Austin Texas Travel Guide
Know before you go
Austin is an up-and-coming city but they are still conservative. If you plan on drinking with friends over the weekend stock up on liquor before Sunday. Liquor stores do not sell hard alcohol on Sundays. Meaning if you plan on taking your drinks to the River float then get it on Saturday. Restaurants and bars sell booze on Sunday but that can be an expensive option to rely on.
Weather
Coming from Los Angeles I didn’t know about their weather. We went to Austin in June and the weather was overcast most days but hot and humid. Also sometimes it would rain. Then go back to being hot and humid. There were no rain showers while we were there. I know I mentioned rain and you’re thinking, “what do I pack for Austin?” Like I mentioned, even though it rained it was still hot and humid when it stopped. You’ll be fine with a light jacket. No need for rain boots.
Transportation
We flew Delta to Austin and it was a great experience. The flight attendants were amazing and went out of their way to show us a good time. Once we got to Austin we took Ubers and Lyfts most places. It worked fine and got us to where we needed to go. Which included a lot of different places.
Where to Stay in Austin?
While in Austin we stayed in the JW Marriott in Downtown Austin. If you like to go out and walk to places this was a great location. They hooked us up with a two-bedroom suite which was amazing. We had views of Lady Bird Lake. They also had a rooftop pool that was fun to hang out at. I would stay again if I visit in the future because I found it convenient for going out. The staff was also very nice and accommodating. I mean, they upgraded our room to a wonderful suite so they get an A+ from me.
Next time I visit Austin I will also consider staying at the Line Hotel. For some reason I didn’t know they had one and then when I saw it I had to take a look. It was cute and modern. Very cool hotel with all the amenities, bells, and whistles. We grabbed some food here that I will get to later. But I liked this hotel’s vibe too. Also, it is within walking distance of a lot of cool places.
Where to eat in Austin?
Let’s talk about Food here are some of the places I got to try while I was visiting.
3 Forks
This was a fancy steakhouse that we went to on the first night to celebrate. It was good food, your usual steak, and sides. I say it like that because I don’t eat red meat. But the sides were delicious. For an entree, they didn't have a lot of seafood options so I got the Crabcake as my meal. I have to say I felt it was a pretty good size if you decide to go with that and a few sides. This is the most expensive place on my list.
Torchy’s
This was my first introduction to Tex-Mex. It was pretty tasty. They have all types of tacos here including shrimp and beyond meat. I’m used to Los Angeles tacos so I ordered two tacos and the Queso and Guacamole. I could have gone with one taco because these were pretty big. My favorite item was the Queso.
Voodoo Doughnuts and Gordough’s
Yes, I got doughnuts from two places while I was in Austin and I regret nothing. I mean Voodoos is famous and Gordough's is more local. The Gordough’s Public house is more a bar-restaurant. You’re ordering your doughnut and they are making it fresh. The doughnuts are huge. If you go here get any doughnuts as doughnut holes instead of the actual doughnut. I felt the holes tasted better and were more balanced. Out of the two VooDoo doughnuts was my favorite.
Da Vinci’s Pizza
If you’re going out on Sixth street and get hungry. This is a good pizza place to hit up to grab you a slice or two. The slices are pretty big so you will only need one. But I mean I love pizza and this one was convenient and delicious. It’s hard to mess up pizza.
Veracruz All Natural
Located at the Line Hotel this is the place you go when you are ready for a little detox. They have fresh juices and tacos. There is a bit of a wait for them to make your food but it’s worth it. If you grab tacos here I recommend the Poblanos taco. Also, they make their flour tortillas and they are delicious.
Terry’s BBQ
I know what you’re thinking, you went to Austin and didn’t get any BBQ. Well, we did end up getting some. I don’t eat meat so the group ordered the BBQ and I got the sides. We ordered from Terry’s BBQ, picked it up, and then ate it in our hotel room. I know it's not the most glamorous but we were drunk and the line to eat at Terry’s is crazy. So there is a hack for you, if you don’t care about the dining experience you can order Terry’s ahead of time for pick up. You want to order an hour before. Then go enjoy it in your hotel room or on a picnic.
Fun Things to Do in Austin?
We need a little bit of everything while on my trip and I’m so happy.
Going out Rainey Street and Sixth Street
If you’re staying in Downtown Austin you want to check out Rainey Street or Sixth Street. Out of the two I would hit up Rainey Street. Rainey Street is filled with old houses that are now bars. You could dance, talk to people and grab a drink. All the places I checked out had no cover. I will say that the drinks seemed to be watered down so pregame a bit before you check these places out.
Now Sixth street. That is the place that everyone will tell you about. I find that this is a bit more College party scene. There are two sides to Sixth Street one is more chill and the other is party party party. Be safe if you visit this area and if you don’t like it you can walk to the pizza place I mentioned or grab some donuts.
Boating at Devil’s Cove
We rented a boat for one of the days. It was about $1500 and came with a slide. There were 11 of us that split the cost but you could have more than us. To get to the boating place we took an Uber from our hotel. If you’re going to do boating you can be more prepared than us. You’re going to want to pack your snacks and drinks. Also if you take food and arrange it ahead of time the Captain will grill the food for you on the boat.
If you do this and you’re down to socialize then have your Captain take you into Devils Cove. There you can tie up with another boat. This is a lot of pressure because you’re going up to strangers' boats and asking if you could tie up with them. It’s a fun way to make friends and have a bigger party. If you don’t like who you tie up with you can always move to another boat or be solo.
This was so much fun and a unique way to party. We rode down the slide and swam in the lake. Highly suggest it if you’re with a fun group of people.
River Float Tubing
On another day we did the River float at Texas Tubes. It’s about $60 per person. You can book through them and go to a pickup spot for a shuttle to and from the place. However, we did this so last minute we couldn't get the shuttle so we had to take an Uber there and back.
When I first signed up for this I thought it was going to be a chill ride down the river. That is not the case for the entire River trip. There are going to be faster moments and you can fall off your float if you’re not used to it. Here are some quick tips:
When picking your float ask the person that works there what the best ones are. I promise they are not all made the same. Also, get one with a cup holder. Make sure it is firm to the touch.
I wish I had tied with one person. To make it less isolated in some sections since you can and will bump into other people out there. You can’t control where the float takes you.
If you’re going over a “rapid” part, lift your butt a bit in the float so you don’t hit rocks.
Get a waterproof phone case or this bag from Amazon before you go. Your phone is gonna get wet put it in some protection
Sunscreen, a waterproof speaker, and a hat are your friends. Make sure you use them are you are gonna get burnt up.I had a visor and was so happy I did!
Water Shoes. If you travel a lot, invest in these. These were great to have for standing in the lake and the short hike to the water to start floating.
The floating takes 3-4 hours to complete.
Get a cooler to store your belongings if you don’t want them to get “as” wet. Good protection for fanny packs, your clothes, etc. It’s worth renting for $10.
You can pick up Ubers from this location back to Downtown as well. When you end the River float they will collect your float and cooler if you rent one. Then jump on the school bus that takes you back to the parking lot. From the parking lot, you will be able to grab a Lyft or Uber. Have both of them downloaded in case one of them isn't connecting.
Know that you can take your drinks for this adventure as well.
My favorite part of this trip? Tie between the boat and river float.
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