Austin, TX
Recently I got to experience Austin for the first time and it coincided with the week they had their coldest weather of the year. It was below 30 degrees and definitely the dead of winter. Being the total tourists, my partner Daniel and I still walked all over the city center, biked through a few of the trails and spent our time outdoors as if it were 72 degrees and sunshine. The clouds never broke through which made it feel like the same time everyday. There were no leaves on trees, it rained a couple of the days and sprinkled for the rest. By the end of our trip I must be honest and say that yes, we would live there. The people were wonderful, the food extraordinary and navigating our way around was efficient. The windchill cannot damper the personality and charm this great town has to offer.
Here are my top 10 highlights.
The JW Marriott
The JW Marriott was just two weeks new upon our arrival. Excellent service, essentially 2-4 blocks from most anywhere in downtown and the current hotspot bars and restaurants are housed in their lobby. They have a fitness center and gorgeous 5th floor pool overlooking half of the downtown and the Colorado River.
Lamberts Restaurant
Lamberts is part upscale restaurant, and part live music venue. The food is unbelievable, we had the fried green tomato appetizer with crab louie served on top which was a highlight. My personal favorite was what is considered a Texas staple, Frito Pie. It is traditionally chili and cheese served over a bed of Frito's, but here they switch out the chili for pulled pork. It isn't on the restaurant menu but they will still prepare it for you. This was my favorite BBQ dish of the entire trip. Their sauce was tangy and perfectly sweet to complement any meat. They also give you options of three different house BBQ's varying from mild to spicy. Reservations recommended.
Sixth Street
Sixth Street is the lifeline of the city and what gives this place the title "Live Music Capital of the World". There is something for everyone in terms of music selection and whether you're looking for a dive bar to listen to some old fashioned rock n' roll, or more of a jazzy ambience. This area is easy to explore considering everything is walking distance. You can check out a few clubs before you decide on one to hunker down into. This street is the home to SXSW and no trip would be complete without a visit.
Congress Bridge
The Congress "Bat" Bridge is gorgeous to walk across any time of day. When you stand at the south side looking north, you can clearly see the historical Capitol Building. It makes for a great photo of the skyline. In warmer months, it is home to 1.5 million bats that come out at dusk everyday and fly out into the city. The bats were vacationing in Mexico on our trip there so we missed one of the key rituals, which is standing on the bridge while the bats ascend out into the downtown.
SoCo
SoCo is the most charming neighborhood and is short for South of Congress. It is a melting pot of antique shops, food trucks, clothing boutiques, restaurants and bars. I highly recommend perusing it for a few hours and then stopping at Guero's for a tex-mex snack of nachos or queso flambeado to gain back some strength. 'Hey Cupcake' is one of the more popular dessert food trucks, and though I am not a fan of cupcakes, I did buy a couple to take back to the hotel, because they are moist and the frosting isn't too sugary. The only depressing thing about walking around this area is seeing late 80's, early 90's items in some of the antique stores... when did my high school digital alarm clock become a novelty?
San Jose Hotel
San Jose Hotel is right at the start of the SoCo district and is where you can find us on our next venture out to Austin. They are charming mid-century bungalows that are reminiscent of a movie set. We got to walk around the property and it is very representative of the atmosphere and flavor of Austin.
The Contemporary Museum
The Contemporary Museum has two locations and this review is for the downtown spot. It's manageable size only requires that you carve out an hour or so to see any exhibit they are offering. It won't dominate your day, but it will enhance your Austin experience. On our visit it was the 'Boombox Perspective' and the selection with its musical aspect made perfect sense.
Austin B-Cycle
Austin B-Cycle is this city's answer to Citibikes and are readily available throughout the downtown and hotspots. They are equipped with a basket so you can bring back any medium sized shopping items. It's a bargain at only 8 dollars for the day and there are numerous pick up and drop off locations everywhere. There are also many park trails and river trails so you can take in the outdoors, which even in the cold of winter was beautiful.
Jo's Coffeeshop has the best coffee we had in the city. It had enough kick to get your day going and they serve another Texas staple- the breakfast taco. California has the breakfast burrito, now I have had the breakfast taco and Im obsessed with both. Jo's had a few selections to pick from and they wrap it in foil for those on the go. They are the perfect light breakfast starter.
OCH
Oil Can Harry's is a must if you are into dancing and a drag show. The music selection is a nice mix of pop hits and not overdone with all the electronic music that isn't really danceable. They have their schedule of performances on their website and most of the nights have themes. It is great people watching and any fan of "RuPaul's Drag Race" can regularly see one of the current or previous castmates here.
