Today I want to share our magical 2 day baby-free trip to Austin, Texas! You read that right BABY-FREE! In a nutshell, Austin is vibrant, Austin is delicious, Austin is weird, Austin is beautiful and of course, Austin made me miss my kid.
Let me start off by saying that we do not take many trips baby free. Our Poppy is 14 months old and we had only been away from her for 2 nights since she was born until this trip. Once for a wedding and another for a fun date night. So this was pretty major.
It all started a trip to Texas to visit my folks. The hubs, baby and I visit Texas frequently but rarely venture too far since we want to spend time with my family. This time though, we were feeling a bit more adventurous and baby was totally and 100% fine being away from us.
So we chose to take a quick road trip to AUSTIN.
I love Austin. The reason I like it is because it is so different from the rest of Texas. Nothing wrong with Texas, I mean I grew up there and have great memories, but I do love the fun quirky side that Austin offers. Really it is like saying that New Orleans and the rest of the Louisiana are totally the same. Yea it is that different.
Austin is a city with a lot of diversity, a great college atmosphere, history as the state capital and gorgeous natural beauty. Add on the booming music scene, green living and charming weirdness, to make this an awesome travel destination.
Since our time in Austin was fairly limited, we stuck to a few simple goals there were totally achievable.
Goal #1 – Eat damn good BBQ.
Goal #2 – Enjoy some quality us time.
Goal #3 – Check out Austin’s natural beauties.
To make the trip enjoyable without our little one, I set up a few easy rules for the hubs and I:
- No baby conversation during dinner.
- Allow ourselves to check in with baby and sitter(s) once or maybe twice to ease any worrying.
- Allow ourselves to relax, like really really relax.
Overall it was a fabulous trip and great way to hit the fresh button. The Hubs and I felt like newlyweds again and enjoyed the city, our hotel amenities and even sleeping in. Although I have to admit, even though we had fun being baby-free, we did spend about 20 minutes looking through Poppy’s new born photos before going to bed 🙂 C’mon… she is so cute!
Recommended spots and activities
Barton Creek Greenbelt – We started the trip with a gorgeous hidden hike here. The trail contains 12.68 miles of stunning trails, with the main trail spanning about 7 miles. This particular greenbelt is considered one of the top hiking trails in Texas. The trail contains several natural swimming holes with pristine clear water. We parked near 1601 Spyglass Drive and parking was easy and free. Continue on the trail headed north and you will run into Zilker Park and the Barton Springs Pool. Which are both awesome destinations to check out as well!
La BBQ – This place is incredible! I’m talking incredible. From someone who doesn’t really eat meat, it was amazing! Disputed to be #2 or #1 BBQ joint (after Franklin’s) in all of Texas, nay, the country. This is a must stop for anyone who thinks they have had good BBQ before. Meat so tender and juicey that you do not even need a knife. Also great service and very close to downtown. We went around lunch time and waited for an hour including ordering and getting the food. But what makes it all better is the La BBQ folks set out a keg of beer free for those waiting in line. Nothing better than free cold beer and chatting with Austin natives while waiting for damn good BBQ.
Casey’s New Orleans’s Snow-balls – For a fun refreshing unique treat check out this classic family owned place. Each of their over 60 flavors are made in-house with real simple syrup. Such a fun treat in the summer months!
Easy Tiger – Bake Shop and Beer Garden. Need I say more? Great place to pick up coffee and pastries in the morning, a pretzel and beer for lunch or hang out with beer and ping pong at night.
Wander – Downtown, along the river, Texas Capital building and the University of Texas campus.
Eat eat eat – Phenomenal Mexican food, Japanese food, fusion, ice cream… you name it. So many outstanding restaurants.
Other things to check out: If you want to party, don’t forget to check out 6th Street in downtown Austin. We are not partiers so we skipped this, but definitely a great activity to check out local music, bars and crowds. Lake Travis is a fun destination as well! Boat rides, restaurants with killer views and cliff diving are just some of the fun things to do on the lake. Last but not least, check out the world’s largest urban bat colony emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin
So now you know, when in Texas check out Austin. Bon Voyage!
Originally posted 2016-09-09 09:23:58.
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