10 THING YOU MUST DO ON A VISIT TO AUSTIN (THAT AREN'T LIVE MUSIC, COWBOY BOOTS or BBQ)
Confession: Austin was never really on my bucket list. I had heard great things about the city, but it was never enough to get me to put it on my list of “must-see travel locations”.
But I had the opportunity to visit Austin on a rainy winter weekend in January. Two things I immediately noticed: in order to make your trip more of a breeze you definitely need to have a car to get around, it’s going to take a while to get around (based on how far things are away from each other and the traffic), and the city 100% reminded me of Portland, Oregon (where I grew up).
If you are considering a trip to Austin my suggestion is to not plan it around a large weekend festival (for accommodation option purposes), and to make sure you are visiting during a time of year when the weather is guaranteed to be nice. You want to make sure you can take advantage of all the indoor and outdoor activities! There really is something for everyone in Austin. If you don’t want Tex-Mex or BBQ there are plenty of other banging restaurants. If you don’t like live music, there are museums and cultural tours you can take. If you don’t like outdoor activities, there is a massive mall and a multitude of bars you can spend your afternoons at.
So for all of the people who don’t want to do the “typical Austin things”, here are 10-things you must do on your next visit that don’t involve live music, cowboy boots or BBQ!
Eat ALL of Austin’s Tex-Mex
You can’t leave Texas without trying their infamous Tex-Mex. Now if you’re like me you’ve had Mexican food. And if like me you have lived in or visited Southern California, then you’ve also had legit Mexican food. But Tex-Mex is different. It’s different because everyone I know who is from Texas will shout that from the rooftops.
Now I was only in Austin for a couple of days so I wanted to try a variety of things but I was able to test out Suerte and TacoDeli. And I can attest to them both: they were DELISH!
Tacos at Taco Deli
Suerte is on the popular 6th Street and features happy hour, which they call “lucky hour”, from 5-6 p.m. every night featuring $6 cocktails, wine, or mescal and $5 “snacksidents” (a word they made up to for appetizers). As a solo traveler, I’m all about going to happy hour for dinner as it feels less “awkward” to sit at the bar alone.
If you want authentic Tex-Mex here are recommendations from locals:
Juan in a Million – 2300 E Cesar Chavez Street
Papalote Taco House – 3632 S Congress Avenue
El Arroyo – 1624 W 5th Street
Veracruz All Natural (if you go for the breakfast tacos, and you should, make sure to get here early as it gets pretty busy) – multiple locations
Valentina's (a permanent food truck) – 11500 Menchaca Road
**This is not TexMex but you also HAVE to make sure you stop at the Wham Bam Bagels (4329 South Congress) food truck. Their bagel sandwiches are out of this world and the actual food truck is the cutest pink thing I have ever seen!
Get the best view in town by visiting the Rooftop Garden at the Austin Central Library
To me this is a local spot, because I haven’t heard many non-locals talk about it. It also happens to be one of the best views you can get of Lady Bird Lake and South Austin, and a pretty chill spot to hang out all afternoon. You’ll get a mix of younger “kids” sitting with their friends, people working on their laptops, older couples taking in the afternoon or evening sun, and many a tourist or two. Make sure you arrive when the rooftop opens in order to secure a prime spot!
Search for street art in Austin’s many neighborhoods
Street art is definitely a thing in Austin. There are murals everywhere, and I’m sure new ones popping up all the time. The good thing is, no matter what area you decide to stay in you can be sure there will be a mural in the area. Painted on a wall, on a building, or next to a store, murals are plentiful in Austin and you can easily spend a day driving around to see them all.
Some of the murals I made sure I saw, and recommend you seeing as well are:
“Sweet You’re Here” at Kellie’s Baking Co – 5245 Burnet Road
Tau Ceti – Downtown at Brazos and Second Streets
“Don’t Mess With Texas” – 35S & 7th Street
“Love from Austin” at Prima Dora gift shop – 1912 S Congress
“Anything is Possible” at Kendra Scott – 1701 S Congress
Yellow flowers at Taco Ranch – 5033 W US Hwy 290 Service Rd
“I love you so much” at Jo’s Coffee – 1300 S Congress
Take in the scenery with a walk or ride a bike along the Lady Bird Lake Trail
Lady Bird Lake is right smack in the middle of the city. It looks more like a river to me, and reminds me of the Willamette which is smack dab in the middle of Portland, but technically it’s a lake. From the running and biking paths along the perimeter, to the myriad of water sports and boat rides you can partake in, to the endless picnics you can have, Lady Bird will keep you entertained (either with activities or with people watching) from morning til night.
Learn all about Texas history during a FREE tour of The Texas State Capitol building
If you are a history buff like I am then you are going to LOVE visiting the Texas State Capitol Building. But you can’t just walk in and take a look around, you must hop on one of the free tours that run throughout the day. Well worth the 30 minutes because you will learn things you never knew, and get to experience rooms and floors you may not have found on your own guided tour. Make sure you walk around the outside of the building as well and take in the impressive architecture. It was seriously one of the most interesting tours I have been on, and an afternoon well spent for sure.
Cool off at Barton Springs or (if the weather is warm) McKinney Falls State Park
Barton Springs drone image via Alex Mondini
Because I went in the middle of winter I wasn’t able to experience any of these pools, but I definitely had them on my list as places I would have liked to check out.
Barton Springs Pool: Located within Zilker Park, this is undoubtedly one of Austin’s crown jewels. As it’s fed by underground springs the average temperature at the pool is 68-70 degrees - which makes it perfect for year-round swimming, pending the weather is working in your favor. The pool allows for a variety of activities as it ranges from zero 18 feet deep and is surrounded by grassy areas for people to lounge.
McKinney Falls State Park: Just 13 miles from Austin, McKinney Falls makes for the perfect day trip. The swimming area at the Upper and Lower falls in Onion Creek, with the Upper Falls having a big “basking rock” and deeper water, which is perfect for floaties. For anyone who is more of a “daredevil” you can also jump off the falls into the swimming hole below, but make sure you watch out for submerged rocks. Because it is a state park, make sure you bring $6 for your entry fee.
Spend the afternoon at one of Austin’s great museums
As someone to thrives in cities with a lot of things to do and many cultural sites to see, including museums, I was surprised at the caliber of museums in Austin. Because I was only in Austin for 2 days I only made it to one museum, the Blanton Museum of Art, but it was amazing. And if you only have one day to go to a museum my suggestion would be Blanton.
The Blanton Museum of Art is part of The University of Texas at Austin, and has the most comprehensive collection of art in all of Central Texas, and is the primary collection of art of the city of Austin. There are more than 19,000 pieces of art within the collection, which spans everything from Ancient Greece to Expressionism, and throughout the year the Blanton also features traveling exhibitions.
The interior of the museum, near the lobby, is gorgeous, and in my opinion the two main attractions are the Cildo Meireles’s installation (which features 600,000 coins, 800 communion wafers, 2,000 cattle bones and 80 paving stones and symbolizes the complicit relationship between material power. spiritual power, and tragedy, life and death) and Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin (which is technically outside of the museum but you need to have your ticket to enter). Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin is a 2,715-square-foot stone building with colored glass windows that do amazing light and color play inside. Kelly gifted the piece to the museum, and is the only building Kelly ever designed.
Tip to note: If you bring your student ID your admission will be discounted to $5 and you’ll receive all day parking in the Brazos Garage for $4!
The Bullock Texas State History Museum is right across the street from the Blanton, so if you are prepared to take in culture for a good majority of your day head here next after you finish the Blanton. In all reality, it didn’t take me long to go through the Blanton and feel satisfied. The museum is considered the official history museum of Texas, sharing the story of the state through hundreds of artifacts, innovative exhibitions, films (the museum also features an IMAX theater), and features an archive of first-person stories in the “Texas Story Project”, highlighting memories, experiences, places, and objects that help people understand the history of Texans.
If contemporary art is more your thing, make sure you head to The Contemporary Austin (locally referred to as The Contemporary), which features two locations and an art school. The two locations (the Jones Center downtown and Laguna Gloria) for the museum are distinct but also complement each other, so it’s worth a trip to both. About 20 minutes outside of Austin, the Laguna Gloria (arguably the more popular location) spans 14 acres on Lake Austin and features the historic Driscoll Villa (a beautiful Mediterranean style villa built in 1916 for Henry and Clara Driscoll Soviet), Gatehouse Gallery, the Art School, and the Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park.
Start your morning with a coffee from Jo’s Coffee and window shop/people watch down South Congress
Coffee is just as synonymous with Austin as it is with (what I called its sister city) Portland, Oregon.
I wasn’t able to try the variety of coffee shops that span the city but one I did try, which also has the major bonus of a prime location is Joe’s Coffee on South Congress. Plopped right in the middle of the bustling popular street full of a variety of shops, Jo’s is the perfect Instagrammable way to start your day. With a small piece of wall art on the side of the building, inventive latte drinks (I had a toasted marshmallow latte), a dog-friendly atmosphere, and if you’re hungry tacos and sandwiches, Jo’s prime people watching and choice atmosphere just might delay your South Congress adventures — in a good way.
Get out into nature with a hike at Mount Bonnell
If you’re looking to get out of the city and into nature for a few hours look no further than Mount Bonnell. The hike boasts some pretty amazing views of the city and is a great hike for during a visit as it’s pretty short (about 30 minutes). It’s also dog friendly!
Technically located in Covert Park, Mount Bonnell is the highest point in Austin at 775 feet, giving an incredibly picturesque view of downtown. Because of the 102-stair climb to the view deck and pavilion this hike has become more of a tourist destination, and is a great spot for a picnic.
Thank you Sarah Paynter for providing this amazing image of sunset at Mount Bonnell!
See the famous, and unreal, swarm of bats at Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
The bats are an infamous sight in Austin, but unfortunately were not something I was able to see. One of the coolest thing about these little critters is that the bat colony that call the Congress Avenue bridge home is the largest known urban bat colony in the whole of North America — totaling an estimated 1.5 million bats! To see the bats you’ll need to head to the bridge on Congress Avenue that crosses Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin around 30-60 minutes before sunset (which ranges from 7:30PM - 9:00PM) as the bats emerge on a nightly basis to blanket the sky as they head out in search of food. But there is one very important thing to note: the time of year. The bats are not around to put on their spectacular show year round, they are seasonal creatures who head south for the winter. So make sure you plan your Austin visit between mid-March to early November.
Thank you Jared Tennant for providing this amazing image of the bats!
Not every city is for everyone, and although Austin may not have completely impressed me, I appreciate the variety of activities for people to do who enjoy going somewhere with the slogan: “Keep Austin Weird”.
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