Top Five Things to Do in Austin, Texas
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Green grass, trees and the vibrant colors of wildflowers were certainly not the first things to come to my mind when planning this trip to Texas to see the solar eclipse. I was surprised by the pleasant weather and the colorful spring display the state has to offer. We stayed in Austin for a few days and here’s the top five things I think you should to do if you visit Austin in spring time!
1. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
With more than 900 native Texas species, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is definitely a must visit in spring time. It’s also one of the best places to see the state flower, the bluebonnet. You could easily spend half day here walking among the various trails and meadows. It’s also super kid friendly, with a family garden features waterfall, climbing robes and much more! If you have an annual botanic garden pass in your own city, be sure to check if this garden is inside your reciprocal garden network. We were able to use our San Diego botanical garden pass to enter here for free 🙂
2. Texas farmers market at Mueller
Opens every Sunday from 10am-2pm, Texas farmers market at Mueller is a great place to grab a quick bite and relax with friends on the lawn. We tried CTRUS which specializes in organic smashed drinks. It has pretty good lemonade which is not overly sweet and refreshing! If you are traveling with small kids, the Thinkery children museum is within a minutes away from the farmers market. It also provides a discount entrance fee if you have another children museum pass, such as the one in Encinitas.
3. Zilker Metropolitan Park
Located in the center of downtown Austin, Zilker Park offers endless activities for locals and travelers. We had a tasty picnic(BBQ!) and walked along the Lady Bird Lake afterwards. There were many others jogging and biking on the trails nearby. A lot people also take advantage of the lake and pool to swim, canoe and paddle.
4. BBQ
You can not go to Texas without eating as least one meal of BBQ. Austin has quite a few famous ones including Snow’s BBQ and Franklin Barbecue. Due to popularity of those restaurants, a long line is expected. The best option is to order a pickup order online ahead of time, especially if you have a group of friends to share the deliciousness since the minimum order is 5lbs! Also order as soon as the available dates open up on the website since they tend to sell out for weekends and popular event dates (such as the eclipse). We ended up trying Interstellar BBQ which had tender ribs that fell off the bones while we tried to pick them up to eat.
5. Day trip to San Antonio
At just a bit over an hour drive, San Antonio is a great day trip destination from Austin. We first checked out the river walk and the Alamo, which are both very touristy and hard to find parking. I would avoid the pricey parking garage and try to find cheaper paid parking lot instead. Our next stop was Brackenridge Park, which features a few hiking trails, a zoo and train rides! This is a great place to take your children or just to avoid the crowds in downtown. Another of my favorite places to visit was the Pearl district where you can dine, drink and shop. We had an amazing dining experience at Savor, The Culinary Institute of America. The service was impeccable and the seasonal dishes were tasty.
Hope these recommendations and tips can help you planning your next trip to Austin 🙂
