There are a lot of amazing things to do in Austin. Admittedly, during my recent day trip to Austin, I only ended up seeing a few sites. But, here are my insights into a few of Austin's most popular spots.
Austin has a ton of local coffee shops and breweries. Look around and you may find your new favorite spot. I was accompanied by my friend from college for the day and we stopped at Squarerut Kava Bar. Kava, as we soon learned is a "Pacific Islands drink made from the crushed roots of a plant of the pepper family, having a mildly intoxicating or sedative effect." We decided to pass on that and ordered coffee instead. They were out of ice, added mocha to my vanilla latte and the server was VERY chill. So, if you are looking for something to relax ya, it looks like Kava works wonders...however, I wouldn't say that I would recommend the coffee. It was a cool place though. It felt like you were walking into a rainforest retreat and they have plenty of table games and even rope swings.
After grabbing our coffees, we headed off to Barton Springs Pool. Baton Springs is only open Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So, we just happened to come to town on the right day. There is a $9 entrance fee between 8am and 9pm. Although there were still a lot of people there it was not too crowded and we found a spot on the grassy hill up from the pool. I highly recommend bringing a picnic blanket to lounge on. I also suggest bringing a book or journal for when sitting beside the pool and your other standard beach/ pool essentials like sunglasses, hats, sunscreen, towels, etc. A few things to note though:
The water is really cold, especially after it rains
You will often catch the smell of weed drifting through the wind
You may see a few topless people walking around
Coffee and picnics aren't allowed...oops
It is a natural habitat and pool, so you will see fish swimming around with you (try not to jump on them)
Overall, it is a really pretty place and that resulted in a peaceful random Tuesday afternoon.
Just on the other side of the fence from Barton Springs, is a free access point to the river. After leaving Barton Springs, we decided to check it out. The vibes are drastically different from one side of the fence to the next. There are a lot of young people who come there and play music while hanging out. The best part is, they bring their dogs! There are a ton of dogs running around, playing with each other, and chasing fish. Someone was painting, the locals were very nice, there was a rope swing, and the flow of water from Barton Springs made a really pretty rapids area that fed into the rest of the water. So, if you are looking for a free place to cool off, I recommend checking it out.
By this time, the sun was starting to set, which meant it was time to head to the Congress Ave. Bridge. This bridge is known for its mass exodus of bats every night after sundown. Before heading to the bridge, we stopped at Royal Blue Grocery to get a picnic. After gathering our dinner, we went along the riverside trail under the bridge, picnic blanket in hand. We set up our spread on an embankment behind the trail with a full view of the bridge, just in time to watch the sunset and wait for the bats. Although we didn't see them fly (almost certain we weren't late, they must have just been getting their beauty sleep), it was a nice spot and I absolutely want to go back there again the next time I am in Austin. Eventually, we gave up on the wait and headed out of town.
Even though it was a pretty short day in town, it was really good to take a step back and relax for a little bit. I highly recommend you do the same.
So, go for the experience, stay for the "vibes," "keep Austin weird," and never be afraid to dillydally.
- Amber
Comments