Earlier this month, a few gal pals and I headed to Austin, Texas for a little getaway. We were feeling stagnant and just needed a change of scenery. The short, 3 hour drive from Houston to the capitol was an easy commute and made for a fun trip. So if you’re in need of a rejuvenating getaway, here’s a few ideas for you.
Visit A Museum
One place you’ll definitely want to visit is the Contemporary Museum of Art at the Laguna Gloria location. This beautiful museum has a small exhibit, but it’s definitely worth the visit. It’s $5 to go inside, but I honestly don’t think you need to unless you’re really set on getting a photo on that fabulous blue couch of theirs. They’re open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm. However, you will definitely want to look around the grounds. It’s absolutely gorgeous. The building itself made me feel like I was vacationing somewhere in France and we were all awestruck. I’m pretty sure I said, “Gosh, that’s gorgeous,” at least 100 times while we were there. The walking trails around it were very nice as well. They were gravel paths and walked along the water and through the trees.
Do Something Hands On
Paper Folding with The Foxes Tail. Part of what makes Austin such a cool place to visit is the local musicians, artists, and creatives. So, in setting out on this trip, we really want to get involved in the community. In doing so, we set up a private class with Laura from The Foxes Tail and she taught us how to make the coolest paper stars. I probably won’t ever be able to figure this origami out again, but it was fun learning from the master. If you have an eye on something of hers, be sure to use my code HIVE10 for 10% off your order!
Browse, Shop & Wander
South Congress. If you like funky shops, restaurants, and people watching, this is where you should go. They have a little something for everyone.
Rent Scooters. Why walk down the street like a normal person when you can easily rent a scooter? It’s a fun way to get around and you’re guaranteed to have a smile on your face while you’re pushing yourself along down the street.
Explore in Nature
Mayfield Park. This is a great place to wander around a garden, sit and read a book, or feed a peacock – that’s right, they have free roaming peacocks. ANd it’s right next door to Laguna Gloria if you plan on hitting both.
Mt Bonnell. Right down the road from Laguna Gloria and Mayfield Park is Mount Bonnell. After a trek up a few flights of stairs, you can get a bird’s eye view of the rolling hills of Austin and see the downtown skyline off in the distance as well. It’s a great place to see the sunset, but everyone else thinks so as well, so make sure to get there early to get a spot to park.
Eat All The Food
Home Slice Pizza. If you’re looking to get a quick bite to eat while you’re right there in the action of South Congress Street, this is the place to go. You can order pizza by the slice, a calzone, or a fresh salad and it’s all good. I’ve had better garlic knots though, so maybe skip those. The pizza was really good. I got the pepperoni, but my friends got the white pizza and said their choice was really good as well. We shared a large caesar salad and it was really tasty as well.
Terry Black’s BBQ. As a Texan, I’ve had a lot of barbecue in my life. And honestly, it’s never my go-to cuisine. I think the issue was that I had never found a place that the food was so good that I had to make myself stop eating. This was that place. My friends both recommended that we go there and told me how amazing it was, but nothing prepared me for it. The best way to order is how we did – just get a little bit of everything and share it family style. We tried almost everything on the menu.
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