A very long weekend in Austin (with Gertie!)
We decided to end 2016 and start 2017 in Austin, Texas! I’ve visited this quirky little capital city twice before: once on my road trip to New York City in 2012, and then for a weekend to check out the culinary scene and surrounding Texas Hill Country in 2015. But David had never been to Austin (despite spending plenty of time in Texas as a kid–his mom is originally from outside of Houston!), so we figured it’d be a fun place to experience together. Mostly because the main things to do in Austin are eat good food, drink good drinks, listen to live music and have a good time in mild winter weather, and that was all we wanted to do!
Bonus: we decided it would be a good low-key trip to take Gertie on her first plane ride! She was absolutely fantastic on the flight and slept the entire time in her tiny carrier, and she loved exploring Austin (mostly because everyone loved her and the weather was perfect). We stayed at the super pet-friendly Four Seasons right on Lady Bird Lake, so there was so much grass for her to frolic in right outside her door (aka she was disappointed to come back to Bed-Stuy, land of sidewalks and trash on the ground). Traveling with a pet made things a little more complicated (blog post on lessons learned coming soon!), but overall, we’re so glad that she came with us! We crammed A LOT into our time in Austin, but here’s an overview of all the delicious things we ate and drank, and fun things we saw and did:
What we ate
Acai bowls @ Blenders & Bowls: Since the downtown location was just a few blocks from the Four Seasons, Gertie and I started every morning with a walk to pick up a healthy bowl (my favorite was the Bowl of Paradise, and David prefered the Chillberry) to take back and enjoy in the hotel while we got ready for the day. 
BBQ @ Salt Lick: We took a New Year’s Day adventure out to Salt Lick for some sunshine and BBQ. I’m certainly no expert when it comes to meat, but I did think the atmosphere was better than the food itself–it was nice, but nothing spectacular (my boyfriend and I both agreed that Fette Sau in Brooklyn is just as good). That said, there was live music and plenty of space for Gertie to explore, so no complaints! 
Pizza @ Homeslice: Located on the super fun South Congress strip (wandering here on a sunny afternoon was the #1 thing we did in Austin), Homeslice has delicious pizza by the slice and cheap beers. Highly recommend enjoying a slice in the sunshine and people-watching the cast of characters walking by. 
Brunch @ Forthright: No complaints here: good coffee, insanely delicious chia seed pudding, a nice chunk of toast topped with lots of avocado. And a shady dog-friendly patio! 
Breakfast tacos @ Radio/Veracruz: One of the fun thing about the bars/cafes in Austin is that whenever there’s a big outdoor seating space, there’s usually some food trucks. We picked up breakfast tacos to go with our cappucinos, and it was lovely!
What we drank
Bulletproof coffee @ Picnik: I had my first bulletproof coffee at Picnik–or to be more precise, a Little Larry, which consists of coffee, grass-fed butter, MCT oil, maple syrup & grass-fed collagen protein. It definitely seemed rich (and on the expensive side), but it might have just gotten me on the butter-in-my-coffee train–I feel like I’ve been craving it! 
Margaritas @ Oasis: For the last sunset of 2016, we ventured out to Lake Travis. Oasis is kind of a crazy touristy spot that overlooks the lake, but the view is gorgeous and the margaritas are good!
Drinks @ Rainey Street: Not pictured, but I did take David on an adventure on Rainey Street–it’s a little street in town where all of the houses have been converted into bars and it’s super cute and fun! Highly recommend going out for a drink here if you’re in Austin: I don’t think you can go wrong, especially with the smattering of food trucks in all the backyards.
Drinks @ Elephant Room: Also not pictured, but we listened to live jazz here with a couple of my friends from college and it was so much fun!
Street art we saw
I Love You So Much @ Jo’s Coffee
Greetings From Austin Postcard Mural
Sidewalk Mosaic @ JW Marriott SE Sidewalk
What we did
Hike the steps @ Mount Bonnell: Even though it was a little cloudy and overcast when we decided to check out the steps and the view, it was still a beautiful view of the Colorado River. 
Explore the UT Campus: My favorite part was the mini turtle ecosystem we discovered!
Check out the Texas Capitol Building: It’s a gorgeous building and an easy walk through downtown: Gert and I took a few morning adventures up to see it!
Stare longingly at Barton Springs @ Zilker Park: Not quite swimming weather, but I still love Barton Springs! It reminds me so much of the swimming hole in my college town, and the surrounding park made for a great place to walk with Gert.
Kayak @ Lady Bird Lake: We rented a double kayak at Congress Avenue Kayak and went for an adventure on Lady Bird Lake: it was absolutely perfect weather, and I loved getting to see the downtown skyline from the water. My favorite part was watching the dogs at Zilker Park jump in and swim! 
Where we stayed
We stayed at Four Seasons Austin, and I can’t say enough good things about how great the location is and how incredibly friendly and helpful the staff is! The location right on Lady Bird Lake and the surrounding trails make it super easy to travel with a dog, and I loved the view over the lake at sunset. We took it pretty easy this trip–a big priority was relaxing and catching up on sleep–so I loved that we were able to request a white noise machine and extra-firm pillows in our room. Overall, it was the perfect base for our adventures in Austin and beyond!
Have you ever been to Austin? What was your favorite part?
Please note that the Four Seasons Austin did offer us a discounted rate, but as always, all opinions are my own.
