Taking a break from foodie recipes to bring you a post all about travel! I know I’m really bad about sharing anything that’s going on in my little corner of the world. And not because I don’t want to. But typically I don’t think there’s ever anything that exciting going on that’s worth the share. Don’t get me wrong. I actually love and cherish the (what can be) mundane day to day with my family, because you never know if/when that could change. But you get what I mean.
However, I went on a few recent trips with different groups of people that I’d love to chat about! And thought it’d be fun to recap places we went, ate at, and all of the in between. So, here we go!
Towards the end of last year, one of my besties (since junior high!) moved from Boston, MA, to Austin, TX, for her husbands job. And every year, our little group of girlfriends (there are four us) takes some sort of girls trip…for our sanity, really. Since the year was winding down and we hadn’t yet gotten together, we planned a weekend in the new city. Austin, here we come!
As always, the weekend went by way too fast. With too many laughs (is that even possible?), memories relived, and new memories made. And along the way, we made stops at all of the local attractions since none of us had ever been to Austin. So let’s get into that.
When we got into town, our first stop was takeout from Torchy’s Tacos. This now thriving restaurant began in Austin as a food truck, but has quickly expanded to numerous cities in four states. Before heading down there, we were all told we had to make this place a pit stop and our group isn’t one to back down from a good Mexican meal. We all decided on a taco or two (they’re small but we weren’t starving) and of course the chips and queso to share.
So what I’m about to say will probably tick off local Austin folks but if we’re being honest…our group synopsis was that the tacos were pretty average. I did appreciate the petite size but they were a touch greasy and nothing out of this world. Although I will admit after a night out, these mini tacos would be the perfect meal! And maybe there’s just something about girls, chips, and dip, but we devoured that queso like it was going out of style. So if for nothing else, I’d visit this place again for another round of cheesy goodness!
For our first (and only) full day in Austin, we started at South Congress Avenue (SOCO). This area is known for local hangouts, restaurants, boutiques, and just getting that all around Austin vibe. We made several stops walking up and down this historic street, including Allen’s Boots (never felt more ‘Texas’), Guero’s Taco Bar (their salsa bar is phenom!), and the Austin-famous “I love you so much” wall at Jo’s Coffee. My personal favorite though had to be the Hey Cupcake! trailer. I opted for one of their specials that day but really all I remember was how moist and absolutely delicious it was. So put this sweet little trailer on your travel list! Also, use this street map to check out all that SOCO has to offer, it’s a great visual aid!
From SOCO, we hopped in the car to head to Rainey Street. This bar-hoppin’ area is well…just that. A street lined of bars that look like houses, restaurants, and food trucks. The street itself isn’t long but it was packed and full of life. To take advantage of the Texas weather, we grabbed drinks on the patio at Lucille’s Patio Lounge and it’s the cutest place. String lights over head, a full service outdoor bar, and the most relaxing ambiance. And even though it was the only bar we frequented (everything was a little too busy and we weren’t wearing the appropriate attire to join the Santa Bar Crawl!), I would highly recommend it for the delicious drinks and adorable patio!
Our final spot for the night was Mozart’s Coffee Roasters. You may think this is just another coffee shop but I can assure you it’s far from it. Nestled next to Lake Austin, Austin’s first in-house coffee roaster sits in a large building next to an even larger deck area. And during the holiday season (remember, we went in December), Mozart’s is decked in over 1 million Christmas lights and on certain evenings a live pianist serenades the night. And every night you can take pleasure in watching a Christmas light show played to all-time favorite holiday tunes.
To complement the incredible setting, Mozarts obviously offers specialty coffees as well as a vast bakery of both sweet and savory goodies. It was fairly late when we visited so we all opted for a large cup of hot cocoa. I can’t remember exactly what I ordered but I sipped on a specially crafted hot cocoa (I’m pretty sure it had cinnamon in it) and all you need to know is that the entire thing was consumed. It was rich and delicious, the perfect night cap to such a busy day!
On Sunday, we were all pretty tuckered out from the non-stop that was Saturday, so an easy morning of coffee and donuts with the kiddos was welcomed (the Austin bestie has a daughter and a Minnesota bestie brought along her youngest). Our flights were later that evening, so after breakfast we all ventured to Zilker Park for a late morning stroll. We walked along a trail lining Lady Bird Lake, filled with runners, walkers, bikers, you name it. And across the lake was a perfect view of downtown Austin. After such a fast weekend, it was nice to take a slow walk in the peace and quiet.
But if you take anything away from this post, it must be this: do not leave Austin without grabbing a bag (or five) of Julio’s Mexican Tortilla Chips. Aside from all of the much needed girl time the weekend brought, these chips were probably my favorite thing from the trip. And I’ll go out on a limb to say the other three girls echo my sentiments. These seasoned chips are something we still text about to this day, keeping up on each others orders (available at Target!) or how many times the Austin bestie is snacking on them. It really is a problem. But I promise these chips will change. your. world. This is my PSA. You’re welcome.
Overall, we all had the best weekend in Austin. A mix of fun, laziness, and everything in between. Compared to the other areas of Texas I’ve been to (e.g., San Antonio, Dallas, Houston), I’d say Austin is unlike any other. Its own artsy vibe and less of the full blown everything-is-bigger-in-Texas feel. So if you’re looking for a weekend full of outdoor patio-, BBQin’-, tortilla chippin’-, hippie-fun, Austin is your jam!
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