#SheTravels – Austin, Texas

October 4, 2024

It was a beautiful sunny day when we arrived in Houston, Texas. We were road tripping to our next destination, our son’s hometown of Austin about three hours away. It felt strange sitting on the other side of the car and close to other vehicles, but my husband navigated the sprawling, loopy freeway easily and soon we were out on the open road.

Country Texas was all around us with massive cattle ranches, wineries, whisky distilleries, and truck stops along the way. To the left was an oil pump mining the black gold, Texas tea and to the right was the famous Buccees, the beaver themed store which sells everything. The topography was vastly different to what we had imagined. For those from Brisbane, think of the stretch of road heading out to Ipswich and you’ll paint the picture.

Soon quaint wooden houses with porches gave way to the Austin city limits where we recognised the orange of the Longhorn Stadium and saw the University campus and towering buildings of Downtown beyond. To us the city was a comparable size to Brisbane.We stayed conveniently central on 5 th street at the Westin, which boasts Austin’s highest rooftop pool bar.

Day One saw us meet our son and some friends for dinner at the upmarket Mexican restaurant, La Condesa. It was simply delicious, and they served some of the best margaritas of the trip. Highlights were the short rib beef quesadillas and the braised pork. After dinner we ventured to Antone’s live music venue where we listened to a new artist, Sarah Kinsley. She was fabulous and we immediately downloaded her debut album. We felt like we had enjoyed the best of Austin all in one evening.

After a wonderful sleep we ventured out to the nearby Fifth Street Diner for brunch, and I can now tick ‘visit an American diner’ off my bucket list. I enjoyed a goat cheese omelet which came with a side of salad. This kept me going all day long. There were even a variety of sweet pies in the warmer. Felt like I was in a movie.

We spent the day exploring Downtown before heading across the expansive Colorado River to visit the trendy SOCO area. I loved the boutiques, famous Allen’s boots, and the street art. Many of the shops are in older houses and it is a massively successful rejuvenation of what was once a run-down area.

Being a university town there is a cool and relaxed vibe and the excited buzz that being around young people brings. We were beginning to see why our son so loved living here. It’s very walkable, has plenty of green space and artwork and really comes alive at night with the many restaurants, bars, and live music venues.

In the evening, we had a hankering for Italian. After a drink at the Westin pool bar, we headed to the authentic Numero28 where we enjoyed some fabulous pesto gnocchi, spinach and ricotta ravioli and pizza. Afterwards we headed to the historic Driskill bar for a nightcap. This grand bar is old world Texas with pressed metal ceilings, cowhide couches and museum quality artwork. We even saw some guests taking part in a haunted Texas walk. Walking home down sixth street it seemed like the party was just getting started at 10pm.

A morning stroll on Saturday saw us head to the markets at Republic Park. With foodstuffs, jewellery and art it was a fun way to while away the morning and it seemed like every man…and his dog was out enjoying the sunshine. There was a group doing yoga in the park, plenty of food trucks and a chill weekend vibe.

In the afternoon we headed along sixth street to Walton’s Fancy and Staples for a sweet treat. Sandra Bullock owns this inviting café and gift shop. We enjoyed seeing the crowds gather in their supporter’s gear for the Texas Longhorns vs Arkansas game. Texas is top of the table so the whole town has NFL fever.

Bookshops are a must do for me in any city and I loved visiting the vast Book People. I had just missed an Ann Patchett talk by a half an hour… so that was disappointing. She is one of my very favourite authors. She has a new children’s book called ‘The Verts’ out which talks about introverts and extroverts. Romance fiction was also big on the shelves here, and it was a beautiful shop to browse.

Finally in the evening it was time to try some Texan BBQ with a group of our son’s friends. We headed back across the river to SOCO to try Terry Black’s BBQ. Michelle Obama has ordered BBQ from here. Terry Black was a famed barbecue master who has passed on his skills to his three children who now own this popular restaurant.

We left the ordering to the locals and were rewarded with share plates of delicious brisket, jalapeño sausage and pork ribs. Sides were plentiful with coleslaw, creamed corn and potato salad completing our feast. The lines for barbecue were still growing ever longer as we finished but it was an experience we will never forget.

On our last day in Austin our son played tour guide taking us to see the fabulous Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Library and Museum. It shared the history of one of America’s best-known presidents and was a wonderful way to while away a few hours. Next, we headed to the University of Texas, my son’s Alma Mater. It’s a beautiful campus with gardens, fountains, statues and the infamous clock tower, the site of America’s first school shooting. The neighbourhood boasts great coffee shops, bars with music and the CO- OP where you can buy all your Longhorn merchandise.

In the evening, we headed for an early dinner at Peche’s. This was one of our meals of the trip with its French influenced cuisine. We shared the mushroom fritters and enjoyed confit duck with red cabbage and mustard sauce. For dessert we all shared an excellent crème brûlée. It was a fantastic way to end our stay in this town, which is all about food, music, party culture and NFL. Next stop is the nation’s capital of Washington.

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