if you are interested in not only Austin but also places within several hours of drive from Austin. I have been to Austin several other times after the last Texas blog and am happy to share more about this oasis in Texas. In this post, we'll dive into Austin and let's get into it!
Preface
I usually start my blog with locating our destination. As you can see in the map below, Austin is close to the center of Texas, which is the South-most state of US. The state capital of Texas is, as you might have guessed, our destination for today, Austin!
On another note, interestingly, Austin has almost the same latitude as Jacksonville, FL. So Austin has almost the same weather as Jacksonville besides that it doesn't rain as much. Summer in Austin can be super hot (over 100 Fahrenheit/38 Celsius) but then during winter it won't go below 40 Fahrenheit or freezing. So that's kind of nice.
I promise this is all the geography lesson in this blog. We'll now get into the fun things in Austin from several different angels from food to art and much more.
Outdoorsy Attractions
With such nice weather at its advantage, Austin provides plenty of things that you can do out in the wild. Let's take a look.
Barton Springs Pool
What is a springs pool? You might ask. It's this ingenious idea of a public outdoor swimming pool in a park. Moreover, the pool is filled with underground springs that maintain the temperature around 68-70 degrees. You can really feel connected to nature without even leaving the central part of the city here: Your feet can step on the rocks that are at the bottom of the pool; you can rest on the natural grassy slopes right after getting out of the pool; since the pool is in a park, you can even go for a short walk. There is also an area that's specifically for people with their furry friends (i.e. dog-friendly). Way too cute!
Logistics:
There is an entrance fee for getting in unless you are an Austin local but it's somewhere between $5 to $10 and it's totally worth it. Even though it's not cash-only, but it's much easier to carry some cash with you to pay for the fee. Otherwise, you'll need to line up for a machine to get your ticket(s) and then line up again at the entrance to get in. With cash, you only line up once at the entrance and then you're in. (At least this is still true in 2019.)
Parking can be rough during rush hours. There has not been a time that I wasn't able to park but sometimes I'll need to park quite far from the pool and take a 5 minute walk. So just be prepared for some walking.
Have your swimsuit ready with you before getting there. You won't be able to find places that sell swimsuits anywhere within walking distance from the pool. If you don't mind getting your clothes wet then don't mind me.
Mount Bonnell
The top of Mount Bonnell is the highest point of Austin. You can catch a pretty good view of city here.
To the right is the view of Austin from the top of the mountain.
There is a funny story about how I risked it all to get this picture and a picture of me overlooking the city. Check it out in my previous blog if you are interested.
Hiking
The reason why I didn't write a specific trial is that it depends on whether you can get into certain parks. For example McKinney Falls is a great hiking trail with amazing views but the number of entries are usually limited. One thing that you can do to guarantee yourself an entrance is to purchase a pass beforehand on the Texas State Parks website. Also be mindful of the park hours. Give yourself enough time to hike back.
However, even if you are rejected from some parks, there are quite a bit of trails in the outskirt of Austin. One of the parks that does not cap entrance is Barton Creek Greenbelt. It's also nice that there is a body of water next to the trail so you can both hike and swim. That's quite nice.
Sightseeing
I need to separate this spectacular into its own thing cause it is so unique to Austin.
Bat Watching
Have you ever gone bat watching? If you go search for this on Google right now, I bet that "bat watching Austin" will be one of the suggested search results. It's just so uniquely Austin.
Basically, everyday around sunset, bats in Austin will migrate from one side of the bridge to another. So you can see a sky full of bats around the magical hour of sunset. That is actually if you're lucky, you'll see the bats. Sometimes, the bats fly out too late. Then you won't be able to see them without the sunlight.
That doesn't stop people from gathering near the bridge with the hope to catch a glimpse of all the bats. So almost everyday around sunset, you can see a swarm of people patiently or impatiently waiting for the bats to show up. I wonder if without further context, when future historians look back on this, they'll think it's some kind of tribal ritual.
Food
With lots of outdoor activities and sightseeing, you must be hungry. Let me recommend a couple spots just to satiate the hunger.
If you are not a vegetarian, you'd be missing out if you don't try BBQs in Texas. There are rarely any bad BBQ places in Texas but I recommend this one, specifically the branch that's about 40 minutes away from the central area, which is also their original spot, because it's not just a BBQ pit, but also a winery. Being able to sit outdoors holding a cup of wine before/during/after BBQ just spices up the experience.
I apologize ahead of time to the vegetarian friends for the picture below but it's just mesmerizing seeing how BBQ is made at such a scale.
If you can't make it to their original spot, I'm glad to report that they have a store in the Austin airport. Though the experience will be different, the taste is pretty much the same.
Partially because I am sorry that I flashed my vegetarian friends with the meaty picture, I want to introduce you to this vegetarian restaurant.
The menu fits right in what you think more trendy and health-conscious people would have in Austin. I'll just list out a couple of things on the menu here: Summer Buddha Bowl and Garden Nachos.
Also, plenty of outdoor sitting for you to enjoy your hearty meal under the sun.
This place is rated as the number 1 place for ice cream in Texas by some magazine. It's located in a food truck in South Austin.
There is not only ice cream, but also popsicles, pastries, and cakes served. If you are feeling adventurous, I'd recommend their soursop ice cream, featured in the picture, the white-looking substance. It is made from a tropical fruit and tastes like nothing that I've had before.
Food Trucks
Speaking of food trucks, they are everywhere in Austin. Some of the best food are from food trucks. Some of them are stationary while the others are mobile. So I'll let you explore your options.
Another fun fact is that there is actually a "food truck" in the Austin Airport attached to a restaurant that has live music. So even if you didn't have enough time to check out any food trucks in the city, you can still redeem yourself at the airport.
Dolce Neve
I just have a soft spot for gelatos. This place is quite cute and right next to a gallery that I'm going to recommend.
Art
Art for the People
This is a super welcoming gallery that supports local artists and even serves you Kombucha when you visit.
Even if you are traveling from out-of-town, the store offers delivery so you can still get your favorite pieces.
Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum
It's a small oasis inside the oasis of Texas. Super tiny but quite tranquil. During the summer, admission is free but donation is always welcomed.
Night Life/Live Music
I know the two don't necessarily have to go together. There are many day-time live music events like South by Southwest. However, if you have a packed day time schedule, night time is a great time for some live music action.
Sixth Street
Sixth street is more like the grungy row of bars filled with live music.
Rainey Street
Rainey street is more like the classier brother of sixth street. A unique and fun spot on the street is the Container Bar. The place is filled with many containers as rooms and has an open-roof underground feeling to it. Do walk around and check out other bars on the street as well.
Westin Rooftop Swimming Pool
Open to the public after 8pm most nights. It's a great spot to for late summer nights. You can take a dip in the swimming pool while enjoying a nice glass of beverage.
So that's all I have for you now. Hope you'll have a great time in Austin just like I did!
Comments