Greetings From Austin, Texas

Greetings From Austin, Texas

As I made my travel goals for 2019, I knew I had to chose a new state with in my own country to visit as well. Texas has been on my list for a while but with a friend recently moving to Austin, I figured no better time like the present! I texted my friend, Mike, and with in 24 hours I booked a trip for a long weekend to the state Capitol.

Friday was an early morning start and I arrived at Austin airport at 10:30 a.m., coffee in hand. Mike had to spend the day in the office so I decided to hit all the touristy recommendations I had received.

Friday:

First Stop: Torchy's Tacos

With two locations in Austin (one downtown and one just outside it), Torchy's Tacos was a great first stop on my food tour of the city. The style is fast casual, with ordering at the counter and your food being brought out to you. The tacos are individual orders and I tried the chicken and barbacoa flour tortillas. I greedily ordered a side of chips with avocado salsa and was extremely surprised that for only $3.50 the order was enough for two people. Though I was told by Mike and his friends later that Torchy's was more of a tourist destination than a "authentic taco shop," the food was still pretty spectacular. 

The Downtown Location

My tacos and chips

Next up: The Public Library, The Capitol Building and Voodoo Doughnut

With my stomach full, I set out to walk all of downtown and cross out a few other places on my list. Conveniently situated next to the downtown Torchy's location was the new Austin Public Library. It was free to enter and though I did not check out any books, I did check out the unique floor plan and views from the rooftop garden. 

The inside of the building

The view from the top

They had life size chess and an entire kids section in the library

Next I ventured to South Congress and the Capitol Building to shop and look around. The Capitol Building was empty on a Friday afternoon, so I took advantage of it and opted to do the free tour of the building. It lasts about thirty minutes and the staff seemed very knowledgeable about the rich history of Texas and its path towards becoming a state. 

Downtown views

The Capitol Building from outside

Inside the main dome of the building

The dome top

The Senate room. The House looked pretty similar on the other side

As I was walking through the lawn of the Capitol building, I saw a couple holding a box that looked oddly familiar from my Orlando days. Is that Voodoo Doughnut I see?! It was definitely the bright pink Voodoo box and with a quick Google search I found that the location was with in walking distance of the Capitol. I realized that the store was on Sixth Street, which is a popular drinking street in Austin. It reminded me of Broadway Street in Nashville, Tennessee. Though I did not get a chance to check out the nightlife on the street while I was in town, it comes highly recommended. 

Portland Cream doughnut from Voodoo

Saturday:

After one too many drinks on Friday night, Mike decided we needed some hangover breakfast and took me to Magnolia's Cafe. The food was unfortunately nothing overly delicious and the service seemed like they did not want to be there at all but it was pretty packed when we arrived so maybe a fluke?

From there we ventured to South Congress again where we started the hunt for the plethora of Austin walls.

Greetings From Austin

I love you so much at Jo's Coffee Shop

We shopped and wandered the street with all of the locally owned shops for another hour before Mike said that he wanted to ride a scooter. Something noticeable about the streets of Austin are the scooters and bikes that are scattered everywhere. Apps like Uber, Lyft and a few more unrecognizable companies, have created a new way to ride. You can switch your app to Bike or Scooter, scan the QR code and go. Both the bikes and the scooters are electronic and for Uber there is no activation fee. After that it is simply .15 cents per minute until you are done. You drop it off anywhere you want (no bike racks needed) and continue on your way. Mike and I tried this out of Saturday, briefly, and honestly I was obsessed with them. 

Me and my new whip

I was told I had to check out a local food truck called Churro Co. and boy am I glad I did. The stand is located on 1st street, not too far from South Congress. We went right when it opened and by the time we left there was a pretty decent line forming. As you guessed it from the name, the food truck sells churros and pretty much nothing else. I chose the Campfire Churro, topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, two roasted marshmallows and a graham cracker. MOUTH WATERING!

The outside of the stand

Another cute wall on the back side of the stand 

You could add ice cream for another $1.00 but I was already so full I decided against it

Our next stop happened about thirty minutes outside of Austin at Family Business Beer Company. The name of the brewery may not sound familiar but if you are a fan of Supernatural, then Jensen Ackles may be a name you know very well. Ackles and Jared Padalecki are the two stars of the thirteen year long running series and both own property in Texas. Ackles co-founded the brewery with friends Gino Graul and Nate Seale so of course I had to go see it for myself. 

Walking up to the brewery

Inside the building

The flight I bought

Jensen, call me if you need a beer model

They had a cute outdoor picnic area with a special place for kids

Fun fact: Jep from Duck Dynasty has a food trailer inside the brewery property

What trip to Texas is complete with out a stop at a BBQ joint? Terry Black's BBQ is a MUST if you are visiting Austin. Bring your appetite and come early because lines for this restaurant can get up to two hours long. We arrived before six and the wait was about thirty minutes. By the time we left, the line was wrapped around the porch to the parking lot. The restaurant works as a cafeteria styled dining hall. You line up, select your sides, pick out your meat, then pay. The prices in Austin can be steep but this was definitely one of the best deals I found. For roughly eleven dollars I had a chopped beef sandwich, mac and cheese, a giant piece of cornbread and a soft drink. Half way through my meal I ended up full and I consider myself to have a big appetite. Best part about it? It was just as good the next morning. 

The line outside the place

How it works

The delicious menu

My choices

Sunday:

Mount Bonnell overlooks the river and downtown Austin, so Mike and I woke up on Sunday to hit the trails. Well.. by trails I mean the 100 steps to the top. After that it is pretty relaxed. On a scale of 1 to Santorini, Greece I would give it a strong 1 1/2. haha! I also had the pleasure of meeting up with my old Disney pal, Paige. Her and I spent the rest of the afternoon "treating ourselves" to wine slushees and catching up over pizza. 

Paige and I overlooking the river

Look at that view..

...it's me... I'm the view

Another brewery

Another wine slushee

Just how I like my pizza

Texas for a weekend was just what I needed after some rough, cold weeks in Ohio. My next trip isn't until June and I am already itching to book another one sometime in between then. To follow along with my adventures, check out my Instagram, KaseyMeetsWorld or my Facebook Page. Happy weekend Y'all!